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Bilkey 6 in Europe
  • Rowan Bilkey
  • Sarah Bilkey
  • Tom Bilkey
  • Rowan Bilkey
  • Sarah Bilkey
  • Tom Bilkey
  • Campbell Bilkey
  • Jack Bilkey

Bilkey 6 in Europe

Et 32-dagers eventyr av Rowan, Sarah, Tom og 3 andre Les mer
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  • Reisens start
    30. mars 2023
    Bilkey 6 in Europe

    Just getting there is a mission!

    31. mars 2023, Tyskland ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    Taking a family of six from Newcastle on a three hour train ride, then a 15 hour flight, then a three hour stopover, then another six hour flight before landing in a country we've never been to, know nothing of the language, and are to be fair, a little under-prepared ....

    What could possibly go wrong...

    Well, as it happens, not too much so far. We set off on the 3:30pm train from Newcastle to Sydney Airport, arriving with ample time to check in and allow the boys to write the first pages of their journals while we waited to board.

    A 10pm departure was well timed; the boys were excited at the prospect of stepping foot in the Northern Hemisphere for the first time, and hungrily snapped up the dinner served on the plane. The individual entertainment systems had a workout, before we all tried to get some shut eye on the longest leg of our journey.

    We made it to Doha 15 hours later and were suitably impressed by the rainforest growing inside the terminal. Not sure if it was deliberate, or if the cleaners went on strike and a rainforest grew, but either way, they should probably run with it.
    There was also a playground for the boys to spend some energy before we boarded again, this time to travel from Doha to Berlin, a 5 hour journey.

    One or two movies later, we were gliding over Bavarian countryside and touching down in Europe. It was grey and wet, however our pre-arranged driver organised to meet us in the arrivals hall, next to what I can only imagine was a solid gold BMW. Fred asked if that was the car we were hiring. I wish kid.

    A mix up in the location of our BNB saw us dropped at the wrong site. No matter, a 15 minute walk to the correct site was probably a blessing, nice to get the legs moving. We could have done without the rain however. The driver said that if you waited for good weather in Germany to commit to doing something, you'd never get anything done. So just get out amongst it and expect to get a little wet from time to time. Good advice.

    Tom and I ventured out in the evening to find dinner for everyone. We ordered some pizzas and picked up a few must haves from the local market. Tom had a chance to try out his blossoming German, but buckled a little under pressure and just asked for "white bread". We'll work on that.

    It's a quiet evening, the boys have all crashed and I don't think Sarah and I are far off either. Tomorrow: Day 1 in Europe.    Les mer

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  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    11

    The sites in Berlin

    1. april 2023, Tyskland ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Our first full day on the continent was a chance to take a walk through Berlin, seeing a number of the main attractions before heading to Leipzig to watch the football match.

    We had intended on walking to the metro station and catching the metro to Berlin Hauptbahnhof Station, however as we walked towards the city, we found there was just one more thing just up ahead we wanted to check out. Soon enough, we had walked the 7km to Central Station.

    Along the way we started our sites at Checkpoint Charlie. When East and West Germany was divided, this marked the point at which you left the American controlled West, and headed into Communist East. We chatted about the state of the world 50 years ago.

    We moved along and toward Friedreichstrasse and finally turned left to bring the Brandenberg Gate into view. It's a pretty impressive structure and we walked between its huge columns. We made our way past the Tiergarten park, largely cordoned off in preparation for the next day's half marathon, before coming upon the Reichstag Building. Tom was pretty amazed by the site of it. "You don't see stuff like this in Newcastle." Well, no you don't.

    At the main train station, we had time for a bite to eat. Train station food is not a huge attraction, however Jack was pretty keen to try the currywurst, a curried sausage chopped up and smothered in sauce. It comes accompanied by pomme frites, one of my favourites.

    The Germans are nothing if not efficient, and our train departed on time to the second. As we sat watching the countryside whizz past, Jack and I got chatting to the lady and her granddaughter with whom we were sharing a booth. They are travelling from Berlin to Munich together for the school holidays where 9 year old Maria will spend her Easter break with her grandma. I enjoyed listening to her casual chat about her life in Germany. We also found it quite amazing that Jack and Maria shared a birthday, exactly 12 months apart!

    The trip to the football filled the majority of the day, and by the time we got home, we were walking zombies. Even Jack was happy to skip dinner for bed!    Les mer

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  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    21213

    RB Leipzig!

    1. april 2023, Tyskland ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    RB Leipzig!

    Since the World Cup, the boys have been pretty obsessed with football. A premier match in Europe was a must. To afford tickets to a Chelsea game in London would have required us selling one of the boys, so the Bundesliga was a great option.

    We managed to get some great tickets to a match in Leipzig, which is about an hours' train ride from Berlin. The atmosphere as you walk from the train station to any sporting event is exciting, and this was no exception.

    Jack's spending money was burning a hole in his pocket, and he knew from the outset that his adopted team, RBL would be one place he'd spend it. A quick stop at the merchandise store and we looked like we'd be RBL fans for life. We then made our way into the 50,000 seat stadium and soaked up the chants, songs and pre-game hype.

    The game, while high quality and exciting, did not go as planned for the home side. Mainz, the visiting underdog, got the job done with a goal in the first half, and two more by full time. A 3-0 defeat was not ideal, but the experience for the Bilkeys was fantastic. As always, purely for research, we needed to test out the food and beverage offerings and were not disappointed. The Wurst hotdogs were the best, and the beers were excellent. I needed a few to make sure. I can now confidently order 1, 2 or 3 of something from a menu. As I don't know the numbers 4, 5 or 6, it forces us to diversify in what we order...

    On our walk back to the train station, Fred was pretty pleased to see that Germany accommodates for Fred sized people with their own doors. Either that or there are elves living in many of the buildings.

    After a long day, the train ride home was pretty quiet, and as I'm sure we'll discover more and more, anywhere is a good place to have a nap.    Les mer

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  • Bilkey 6 in Europe

    Berlin Wall

    2. april 2023, Tyskland ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    I love the street art that is sprawled all over the city of Berlin, even the street art that clearly hasn't been commissioned by the local councils still attracted my eyes. There was an enormous apartment wall near where we stayed that was painted pale orange and then a beautiful painting of a brown bear hugging a child over that back drop - I loved looking at it each day we started our walking adventures through Berlin.

    Day 3 in Berlin we walked to the last part of the Berlin Wall left standing, on the eastern side of the wall there is amazing street art, created by artists from all over the world. We took our time absorbing and interpreting the message that each artist had created. Most of this artwork was painted in 1990, the year after the wall came down. They stand as a memorial to the reunification of Germany and to a broader moment of globally significant political change.    Les mer

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  • Bilkey 6 in Europe

    Berlin Day 3

    2. april 2023, Tyskland ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    Some big highlights in Berlin today. The day started by following a tip from Lucy to have the best breakfast in Berlin. It did not disappoint. Cafe Mugrabi near the East Side Gallery is an Israeli cafe. The boys were dubious to start with, but after trying a few bites of the humous, baked eggs and laffa bread, the boys were hooked. A clear standout meal amongst the pork knuckles and schnitzels.

    We then walked across Oberbaumbrücke, a stunningly ornate bridge leading to the Berlin Wall Eastside Gallery. After spending time examining the Wall, we wandered back towards the centre of town, stumbling on a bohemian village where the boys played on a wonky playground.

    We then headed towards the Memorial for Murdered Jews of Berlin. This was on the list for Tom in particular, and we were warned as we lined up that it would be quite confronting, the younger boys might find it quite heavy. We continued, Tom and Cam absorbed the information and we all felt the gravity of the site. It was a moving memorial, and a testament to Berlin's approach to remembering the Holocaust - respectful, no fuss, honest without glorifying nor shying away from the event.

    We needed a walk following the Memorial and headed across the road to Tiergarten, where we found another playground. It was here that Tom saw his first squirrel, and then continued to film it for the next 15 minutes straight. It was a strange obsession.

    When we booked our trip, one thing I had not considered, nor thought I would need to encounter is Tom being legally old enough to have a beer. In Germany, at 14 you can have a beer or wine in the company of your parents. So, when we sat down at Pauliner München Beerhaus for dinner, that's exactly what Tom did. As far as first beers go, I reckon it was a pretty good one.    Les mer

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  • Bilkey 6 in Europe

    Museums and Pork Knuckles

    3. april 2023, Tyskland ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    Berlin has a lot of green space, and the boys have been inspired to be world cup football players, so were keen to run out some energy. They got talking to a young dad at the playground, before they cajoled him into playing a game of mini soccer. Tom and I then joined in and things got a little competitive. The other dad and I stepped out after a while, and before long a throng of kids appeared from nowhere, forming a full on 10 on 10 game of soccer. Jack and Campbell were in their element.

    Campbell discovered a year or so ago, that the Melbourne Museum houses the most complete Triceratops skeleton in the world. When researching this trip, we then discovered the most complete T-Rex skeleton is in Berlin. We had to go. The Berlin Natural History Museum was outstanding, with a section devoted to explaining how taxidermy works. Some of Tom's squirrels' cousins were the unfortunate exhibit showing the gory details.

    We then made our way to Museum Island, a drop of land in the middle of the Spree River that houses some of the most amazing buildings. The Humboldt forum was spectacular, and we read the story about the building that was almost completely destroyed in the war, and the amazing rebuild they undertook to recreate it.

    Standing in the main plaza, the Berlin Cathedral is an imposing structure, so we headed over to have a look inside. Suffice to say it's a little fancier than the local church in Newcastle. We made our way through the main vault and tried to answer Fred's questions like - "but if God made Earth in a day, how did the big Bang happen?" Good question, kid.

    We saw the steps to the dome and decided to make the trek up the 267 steps to see the view. Jack was quite bullish to start with, but must have remembered halfway up that he's actually scared of heights, which came to the fore when we stepped outside. However he did terrific, as did the rest of the boys, and the view of Berlin was absolutely worth it.

    We finished the day with a few beers, pork knuckles and schnitzels. What a day.    Les mer

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  • Bilkey 6 in Europe

    Freddy Bear

    5. april 2023, Tyskland ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    We knew when we started this European adventure that we'd be doing a lot of walking most days. Each day in Berlin we covered 14-17kms, making it about 25,000 steps according to my watch and I reckon for Freddy's little legs that would have been at least double that amount.

    Day 2, Fred spotted 'Blue Bear' and whilst we didn't take a photo of the Bear that day, we both commented on it's appearance (Mummy & Freddy both love blue) and how 'cute' it was. Further down the street we noticed Butler Bear and I suggested I take a photo of that bear and him. This then turned into a game, find a bear, Sarah would take the photo as Fred would do a pose with the Bear. Whilst I know we didn't spot all of them, it definitely helped Freddy achieve the walking that we needed to accomplish to soak up what Berlin had to offer.

    Side note: The Buddy Bears Berlin have become an integral part of Berlin's cityscape. They stand as a friendly, colourful symbol of tolerance in the streets (and as a landmark to Berlin).    Les mer

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    Bilkey 6 arrive in Paris

    6. april 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Our time in Berlin came to an end, we jumped on the train from Berlin Hauptbahnhoff, destined for Paris. The train meandered south from Berlin, through German countryside, before we changed at Karlsruhe. We then crossed the border into France at Strasbourg and headed west to Paris.

    We were met at Paris Gare de l'est by Richard and Charlie, great to see them after a long time. They led us onto the metro and then through the streets of Paris back to their apartment in the 3rd Arrondissement.

    When we arrived, we had a lovely lamb stew, followed by a happy birthday song, present and cake for Sammy's birthday. The boys were very excited to share a bedroom with their cousins, and fell asleep looking forward to adventures with the Paris Bilkeys.

    Our Paris leg had started.    Les mer

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  • Bilkey 6 in Europe

    Le Louvre et Notre Dame

    6. april 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    We started the day taking Charlie, Sam and Teddy to their respective schools. None of the boys were happy to say goodbye, however there'd be plenty of time to come, to kick the ball with the cousins. We wandered down to the Siene and a rather heated match of soccer ensued in an upside down boat. Of course.

    As we continued our walk, Richard was most informative, giving information on the regions we were walking through, the buildings we were passing and the history of the city. We happened upon the Notre Dame, and Sarah and I recreated a photo that we took some 18 years prior. I don't think either of us had changed in all that time... much.

    The Louvre was next, as the boys had to see the Mona Lisa. We had a tip from Richard's mate at Le Peleton Cafe on where to go to skip the 2 hour queues to get in. Within 20 minutes of arriving we were inside and walking the halls. We viewed the Venus de Milo, before making our way to see the main attraction. We spent 2 minutes in the room, and the attitude from the boys was best summed up by Jack's reaction: "Meh."

    We wandered through for the next few hours and found the rooms, art, historical artefacts most interesting.

    On our way home I saw that a friend of mine, Michael was also in Paris. We hastily arranged a catch up and Sarah and I were able to leave the boys at home and head out for a nice beer at a cafe.

    Richard had also received an invitation from a friend to his restaurant for a supper club. Elise was not feeling 100% so I was fortunate enough to stand in. A wonderful degustation menu met us in a wonderful location, overlooking Jardin du Palais Royal.    Les mer

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    Wandering Paris

    7. april 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    Today was a quiet stroll around some of the lesser seen sites of Paris. We rolled down to the Siene and across onto Ile Saint-Louis. We were reliably informed by our guide (Richard) that the island in the Siene is the smaller of the two, it's bigger sister being the more famous Ile de la Cite which houses the imposing Palais de Justice de Paris as well as, of course, the Notre Dame. The Notre Dame is under busy repairs following the fire that destroyed the steeple and large swathes of the building four years ago. The French are aiming to have it repaired and open for business by the time the Olympians somersault into town in 2024.

    Ile Saint-Louis is smaller, but no less impressive. It is home to the rich and famous, some of the most expensive real estate in Paris is here, and the people are the epitome of style. We stuck out just a little bit...

    We didn't stay long, as we crossed the river again and up the hill towards Arenes de Lutece. This 2000-year old amphitheater once housed gladiatorial battles in Roman days and the cages which housed lions and other animals can still be seen. We kicked a footy and felt every bit the gladiator.

    A short walk around the corner brought us to the beautiful Jardin Des Plantes, a huge garden complex that houses, amongst other things a labyrinth, a mob of kangaroos, red pandas, a queue of taxidermied animals to rival Noah's Ark, and a life size stegosaurus statue. We couldn't see it all, but enjoyed walking through the gardens and having a good play on the playground.    Les mer

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    Canal Saint-Martin to La Villette

    8. april 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Today's adventure was a boat ride up the Canal Saint Martin from the Siene, up to La Villette. The Canal runs south, however we made our way upstream, to the north. To do this, we first enter a series of voutes, or tunnels which takes us underneath Bastille. After coming out of the nearly 2km tunnels, we then needed to proceed through a number of locks to rise up water levels throughout the journey. The process of the lock was fascinating and the boys enjoyed watching the water flood through the doors. After the 8th lock, perhaps it lost its appeal, but a cool thing to do in any case.

    We ended at La Villette, a huge park in the north of town. Freddy, Teddy and Sam enjoyed a spin on the Carousel before heading across with the big boys to the main play equipment. We then had dinner at the Paname pub on the water.

    It was a beautiful evening and we strolled back down the canal, past crowds of people enjoying the spring air with a beer on the canal, or playing boules with friends. We even saw a few games of Finska and felt we could have jumped in and dominated.

    The boys wanted some ice cream, so we stopped at a creme glacee shop and enjoyed the local fair. By the time we made it back to the apartment, our feet were sore, but our bellies were full and the kids' heads full of memories of play and fun with their cousins.    Les mer

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    111

    Eiffel Tower - Cam's Birthday Part 1

    9. april 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    Happy Birthday Campbell! When we planned this trip, we asked Cam where he wanted to be for his birthday. His first response was with his cousins in Paris, then more specifically up on top of the Eiffel Tower. It was an early start to get there and we queued for nearly 2 hours before finally making it into the lift. The tour guide we were with filled in the time however with some interesting facts and history about the tower, one of the more interesting is that the French Government paid for only two thirds of the construction. Gustave Eiffel, the owner of the engineering company commissioned to create the structure, needed to fund the rest. In the negotiations, he had the government agree to his ownership of the tower. The tower remains in the Eiffel family estate to this day.

    Eventually, we made it onto the lift and up to level 2. Jack's aversion to heights kicked in and he felt quite uncomfortable, however to his credit, he made it all the way to the top and can tick it off his list. At level 2, we wandered around and took in the open air view of the city.

    After a while, we made our way (via another extensive queue) to the lift to head to the top of the tower. Some 300m above the Champs de Mars, we are afforded spectacular views of the city. Fred found exactly how high we were, 280m, and the wait was all worth it.    Les mer

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    Cam's Birthday Part 2

    9. april 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    After returning home from our trip up the Eiffel Tower, we didn't have long before we needed to head out again. Richard and Elise's friends were in town with their kids and we were to meet them in a French Bistro around the corner from the apartment.

    Before departing for dinner though, Elise had scoured Paris for the best eclairs in the land and we sang Happy Birthday to the 11 year old. A gift of Go Nuts for Donuts for Cam from the Paris Bilkey's hit the mark.

    We then made our way to the Bistro. On the menu was the usual burgers, risotto, steaks etc, but a little surprise was the escargot. We ordered half a dozen, thinking that there would be one each for the Bilkey 6. However, the younger three all chickened out, so Tom, Sarah and Rowan all had two each. Rubbery chicken with a strong garlic sauce. Tom was a trooper, although none of us are worried if we don't see a snail again for a while.    Les mer

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    Quiet day in Paris

    10. april 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    After the festivities of yesterday, it was decided that today should be a ‘quiet day’. I wish I could say that we managed to convince the boys to all have a sleep-in but alas NO! Rowan and Tom both weren’t feeling great, so Richard, Elise and I thought we’d brave the cold and head out to a park to give them ‘the quiet’. Rowan promised that after he’d slept he’d cook a baked dinner as a final farewell meal.

    Just like Berlin, Paris also has a lot of green space, some of it hidden between buildings. A short distance from the Paris Bilkeys' home were quite a selection of little parks. The boys decided they wanted to head back to one that had options - basketball, space to kick a football, a play area and a garden and seats for the parents.

    The boys played soccer, basketball, climbed the play equipment and the parents all managed to join in at some point.

    Richard and I then surprised Campbell, Charlie, Fred, Jack & Sam, by taking them to see the Mario Movie - it was the first time that Sam went to a movie theatre - I love ‘firsts’ so I was glad I could share that with him.

    Happy to report, Rowan kept his promise and cooked an amazing baked chicken dinner - yum yum.    Les mer

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    Last day in Paris

    11. april 2023, Frankrike ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Our last day in Paris saw us farewell Elise at home before she headed off to the office. It was then off to the school to drop Charlie, Sam and Teddy off at their respective schools. We managed one game of Go Nuts for Donuts, although I'm not sure we had a winner, there was a bit of angst amongst the cousins over who had more Red Velvets!

    Sam was gracious enough to show the boys his classroom and some of his artwork. It was beautiful for his cousins to be able to see how the French do school, and see how their cousins' daily life unfolds in the City of Lights.

    By the time Richard delivered us to Gare du Nord, we said our final farewells and made our way through customs. Once we were through, some tired boys made good use of the lounges in the terminal as we waited for our Eurostar train to whisk us under the sea to our next destination.... London!    Les mer

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    London Calling

    12. april 2023, England ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    The trip from Paris to London was largely uneventful. A pleasant train ride through the French countryside before dipping into a tunnel for half an hour and emerging on the other side of the Channel. From there we snaked our way through the outskirts of the city, and glided into St Pancras station. It was evening rush hour, but we headed across the road to Kings Cross Station to see platform 9 3/4. It was pretty packed, so we made our way onto the tube and across town to our apartment in West Kensington. It's been a long day, and the pizza shop below our apartment was calling. It didn't disappoint.

    The following day we were up early and at it. We headed into the East End and emerged at the stunning Tower of London. It's an impressive building. After stopping so the kids could have a chat with the Beefeater, we walked inside and decided to head straight for the Crown Jewels. London is busily preparing for the Coronation of King Charles III, which meant a number of things around town are in preparation mode. This includes some of the relevant Crown Jewels, which are currently at the crown shop being prepared. It's where I always take my crown for repairs.... Fortunately, the British monarchy is not short of a jewel or two and there were plenty of crowns, sceptres, gold dishes and orbs to go around. Including the impressive Cullinan Diamond, the largest cut diamond in the world, found in Pretoria, South Africa over 100 years ago. I'm sure it was humanely sourced.

    We wandered further through the former palace, gaol, fortress and explored the many rooms, dungeons and walls. One delightful story that caught our attention was that of Alice Wolf. Convicted of piracy she was hung by manacles from the exterior walls of the palace while the Thames tide was low. As the tide came in, she was gradually swallowed up by the river and drowned. So inventive.

    We departed the Tower and cross the beautiful Tower Bridge to the south bank where we found a spot of lunch. From there, back across the river towards the Bank region where Sarah worked, once upon a time. As the clouds rolled in and the rain set in, we caught the Number 9 bus, which was a cheap way to get home via most of the major sites in town. We sat at the top of the double decker bus and drove past St Paul's Cathedral, The Strand, Australia House, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall, Downing St, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and St James' Park.

    Eventually we found our way back to West Kensington. For dinner, we had a surprise guest come and meet us. Zoe had finished work and headed for our house. The boys were very excited to see her. We enjoyed a game of Go Nuts for Donuts and a meal, it was good to have a friendly face at the dinner table.    Les mer

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    Harry Potter Studios

    13. april 2023, England ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    The boys have been involved with the planning of this trip. It's encouraged them to research our destinations and help come up with plans and itineraries. One activity that we wanted to keep a secret however, was the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour in London. It was Gabba's contribution to our trip, and the boys had no idea....

    The tour wasn't until the afternoon, so we spent the morning strolling around town. We walked up to Hyde Park. Tom found some more squirrels, but was less impressed with the grey variety. We made our way to Marble Arch and then up towards Baker St. A cursory walk by 221B had us deducing that it was Sherlock Holmes' residence. Elementary.

    After a quick bite it was on the train to Watford Junction. As we stepped out of the station and waited for the shuttle bus emblazoned with Harry Potter signage, the penny finally dropped for the boys about where we were heading.

    The tour is pretty impressive. The majority of the films were produced in these studios and the sets have all been recreated using the original set pieces. We made our way into the Grand Dining Hall and watched the lights and smoke show, similar to the pizazz that would have been used when filming the scene when the Weasley's flew their brooms through the Hall. The next room showcased a number of sets, as well as hundreds of genuine props and costumes. The detail in set design was amazing. In the halls of Hogwarts, the oil paintings that adorned the walls were all hand painted and were generally paintings of film crew and their families. Some of the moving pictures on the walls were film crew as well, but to think they had dozens and dozens of these pictures, all requiring their own set, and they may end up on camera for a second. It's pretty impressive.

    The boys enjoyed finding the snitches that were hidden throughout the tour, Sarah found the elusive snitch in the Gringott's Bank. We stopped halfway for a Butter Beer and then continued through the Dursley's house, into the forest, on the Hogwarts Express, up Diagon Alley and finally to the 1:20 scale model of Hogwarts Castle. This model is uber-impressive, the detail is unbelievable. It was used for fly-by scenes and you can almost see miniature Harry, Hermione and Ron walking through the corridors.

    We tiredly got back on the bus and train, back into Euston Station. We were tired but hungry, and it was decided that a good curry would hit the spot. It was too much for poor Fred, who fell asleep at the curry house, however the rest of us managed to eat his share. A tired journey across town eventually had us back in our beds dreaming of witchcraft and wizardry.    Les mer

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    Lucy, Dicky and some Clever Design

    14. april 2023, England ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    After a big day yesterday testing our wands, we needed a quieter day. We had a slow start to the morning before heading in to Westminster to poke around. Tom and Sarah were very keen to head to the Churchill War Rooms, while I took the younger boys down to the river. We walked passed Big Ben and agreed that it was quite big. We strolled through St James' Park towards Buckingham Palace. We were fortunate enough to see a horse brigade and platoon of the Queen's Guard practicing their marching up and down the Mall. We spied Buckingham Palace, admired the bloody big gates, and headed for the pub.

    Sarah and Tom had escaped the apartment early and lined up to see Churchills War Rooms, something Sarah had missed when we were living in London and swore she wasn't missing out this time. The entrance fee into this museum came with an audio device and gave you extra information about Churchills time during WWII and his life prior and after. They both thought it was great to get an inside look into how Churchill and his team operated during the war...and also agreed it was nice to get the chance to take their time without the sounds from Jack & Fred 'are we finished yet!'

    Sarah and Tom joined us for lunch, where Sarah finally got to have fish ’n’ chips with mushy peas before we headed to the Design Museum to meet Lucy, Dicky, Trix and Fabs. It was a cool little museum, highlighting the importance of design in our everyday lives. After a slightly shy start, the kids were soon getting along very well. We left the museum and headed around the back to Holland Park. Rowan trained here many moons ago for the Wildcats, so it was cool to come back and kick a footy with the kids. Dicky's frisbee got a solid workout and, as would become routine for the trip, Jack and Cam found some local kids to kick a football with. Fred and Fabs hit it off famously, creating their own little world, and for a good time kept each other thoroughly entertained. Zoe also came and met us again, and it was lovely to introduce her to Lucy, Dicky and the kids.

    It was great to chat to Lucy and Dicky and hear about their lives which are quickly about to change with Lucy due in a few months.

    We said our goodbyes and hope that we get to see Trix, Fabs and the little nugget in the not-too-distant future down in Australia. The boys really enjoyed their time together.

    Zoe came back to our place for dinner. We all love spending as much time as we can with her…in two days we are leaving London bound for warmer shores.    Les mer

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    Trip Down Memory Lane

    15. april 2023, England ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Saturday was an opportunity to visit our old haunt, check out our neighbourhood and remember some good times. We walked from our apartment in West Kensington to Hammersmith, where Sarah and I had enjoyed lock ins, being crowned King and Queen of the Wildcat Ball, theatre, music shows, garlic mussels and Primark. We trod our familiar path on the Hammersmith and City line, two stops north to Shepherd's Bush.

    The Walky is no longer there but we wandered passed and said things like "remember when you..." and "where was it that I..." and "look, isn't that where we..."

    It was a nice trip down memory lane. We crossed the Green and down passed Belushi's (still up and running, and probably serving Snakies) down the footpath onto Richmond Way. The boys were not overly excited at seeing our old house, but it was a day for us.

    We then started to make our way to Goldhawk Rd where we were to meet a host of friends. We arrived a little early so took some time to play at Ravenscourt Park where Fred conquered the playground at about 20ft high. Jack and Cam again found some local friends to play soccer with. It's a real skill they've picked up along the way, the ability to introduce themselves, fight their nervousness and make a new friend. It's a skill that will be very beneficial through life. Their foot skills have improved too!

    Back across the road to the Eagle. Rowan had his 21st birthday dinner with good friends nearly 20 years ago, so it was nice to walk through the doors again. We had booked a table out the back and had fingers crossed for a warm spring afternoon. It didn't start that way, but by the end the beer garden was packed and full of sun.

    A number of people had been invited, and first to arrive was Rowan's cousin Glenn. He has been living in London for around 10 years and manages a pub in Pimlico. He needs to call his mum more often.

    Next was Rowan's workmate Ant, who had made the trek to Sydney for our wedding. It was great to see Ant, who's been having a bit of a tough time of late. It was a shame not to have his two girls with him, but his brother Chris was able to come along as well with his wife and their one year old daughter as well. Chris admitted to being intimidated by Sarah back in the day. It must have been her tequila drinking ability...

    Zoe also headed down for the afternoon. It's been great being able to spend this time with Zoe, the boys have a wonderful relationship with her and she was able to provide great advice on where to go, what to see. We can't wait for her to come back to Australia again, but hope she has an amazing time on her future travels!

    Lastly, we were waiting for Merro, our Irish mate from the Wildcats to arrive. He couldn't bring his family along but arrived at around 5pm looking very dapper. He was on his way to dinner with a friend for his birthday. It turns out his friend was Gerode, a one-time acquaintance of ours. He turned up to Rowan's 21st birthday party and drank the pub out of champagne.

    It was a wonderful afternoon catching up with old friends and family. The boys managed to make some friends with the other kids in the beer garden and experience a traditional London family day out!    Les mer

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  • Bilkey 6 in Europe

    Trifecta of Dinosaurs and off to Crete!

    16. april 2023, England ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    Our final day in London, before our flight out to Crete. We were unable to get into the British Museum of Natural History the other day, so we booked early tickets on the Sunday in order to tick off a big wish list item for Campbell. The Natural History Museum is another stunning building within London, and Sarah and I continually marvel at the architecture, sometimes forgetting to admire the actual exhibits.

    It was a rushed trip through the museum, however Campbell had been keen to tick off the Big Three dinosaurs - the Triceratops in Melbourne, the T-Rex in Berlin and the Stegosaurus in London. These three were the most complete skeletons of their types around the world, and we were pleased to be able to see it.

    The museum had some other interesting exhibits as well, including a huge globe earth that you travel through on an escalator in the Geography section, before making your way to an earthquake room. Tom had experienced an earthquake room in New Zealand, which was, pretty cool. When he saw this one, we needed to check it out. We made our way into a replica supermarket before watching footage from the original supermarket in Kyoto. Suddenly our room started to shake. We moved side to side, a little clumsily (as I guess you would in an earthquake). It was a little underwhelming...

    We were on a tight schedule, needing to get to Gatwick airport in order to catch our 4pm flight. One more Tube ride through the crowded Underground before jumping on the overground from Euston Station.

    Side note - we managed to tick off a lot of Monopoly squares - we covered:

    Kings Cross Station, Euston, Pall Mall, Whitehall, Northumberland, Vine, Marlborough, The Strand, Fleet St, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly, Regent, Oxford, Bond, Liverpool St Station, Park Lane & Mayfair. And, considering some of the historical uses of The Tower of London, we'll tick off the gaol as well. I didn't get my $200 though...

    We boarded our Easyjet flight and took off into the night. Tom and I had the pleasure of window seats and enjoyed our time guessing where over Europe we were at any given time.

    Eventually we landed in Chania, and were greeted by a lovely driver who took us to our apartment. When we arrived, nearly 11pm, our host was waiting for us and greeted us warmly, as if we were family. He showed us through his amazing apartment, explaining where everything was, how it worked and what facilities were available to us. He presented us with a bottle of wine from his own vineyard and toasted us with a glass of his own Raki, a take-your-breath-away spirit enjoyed by the Greeks at any occasion. It was a wonderful reception and set the tone for our stay on Greece's biggest island.    Les mer

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  • Bilkey 6 in Europe

    Greek Islands!

    17. april 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    The hurly burly of the holiday is behind us, we've had such a good time catching up with family and friends, but we'd deliberately made the second half of our trip less involved, so we could relax and focus on ourselves and our surroundings.

    We'd had a beautiful welcome from Thodoris when we arrived at his apartment the night before. Today was just about checking out the ancient town on Chania. We walked down to the old town and soaked in the view across the walled harbour. We walked along the protective wall sheltering the harbour out to the lighthouse.

    Chania is known for its 14th-century Venetian harbour, narrow streets and waterfront restaurants. At the harbour entrance is a 16th-century lighthouse with Venetian, Egyptian and Ottoman influences. The city has a long history, and many flags have flown over the city. Examples of ancient Greek, mythology, Islamic and Christian influences can be seen throughout the city.

    The sun was shining and we were soaking up the warmth. We grabbed a table overlooking the water and enjoyed the Greek fare. After a slow walk back up the hill to our apartment, we did exactly what we planned for this part of the trip, relaxed. An early night and ready for tomorrow's adventures!    Les mer

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  • Bilkey 6 in Europe

    Palace of Knossos

    18. april 2023, Hellas ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    To satisfy Campbell's fascination, we needed to check out some Greek Mythology. The beauty about Greek Mythology (and I'm sure many other cultures' myths and legends) is that it is myths, legends, fiction and stories all intertwined with reality. The part that I find so fascinating is the long-lasting impact these legends have on our lives today.

    For instance, there's the story of Theseus, who was the son of the King of Athens, Aegeus. He had many adventures; one saw him sail across the seas at the request of his father. He sailed south to Crete to slay the Minotaur which was trapped in the labyrinth below Knossos (that's a whole other story). Chicks dig guys who can slay Minotaurs, and as such, the Cretan Princess Ariadne fell hard for Theseus. She was the daughter of King Minos, and Theseus promised to take her back to Athens and marry her. However, he left her stranded on the island of Naxos. What a jerk. Dionysus, another character, found Ariadne and married her. He threw her crown into the sky and that's how we got the constellation the Corona Borealis.

    Meanwhile, Theseus continues back to Athens, victorious after his bullfight. His old man is waiting for him, but forgetful Theseus forgot to change the sails on his ship from black to white, a prearranged signal to his father that he was returning in good health. Aegeus saw the black sails approach over the horizon and assumed his son had died on the expedition. With no other explanation obviously apparent to Aegeus, he hurled himself off the palace clifftop and into the ocean to his death. A bit of an over-exaggeration, maybe just wait until the ship docks??

    And that is where the name the Aegean Sea comes from. Pretty cool. Side note, Theseus went on to build the Acropolis in Athens. More on that in a few days.

    Back to present day, we set off early and jumped on a bus which would take us along the Cretan coast to the town of Heraklion and the Palace of Knossos. The scenery along the journey was stunning. When we arrived we spent a good few hours touring the site with our tour guide and heard all about the fact and fiction. Campbell, and the other boys, lapped it up. We walked down the oldest paved road in Greece (and possibly in Europe) and then were dropped back into the main town for an hour's free time.

    We wandered through the ancient streets of Heraklion, capital of Crete and stumbled upon a lane with a small restaurant called Made with Love. We found a few seats inside and hungrily accepted the home cooked food from the Greek Nonna's inside. It was arguably the best food we experienced in Greece.

    With full bellies, we checked out the town's museum with artefacts from thousands of years ago. Sarah took her time in the museum while the boys and Rowan flowed through a little quicker. We headed across the road to a playground for the boys to expel some energy before the long bus ride back to Chania.

    Exhausted, we got some takeaway pizza from around the corner. Tom's run of having pizza in each country continues....    Les mer

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  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    1

    Chania

    19. april 2023, Hellas ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    Today was a down day without much activity. Last night’s movie night encouraged everyone to have a sleep in. Rowan was the first to wake and grabbed a towel and made his way down to the city beach. With only one other man in the water, it wasn’t a great advertisement for the temperature. A quick dip in the refreshing water was all that was required.

    The location we had picked for our apartment was half a block from the Chania National Stadium. I use those words lightly. A reasonable running track surrounded an average soccer field.

    As always, the boys were keen to spend their energy, so we took the Ampelman football over and tried to find some kids to have a kick with. We were unsuccessful in that venture, however the boys had fun running 400’s and 800’s around the track. Campbell has set his sites on the Olympics for 800’s and Fred surprised us all, completing two full laps without stopping. He didn’t break any world records, but he kept at it and got it done in reasonable time. Good effort.

    We also went back into the ‘old town’ of Chania and went shopping. I bought a beautiful ring and earring set - early Mother’s Day present. The ring shows a copy of the Phaistos Disc - from a Minoan Palace in Crete. Campbell spent some of his birthday money and Fred used the last of his money to buy a bracelet of ‘protecting eyes’ - protection against curses.

    We then let the boys head back to the apartment and Row and I went to a local cafe, to enjoy the sun and a beer.    Les mer

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  • Bilkey 6 in Europe
    Shrine made of Goat Skeleton (not made by us)

    Sfakia, Aradena Gorge and Marmara Beach

    20. april 2023, Hellas ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    This was a day we were all looking forward to. Our second day trip in Crete would take us to the south coast. I don’t think any coastal town would have been a bad option, but we chose the right option for us.

    Sfakia is a small town thst looks out over the Mediterranean towards Libya in North Africa. It played a role in WWII and the Battle of Crete, being the final departure point for Allied soldiers when the Germans captured the strategically significant island. There is a memorial to Australian, Kiwi and British soldiers in the tiny port that we were keen to see.

    We were meant to have an hour or so wondering around the port, however we made one or two stops for Fred along the way, along the mountain pass, as his breakfast decided to come up and say hello again. We had puréed strawberry through the back seat of the hire van. The driver was very good, and stopped again ten minutes later when Fred went off like a fountain again…

    We eventually made it to Sfakia, just in time to jump on our water taxi. We left the port and headed out into open waters. The sun was warm and the boys loved the wind in their hair. Eventually the even tinier port of Marmara came into view, and we slowly pulled into port. It was essentially a cafe overlooking an isolated beach with one or two local houses. Perfect.

    We alighted and made our way up the Aradena Gorge. Tom had quipped a few weeks ago that photos of the gorge looked like ‘the bumcrack of Crete.” It was hard to argue. However, once you enter the crack, it was pretty spectacular.

    We walked up the gorge for 2-3km, admiring the rocky walls that towered either side of us. Mountain goats perched delicately on ledges they had no right balancing on. We explored caves and were fortunate to not see the dreaded Gorge Monster.

    Eventually the path took a steep incline, and hikers heading the other direction spoke of metal ladders and gangways. We felt we’d hiked enough for the day and turned around in search of a swim.

    We returned to Marmara and stripped off. Despite having the beach almost exclusively to ourselves, Tom was conscious getting changed. The water was aqua in colour, like a postcard. A little cooler than ideal, but nevertheless refreshing and fine once you were in. Tom and I explored some caves that were only accessible by swimming, and eventually the other boys found an alternative route across the rocks. The only way back though was to jump from a big rock back into the cold water. Something both Tom and Jack found a big challenge. Sarah, happily helped when needed to get Fred there and back from the rocks, but spent the rest of the time just swimming in the water, I think she could have stayed in the water all afternoon.

    Once we’d all had our swim, we warmed up again in the sun before walking to the top of the cliff for lunch. It was really an idyllic spot to eat octopus, prawns and an assortment of other equally tasty Greek offerings, all accompanied by a bottle of local white. Bliss.

    Eventually, we needed to call our taxi again and sail back to Sfakia. The drive home was far less eventful (thankfully) than the first drive. We arrived home that afternoon spent, but full of memories. This was one of the best days of the whole trip.    Les mer

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  • Bilkey 6 in Europe

    Final Day in Chania

    21. april 2023, Hellas ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Les mer

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