Chris Dickson

Chris Dickson

57 ülke gezdi Okumaya devam et🇦🇺Sydney

Takip Et Mesaj İstatistik

Europe 2023 Gezgin
Rotterdam
11 Eylül 2023, Hollanda ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Our two days in Rotterdam were spent seeing some marvellous, different sights and architecture.

We travelled thirty minutes or so to The Hague, with its imposing Binnenhof (parliament) and streets of most elegant buildings.

We also took a look into the Mauritshuis, the 17th-century home of the art-loving (and slave-trading) Prince John Maurice. Filled with Rembrandts, Vermeers, Reubens and the like, it was an impressive collection in a wonderful building. Still, you can only see so many “still life with banana” or “portrait of a nobleman” or “collection of nymphs and slightly chubby bare-breasted ladies” before it’s time to move on.

The Peace Palace, built in 1913 and housing the International Court of Justice, was funded by the master-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie to the tune of $US50 million in today’s money.

Back on the train, passing through typical green, canal-crossed, sheep- and cow-studded Dutch countryside, we returned to modern, quirky Rotterdam.

We went to the Markthall, a futuristic giant blimp of a building, with market stalls inside and expensive apartments inside the walls.

Then we walked down to the Cube Houses, a collection of strange-looking apartments, with hexagonal interior rooms that simply can’t fit regular furniture. Designed in 1977 by architect Piet Blom, they very much invite the question: why?

This led us to the old port, a canal basin filled with old barges and ships that have mostly been converted to residences and was a pleasant and interesting contrast from the ultra-modern design of most of the city.

For another change we ventured over to Delfshaven, another historic canal area that has retained some of its charm, and is reached by walking down a street containing kilometres of exactly identical apartments.

In all, we had a great time in Rotterdam and surrounds. An easy ride on the Metro took us to Hoek van Holland and the ferry to Harwich and the next stage of our journey.Okumaya devam et
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GezginThanks for the tour. A day of beautiful contrasts.
17.09.2023YanıtlaÇevirmek
5 beğeni
Europe 2023 Gezgin
Frankfurt am Main
10 Eylül 2023, Almanya ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Thanks to the kindness of Vladimir Putin it took fourteen-and-a-half hours to fly to Frankfurt am Main from Tokyo, Russian and other Ukraine-affected airspace being off-limits. It was nice, though, to get glimpses of Alaska, Greenland and Iceland on the way.

Truth be told, Frankfurt was never on our to-do list, seeing as now we don’t work for the European Central Bank or attend any trade shows. We just spent a few days here because that’s where the flight took us. Nevertheless, it does have some attractions.

Neue Altstadt - the New Old Town (!!) - is a rather small area reconstructed out of what was left after the allies dropped their bombs in World War Two. It incorporates the Romer, a restored medieval building that has spent a mere 600 years or so as the city’s town hall. Small size notwithstanding, it’s quite an atmospheric area, nestled between the river and the upmarket shopping in Hauptwache.

A short distance away is the Eiserner Bridge, pedestrians only (and covered in padlocks - it’s a wonder it hasn’t sunk into the river) and leading across the River Main to the Sachsenhausen area. We wandered through the narrow streets full of Apfelwein bars, the inevitable Irish pubs and a statue of Fraa Rauscher - a 19th-century alcoholic - that spits at its audience every minute or so.

We also walked along the river past the museum quarter, with a number of worthwhile (but unattended by us) museums and galleries, and enjoyed the scenic river views, but not so much the stench of duck and swan shit.

Finally, we took a cruise up and down the river. Possibly this was overreaching in terms of things to do, but it was interesting in some small way the see the docks, the power station and the metal-recycling plant.

Next stop on our not-such-a-major-tourism-centre tour will be Rotterdam.Okumaya devam et
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GezginYeh, I have the Penguin working. Some very colourful buildings and you can now tick Frankfurt off the list. x J & C
13.09.2023YanıtlaÇevirmek
GezginNever a dull moment….planned or not. Enjoy whatever you do. Kerrie n Ric.
13.09.2023YanıtlaÇevirmek
4 beğeni
Europe 2022 Gezgin
Porto Postscript
21 Ekim 2022, Portekiz ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
After 14 incredible destinations our trip is coming to an end, and while it wouldn’t be true to say we saved the best for last, Porto is pretty darned good.

We stayed in Bolhao, about twenty minutes walk up from the bank of the Douro River via a bunch of some very picturesque (but touristic) streets.

The famous Portuguese azulejo tiles are everywhere - inside and outside churches, on shopfronts and apartment blocks. The bathroom in our apartment was lined with recycled tiles.

The Sao Bento railway station is a famous tile-spotter’s location, with all four walls of the classic station building lined with tiles depicting great moments in Portuguese history and the people of different regions of the country. Not sure if there are any great moments in Portuguese railway history depicted.

But it’s the River Douro that sets Porto apart, with the land on all sides sloping steeply down to the wide river, and a series of handsome arch bridges crossing the divide high up on the slopes.

We walked across the Ponte Luis I, designed, unsurprisingly when you see it, by a protege of Gustav Eiffel, and had brilliant views up and down the river, with Rabelo Boats laden with tourists cruising up and down, and the names of famous Port Wine Houses littering the southern bank.

At the southern end of the bridge is Jardim do Morro, a small garden with great views that late in the afternoon was full of people lounging around listening to the buskers and waiting for the sunset.

We also visited the Palacio da Bolsa, a stately building dedicated not to a King or a Religion but which was in fact the Chamber of Commerce (a religion in itself, some would say). The rooms were increasingly handsome and interesting, from the office occupied by the aforementioned M. Eiffel during his several-year stay in Porto all the way to the so-called Arab Room, a fantastical banquet room now available to rent for functions at between 4,000 and 15,000 euros a night.

For a break, on a rather wet day, we took the train a few hours west to Pinhao, deep in the Douro Valley. The train journey was spectacular, with the track hugging the bank of the river for the last hour of the trip. Then we took a Rabelo Boat a further fifteen kilometres upstream to the junction of the River Tua, admiring the magnificent countryside and the river flowing quite majestically through it.

So, that’s our trip through the Iberian Peninsula done and dusted. With highlights too numerous to mention, easy transport, friendly people and good company (thank you, Brendan) it was just marvellous!

Oh, and COVID?

Well, luckily we didn’t catch it. We had to wear masks on public transport in Spain, and the public were almost universally compliant with this. Otherwise, apart from some fading arrows and spots on the floor, and hand sanitiser almost everywhere, it might never have happened.Okumaya devam et
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3 beğeni
Europe 2022 Gezgin
Tomar Testimony
17 Ekim 2022, Portekiz ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
We caught the train about 400 kilometres north to Tomar watching the countryside change from flat and dry with lots of Cork Oaks, to greener and hillier with more intense agriculture.

Cork growing must be the ultimate slow agriculture experience. Plant a cork tree. Wait 25 years. Get first harvest, which will not be up to scratch. Wait another 9 years for next harvest (which also may not be). Repeat.

It is a most pleasant little town, hugging the banks of the River Nabao, with weirs regulating the water and parks for the inhabitants to enjoy themselves. Away from the river, the old town is very picturesque, although it was a little quiet when we wandered through - and stopped for a drink - on a Saturday afternoon.

It also has the Convento de Cristo, a stone fortress towering above the town.

Constructed from 1118 by the Knights Templar, it was controlled and improved by them (between fighting crusades and seeing off the Moors) until 1357, when the Order of Christ completed a “friendly takeover” initiated by Pope Clement I in 1312. The Order of Christ continued in occupation until the tourist industry demanded another historic site on top of a hill but with good bus parking.

We walked up the hill, paid our 3 euros each (seniors discount; disappointingly they rarely seem to ask for proof of age) and wandered through cloister after cloister and room after room. It was an interesting few hours, and the round church was quite spectacular.

The Festival of Iria, celebrating the virgin Saint Iria’s drowning and subsequent reappearance downriver in a marble tomb, took place the day we were in Tomar. We wandered around the crowded amusement park and market area, all set by the side of the river and full of happy, laughing Tomarites. We also made our way up the pedestrianised, cobbled main street of the old town, had a drink and thought about anywhere else we could remember going to where the shops were shut on a Sunday.Okumaya devam et
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Europe 2022 Gezgin
Lagos Listing
15 Ekim 2022, Portekiz ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C
After the fun and vitality of Lisbon it was great to calm down for a few days on the Algarve to break up our trip.

But first, we had to get here, via two crowded trains choc-a-bloc with confused people and suitcases that wouldn’t have seemed out of place on the Queen Mary. The second, local, train was standing room only, the aisles full of bodies and backpacks.

As for Lagos, although (since it’s a part of Europe) it does have an incredible history - most infamously as one of the first slave-trading ports - we just enjoyed the warmth and the scenery. As Dennis Denuto so succinctly put it in “The Castle”, “It’s all about the vibe”. It’s probably one of the most photogenic places we have seen.

Lagos is on the River Bensafrim, with a vast marina full of rich persons’ playthings and a whole industry devoted to marketing and providing all sorts of water-based tours, from kayaks to yachts, caving to dolphin-spotting.

The old town area, winding up hill from the river, is a maze of cobblestones covered in bars and restaurants, with music playing and people eating and drinking at all hours of the day and night. Just wandering around is fun.

Just west of the mouth of the river is Praia da Batata, the first of a series of beaches, some interconnected through arches and tunnels in the sandstone cliffs, that stretches a few kilometres out to the headland at Ponta da Piedade. The scenery is stunning, with the golden sandstone cliffs and ridges, the almost-empty beaches and the clear blue of the sea making for a postcard view at every turn.

For a few relaxing days Lagos is hard to beat, and even though we successfully avoided all history and culture (true to form, some might say), we’re still leaving with some great memories.Okumaya devam et
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2 beğeni
Europe 2022 Gezgin
Lisbon Letter (2)
12 Ekim 2022, Portekiz ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
As well as having fun in Alfama, choosing badly in restaurants and eating too many custard tarts, we made a couple of day trips.

Firstly, Evora, a couple of hours away by train, and probably most famous for the Capela dos Ossos, part of the Church of St Francis. Faced with a dearth of interior design ideas, and having 5,000 exhumed bodies on hand, the entrepreneurial Franciscan monks thought that lining the walls of the chapel would be a good use for all those hard-to-store bones.

It was strangely aesthetic rather than gruesome, although the building trade are unlikely to offer it to would-be buyers anytime soon. Still, for DIY…

There was also a museum displaying, among other things, a part of the monastery’s collection of over 2,000 nativity scenes, some of which were magnificent pieces of craftsmanship and others just plain weird.

Evora also has a Roman connection, and we took a walk past the ruins of the Temple of Evora, another part of the town’s UNESCO heritage.

We also visited Sintra, set in a lush, beautiful bunch of hills just northeast of the city.

Joining a surging mass of tourists, we queued up for our turn in the Pena Palace, a fantastical faux fortress built in 1838, by then King Consort Ferdinand II (although it was on the site of a ruined fortress that had existed since the Middle Ages). It had spectacular views of the surrounding countryside (at least, after the fog lifted) and the clambering around the ramparts was fun, but we had to sort of flow through the interiors along with the rest of the sea of visitors and didn’t really get a chance to savour the experience.

More interesting in some ways was the National Palace, in Sintra township itself. With heritage dating back to the Moors and additions made, mainly in the 15th and 16th centuries, by a succession of kings and queens, it was a quite fascinating look at the way the royal court lived and interacted with the rest of us.

The National Palace also has a pair of very distinctive tall, white towers and we pondered over their use until, at the end of the tour, in the kitchen, we found out that they were the chimneys!

Our time in Lisbon has now come to an end, almost as soon as we had mastered the metro, taken the tram and learnt the labyrinth of the local area. We are off to the Algarve tomorrow for - hopefully - some time in the sun.Okumaya devam et
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3 beğeni
Europe 2022 Gezgin
Lisbon Letter (1)
10 Ekim 2022, Portekiz ⋅ 🌧 18 °C
No Lisbon travel story would be complete without a shot of tram 28 winding its way through the tortuous streets of the Alfama district. The photographs, however, don’t convey the shaking of building, rumbling and rattling of machinery and screech of steel wheel on rail that accompanies the passing of each one past our apartment. Two metres from our apartment. Every fifteen minutes (and often much more frequent), six-ish in the morning to after ten at night.

Actually, despite the noise, the discovery that we were on the route for tram 28 was quite exciting, and we loved watching the trams squeeze through the narrow passageway near our place and being able to use them for some of our commuting into town. The Alfama district was a great and welcoming place to stay.

We started our look around Lisbon on the bank of the Tagus River, staring at the vast, prosperous-looking Placa do Commercio, with King Dom Jose I in its centre and the massive triumphal arch of the Arco de Rua Augusta guarding the way inland.

We visited the very well-presented Lisbon Story, an audio-visual telling of Lisbon’s history, especially in relation to the earthquake of 1755, which quite possibly resulted in 90,000 deaths as well as the flat, regular grid system of the downtown Baixa district, while the areas to the east and west are completely higgledy-piggledy.

We walked up to the Miradouro de Alcantara, one of a seemingly endless number of viewpoints around the seven hills of the city, then rode downtown again on the funicular Ascensor de Gloria.

By far the best views of the city and surrounds, however, were from Castelo de Sao Jorge (another Saint George - he seems to have utilised his dragon-killing skills in lots of places), where we also stumbled around the battlements and looked into some archaeological diggings.

On our second day, the Lisbon Marathon took place. How they found enough relatively flat streets for it is anyone’s guess, but there was a great carnival atmosphere downtown, accompanied by cheers from the spectators and limping and groaning from the competitors.

We also took in some culture at, among others, Mosteiro dos Jeronimos, west of town and containing the tomb of Vasco da Gama, as well as at Igreja de Sao Roque, a quite beautiful church with a museum devoted mainly to holy relics. Fortunately there were no saintly body parts on display this time.Okumaya devam et
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3 beğeni
Europe 2022 Gezgin
San Sebastian Spiel
7 Ekim 2022, Ispanya ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
What a contrast! We left dry, brown, monumental Madrid, sat on a train for five hours of changing scenery and ended up in Basque Country, in green, seaside San Sebastian.

With its own language, higher wealth relative to the rest of Spain and independent spirit, the Basque area is a bit unique. With the beautifully shell-shaped La Concha Bay, a vibrant and crowded old town and a fun-loving mix of locals and tourists, San Sebastián is most definitely unique.

Although each part of the city has its appeal, “attractive” is the common theme. Even the railway station roof was designed by Gustav Eiffel.

The old town, which, as it dates from the early 1800’s, isn’t really all that old, is an exciting network of narrow streets lined with crowded bars and restaurants and hordes of tourists. At its heart is Constitution Square, very picturesque and formerly a bull ring.

The beachfront, with acres and acres of sand, is a standout amongst its peers, with a broad attractive promenade lined with some elegant-if-aged hotels from a bygone era. The beach, too, was dotted with leathery, elegant-if-aged humans relaxing in various states of semi-undress.

We caught an antique funicular up Monte Igueldo, and found, along with the incredible views of the city and up and down the coast, a tacky amusement park taking up prime real estate.

We also walked along the Urumea River that flows through town, and around the base of Mount Urgull for some great views of the Bay of Biscay.

It has been good to finish our time in Spain with such a highlight. Some of the little things we will remember include the Hotel Niza, with its elevator dated 1911 and floors that sloped inwards as though the whole building was being sucked down the lift well. Then there was the Indian restaurant that had RUN OUT OF PAPPADUMS!

We head to Portugal now, still enchanted by the wonders of Spain.Okumaya devam et
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Madrid Memorandum (2)
3 Ekim 2022, Ispanya ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Our Madrid adventure continued with a few hours in the Prado. It was a great experience and we walked and stared until our legs ached. But boy, some of those artists must have had some weird stuff going on! Just take a look at Goya’s black paintings, for example (but don’t do it in front of the children!).

We took a look at Retiro, the huge, manicured park, complete with boating lake, statues, buskers and lunchers that was quite packed on a Saturday afternoon, as was Plaza Mayor, the huge and elegant main square.

The Temple of Debod, given to Spain in return for helping with the Aswan Dam, was an unexpected sight in another impressive park.

We also took a day tour to Avila and Segovia, ten hours either sitting on a bus or following a woman with a flag.

Avila, of which we had never heard, was a neat little town - the historic old town centre almost toy-like - with quite immaculate intact city walls, a basilica and the Iglesia-convento de Santa Teresa, built on the site of her birthplace. Saint Teresa means a lot to the Avilians, although whether it was a good idea to keep one of her wrinkled, decayed, 700-year-old fingers on display is uncertain. Still, apparently Rome has her right foot and part of her upper jaw, and there are other bits of her in various locations around Europe, so they’re not the only ones.

Segovia, much bigger and with a spectacularly-sited alcazar, was more real, and we walked right across town from the Alcazar to the cathedral and finally the famous aqueduct. And rightly famous it is, too. Running right down one side of the Plaza del Azoguejo, and about 25 metres tall at its highest, it is pretty much unavoidable. It was an impressive end to an exciting, if long, day.

We finished off our time in Madrid with some more walking downtown, followed by a couple of drinks in the rooftop bar of the Circulo de Bellas Artes. It was crowded and atmospheric, but, to be honest, a beautiful skyline isn’t really one of Madrid’s prime attributes.

Madrid has been a brilliant, entertaining and interesting experience.Okumaya devam et
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Madrid Memorandum (1)
1 Ekim 2022, Ispanya ⋅ 🌙 18 °C
Even a two-hour delay on our train from Caceres couldn’t dampen our spirits, as we left the heat of the south and settled into a cooler and rather damp Madrid.

Our first stop was the Palacio Real, surrounded all around by beautifully manicured square and gardens and aesthetically matched by the cathedral across the square from it.

The cathedral has the almost unique distinction of NOT being recommended for a visit by the Lonely Planet, so we skipped it.

The Palacio Real, though, was stunning. Room after room filled with sumptuous furnishings and works of art, each decorated differently and almost all with incredible frescoes on their ceilings, it was almost a bit “ho-hum, another beautiful room” by the end. The Gasparini Room, entirely floor to ceiling and wall to wall carvings and Rococo swirls, took 55 years to finish, which was unfortunate as the king who commissioned it died in the meantime.

There was some recent history there as well, including the signed deed of abdication of King Juan Carlos I from 2014. The Spanish people, it seems, didn’t take kindly to either his elephant hunting, his dodgy deals with Saudi businessmen or his mistress. Either way, it was interesting to see some modern history in amongst the antiquities.

The following day we took a train to Toledo and, no, didn’t see Corporal Klinger anywhere.

We did see some beautiful windows and stonework (that was just the railway station) as we trudged up the hill and across the Alcantara bridge (11th-century, but originally Roman) into the town.

We spent longer than expected in the cathedral - Catedral Primada Santa Maria de Toledo, the head honcho of Spanish churches. That was because it was one of the best we have seen, particularly its stunning altar piece - “El Transparente” - lit by light from an incredibly-decorated skylight high in the structure.

Toledo, was also fun (if slightly hard work) to walk around. Plaza Zocodover was crowded and bustling and the Synagogue of El Transito contained a small and indecipherable museum. Unfortunately, the Alcazar, imposingly commanding even in hilly Toledo, was closed for renovations.

Since the sword is now pretty much obsolete for anything other than opening very large letters, it was also intriguing to see shop after shop selling this famous-if-now-pointless Toledo product.

Madrid continues in a few days time…Okumaya devam et
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Caceres Correspondence
27 Eylül 2022, Ispanya ⋅ 🌙 19 °C
We left the heat and bustle of Seville and took a very interesting 4-hour local train ride to Caceres, winding and rattling our way up hill from Andalucia until the land flattened out into a vast, brown plain for miles in every direction.

We saw some interesting places, most of them rather desolate. Modern factories near the main roads had replaced the ruined ones by the side of the railway line.

At the stations there would be a crowd of onlookers to see the travellers off, as if a train journey was still an event to be anticipated and romanticised.

Caceres was a pleasant change, cooler and calmer. Dating to the year 25 BC but largely enhanced in the 1500’s using riches plundered from the Americas, its combination of Roman, Moorish and Western architecture got it onto the UNESCO list in 1986.

The Monumental City of Caceres, the old town, is a monochromatic tribute to the art of stonemasonry, all brown-grey stone buildings and brown-grey cobblestones. The only other colours to be seen are the occasional flag on an official building and the traffic signs.

We walked around and around, up and down hill, and took a look into the Concatedral de Santa Maria and its bell tower. We then visited the Museo de Caceres, which would have benefited from some English descriptions, although it was free for us old people. It also turned out there were some works by Picasso and El Greco in the fine arts section, but we ignoramuses breezed past them without paying attention.

The museum building was on the site of the original Moorish fortress from the 12th century and we took a look down into the water cistern that still lies intact underneath.

Finally, Plaza Mayor, adjacent to the old town, was a great, huge place to have a drink and a snack and watch the world go by (with a brown-grey backdrop). Come eight o’clock it would be crowded with couples, noisy children, dogs and pigeons, the restaurants would be filling up and another day of our Spanish holiday would be coming to a close.Okumaya devam et
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GezginBeers for Chris and Brendan look nice ( Don comment)
14.10.2022Yanıtla
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Europe 2022 Gezgin
Seville Epistle
26 Eylül 2022, Ispanya ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
As our train headed toward Seville, the laughter and talk of a group of young women overpowering the carriage, the endless olive trees that were our scenery so far gave way to endless orange trees. Otherwise the country all looked about the same.

We hit Seville on a weekend and it was all abuzz. No namby-pamby siestas for these people, when there was a long lunch and loud conversation to be had.

The historic area around the Cathedral and the Alcazar was filled with horse-and-cart-riding tourists, cameras and selfie sticks and long queues.

We visited the Alcazar in the cool of the next morning and it proved to be a worthy addition to our itinerary of Moorish architecture. The interiors reeked with history, either that of the Muslim founders over a thousand years ago, or their Castilian successors since the 1400’s.

We walked along a raised wall with incredible views of the gardens, with pools and fountains and kilometres of perfectly-groomed hedges.

A great, probably COVID-inspired development since we last travelled is the downloadable audio guide - scan the QR code with your phone and away you go, although it does need a local data connection.

For a quick dose of extra culture we visited the Hospital de Los Venerables, a former refuge for ailing priests with a church that has a stunning painted ceiling as well as a small but significant art collection. Who knew there were rules for depicting the immaculate conception? Apparently she must be wearing blue and white, and be standing on a moon, which may or may not explain something about the early religious scholars!

The Cathedral was our last stop, and it was a little overwhelming, an absolutely cavernous interior supported by monstrous pillars, endless chapels around the walls containing the usual dusty statuary and some stunning altar pieces.

We had a couple of fabulous dinners close to home in Plaza Abastos, in the shadow of the Setas de Seville, a frankly weird wood and concrete structure that covers the entire square. Just when you think you are starting to understand a place…

We felt like we barely scratched Seville, but are looking forward to our next few days in Caceres.Okumaya devam et
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Cordoba Correspondence
23 Eylül 2022, Ispanya ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
It was mid-afternoon when we arrived in Córdoba and it was hot as anything. The only people about were either finishing up their long lunches or cleaning up after them.

When we emerged from a short siesta it was still very hot, but we walked down to the River Guadalquivir through the former Muslim Quarter along an endless array of narrow, winding streets and alleys.

We took a look at the Roman Bridge and the river before hydrating with a few beers and an enormous gin-and-tonic, then set off to walk back. As we did so, life returned to the streets. The bar outside our hotel, which when we arrived looked closed-down, was open and crowded. The Plaza de Las Tendillas, the main square where earlier in the day it appeared that any piece of ground not in the shade was Kryptonite, was buzzing and bustling and the inhabitants of town were out parading, eating and drinking. What a transformation!

The following morning, while it was still cool, we visited the Mezquita - officially the Mezquita-Catedral de Cordoba and since 1984 a UNESCO site. What a stunning place!

A Christian basilica in the 6th century, a mosque in 768 then finally a Catholic place of worship from 1236, the building reflects the architectural styles of its various proprietors as it was added to successively over the 1500-or-so years of its existence.

The interior was quiet and cool, and the pillars and double arches of the Moorish style seemed to go on forever. In the middle was the structure of the current Christian church, looking like it had been picked up and dropped down through the ceiling of the mosque.

We also visited the Alcazar de los Reyes Christianos - Palace of the Christian Kings, although an hour of visiting after an hour of queueing for tickets probably wasn’t a good use of our time.

The building itself wasn’t special, but the gardens, with extensive pools and fountains, were fabulous.

And then it was Friday night. If the town came to life at 8 o’clock on a Thursday night, it positively exploded on a Friday. We had another very happy dinner in the main square - the vibe was so good that even the buskers, seemingly all playing “Those Were the Days” on their violins or piano accordions, sounded pretty good.Okumaya devam et
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Gezginwas the G&T as large as the Russian one?
14.10.2022Yanıtla
GezginMore gin,less tonic. It started out about 75% gin. Sharon had to buy another bottle of tonic to get through it!
18.10.2022Yanıtla
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Granada Saga
22 Eylül 2022, Ispanya ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
We left the unique and beautiful Barcelona and ventured south for two nights in Granada, in formerly Moorish territory and final resting place of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, the power couple of the 15th century and architects of the Spanish Inquisition.

Since 1521 they’ve lain together in the suitably ornate and tranquil Capilla Real, roused only by the shuffle of touristic footprints and the buzz of the audio guides. Not, however, by the clicks of cameras, as there were no photos allowed.

The highlight of Granada by far, though, was the Alhambra. In 1238, Abdallah ibn al-Ahmar, ruler of the Emirate of Granada, dammed a river, installed a water supply and it all went on from there, with contributions over time from the various rulers of the area. Part palace, part fortress, part gardens, and a mixture of Islamic and Christian architecture, it took us four hours to explore and to take in the incredible views over the city.

The Nasrid Palaces, which needed a timed entry ticket, were fascinating, with Moorish influence in the structure and the clever use of running water to cool the rooms.

It started off Muslim, then in 1492 the Muslims moved out (not willingly, it could be assumed) and the Christians took over, making their own additions to the structure in a more western style.

We also walked through the Alcazaba, the fortress guarding the western extremity of the complex, and finally through the Generalife, a most beautiful garden complex with a palace at its end, again all cooled by running water.

Sunrise in Granada isn’t until about 8 o’clock at this time of the year, making the mornings crisp and pleasant. It’s very hot by afternoon, though, and has been a bit stormy, so a quick siesta followed by the traditional Spanish beer o’clock (actually, that’s the Dickson tradition), then a late to very late dinner has been the order of the day.

As we write this we are on the train to Cordoba for some more explorations.Okumaya devam et
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Barcelona Jottings
19 Eylül 2022, Ispanya ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
There is a lot to Barcelona, to state the bleeding obvious. It has thousands of years of history, a fantastic location on the Mediterranean, Catalan culture and language and a lifestyle perfectly suited to the climate. And it has Antoni Gaudi.

Our dip of the big toe into the sea of Barcelona started at Parc Guell, designed by the said Gaudi around 1900 and originally intended as an estate of luxury homes. It didn’t work out, and in 1926 it was declared a public park, complete with Gaudi’s stone carvings, concrete structures and mosaics. Based on elements of nature, its appearance seemed impossibly modern - or, perhaps, timeless. We wandered all around, took in the magnificent view of the city from the Greek Theatre and marvelled at the mind of the man who conceived it all.

Then, the incredible Sagrada Familia. The original architect retired after two years and, in what must be one of the best architectural appointments in history, Gaudi got the gig.

He adapted the original neo-gothic style to suit his own - let’s say original, if not way-out - ideas, and the result (as yet unfinished) was an absolute masterpiece. We were stunned by the design, internal and external, and astonished to find out that every element of the design had a reason related to either the setting or Gaudi’s profound religious beliefs. We have honestly never, anywhere seen anything like it.

What else is there about Barcelona?

The Gothic Quarter was great, crowded, narrow, winding streets, unexpected squares and a number of impressive churches. However, even the cathedral - Santa Eulalia - pales in comparison to its modern competitor.

We also walked from the impressive waterfront, where Christopher Columbus stands on a 60-metre column and gazes intently out to sea, all the way up La Rambla, a wide, partly pedestrianised and fully touristified boulevard that heads northwest to Placa de Catalunya, full of fountains, statues, pigeons and people. On the way, we called in at the market - La Boqueria - and marvelled at the chaos of people buying, selling, eating and drinking, all with the volume turned up to eleven!

We also took a ride up to Montjuic, where the views over the city from the steps of the Catalonian Art Museum (with conveniently-located food and beer shop) were also brilliant.

We stayed out of town a little and enjoyed shopping and eating local - once we got used to the fact that “local” means about 8:30 pm at the earliest! Even in our local area, the crowds out in the squares drinking and promenading - couples young and old, families with young children, young people out for the night - filled the streets with talk and laughter.

One more thing, for a taste of a different Catalan activity, Google “Castells “, a UNESCO-recognised activity that involves building a human pyramid about six people high then sending a five-year-old scurrying up to the top.Okumaya devam et
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Europe 2022 Gezgin
Brighton Stories
15 Eylül 2022, İngiltere ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C
Well, Canterbury was lively and exciting. Brighton is the same times ten, bigger, more cosmopolitan, more broad-minded.

We arrived by train, walked down to our accommodation (third floor, no lift) and headed down to the sea-front and the Brighton Palace Pier.

Being late on a damp, Tuesday afternoon, it was quiet, but all the elements of the British seaside were there - fried food, slot machines, drunks, young people being annoying. It was great, and the views out to the English Channel and up to the ruin of the long-destroyed West Pier were fabulous.

The following morning we moved from our room (third floor, no lift, bathroom door fallen off its hinges) and into a lower altitude one, with profuse apologies from the landlady.

Then we walked in light rain down to the Royal Pavilion.

Prince George, then Prince Regent George, then King George IV, then unpopular fat gouty bastard King George IV, built the pavilion as his party house, and spared no expense in doing so. We were wowed by the Banquet Room, moved by the Music Room, fascinated by the Royal Apartments, all of them beautifully restored and furnished and scattered with helpful and knowledgeable guides.

We walked around The Lanes, full of quirky shops and restaurants, then back to the seafront for another stroll, this time on the shingles of Brighton Beach. As a beach-building material, shingle is probably not going to take over from sand any time soon, but it does explain the poor injury record of the Brighton beach volleyball team.

One of the real highlights of Brighton was sitting outside the Dorset Hotel, drinks in hand, watching the passing parade of some of the most varied fashion choices you would ever see. It is an amazingly vibrant, tolerant and, from our brief observations, happy place.Okumaya devam et
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GezginBeginning to follow your journey a little behind schedule and enjoying immensely
14.10.2022Yanıtla
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Europe 2022 Gezgin
Canterbury Tales
12 Eylül 2022, İngiltere ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
So, after three years, a pandemic and the death of Queen Elizabeth a day before we arrived here, we’re finally overseas again. Didn’t expect that last one, it must be said.

Canterbury has a bit of a split personality; with old Canterbury the historic destination for pilgrims and the seat of the Anglican Church, and on the other side new Canterbury the fantastically tourist-friendly labyrinth of pubs, restaurants and shops of the old town, full of cruise ship tour groups, other visitors and, especially on weekends, locals out for some fun.

We did the old Canterbury part by visiting the Franciscan Gardens, historic gardens encompassing Greyfriars Chapel, a 13th-century chapel straddling the river. Then there was the castle - closed due to falling masonry - and the Dane John Garden, providing a valuable public service as a beer-drinking venue and outdoor urinal.

The cathedral was something else again. Awesome in both its size and complexity, we took a couple of hours to follow the visitor’s route, and we’re sorry that we didn’t stop for longer to savour the atmosphere of an incredible historic building. And one that is, in parts, fourteen hundred years old! It was quite amazing, and the volunteers on duty were all knowledgeable and helpful.

Then, as we left, the proclamation of the accession of King Charles III was read to an enormous crowd just outside the cathedral gate, a very appropriate place to hear it.

We also took a trip to Sandwich, but were a little underwhelmed by a town that promotes itself as one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Britain (and as the origin of the eponymous culinary creation). We didn’t have any peanut butter or vegemite, but did have a gin and tonic and a pint for lunch.

Another wonderful aspect of Canterbury is the River Stour, small and fast-flowing as it runs through the city and the scenic centrepiece of some beautiful parkland. Boat trips abound, with tourists rowed for some distance through the old town to the weir at the Abbott’s Mill Garden.

We stayed in a pub near the garden, and enjoyed the odd sundowner, perched on the narrow footpath, listening to the rush of water over the weir and watching the near-misses on the nearby road.

Tomorrow, Brighton.Okumaya devam et
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South Australia 2022 Gezgin
Hay
10 Haziran 2022, Avustralya ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C
We’ve now said goodbye to South Australia, with its dry landscapes, Scobie poles and water pipelines stretching out from the Murray to nourish all parts of the state. What a great trip it has been!

We continued our Murray River odyssey with a night in Mildura, where we caught up with friends and wandered along the very scenic riverfront, past Lock 11 and up to the replica Mildura Station Homestead, first property in the area and later home to the Chaffey brothers who founded the Mildura irrigation scheme.

Then we swapped the Murray for the Murrumbidgee, driving for three tedious hours along the Sturt Highway through Balranald to Hay, our final destination.

As well as some scenic walks along the river, Hay offered both the expected and unexpected.

We expected, and really enjoyed, Shear Outback, the shearer’s hall of fame and museum. With lots of information, displays and humour, as well as a shearing demonstration that was skilful, informative and down to earth, it was a morning well spent.

We also knew what to expect at the Bishop’s Lodge House, a historic building, strangely enough built to house the local bishop, and made from corrugated iron and tin, with sawdust insulation. Apparently the building materials and design of the building proved very effective in the harsh climate.

We sort of expected the Dunera Museum, located at the former railway station and telling the often poignant stories of the European refugees transported to Australia from Britain in the HMT Dunera, and subsequently interned in Hay (clearly not chosen for its similarities to Europe - note that these people were refugees, not criminals). They then were moved on and replaced with various other internees, including some Japanese POW’s.

What was unexpected were some of the stories from the Hay Gaol Museum.

Originally a prison, then between the world wars a hospital, then a prison again and then for thirteen years until 1974 it was a maximum security institution for girls aged 13 to 18. Run by the oxymoronically-named Child Welfare Department, girls were brought drugged from Sydney, travelling the last 180 kilometres in the back of a Dodge panel van. No windows, no seatbelts - in fact, no seats - just the back of a panel van.

Still, at least the girls could talk to each other about their adventures - they were allowed a full ten minutes, twice a day for conversation! At all other times at this Luxury Escapes contender, they had to keep their eyes averted and work their arses off.

So we have finished our trip with some great experiences in a really nice town, and learnt a bit into the bargain.

Looking forward to getting home tomorrow and catching up with family and friends.Okumaya devam et
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South Australia 2022 Gezgin
Loxton
7 Haziran 2022, Avustralya ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
We left Port Augusta and drove through ever-worsening weather to Clare, where we stopped once again and, other than a terrific Indian meal, saw nothing.

The following morning we drove to Burra, a heritage town some 40 kilometres northwest and highly recommended for a look around. However, it was 12 degrees, windy and raining, and as we were on holiday for relaxation not flagellation we drove through without stopping.

The rest of our drive took in Morgan - another picturesque river port town with a railway museum and a paddle steamer under restoration - and Waikerie - much more 21st century with magnificent grassy river banks and facilities.

Our destination for the next two night was Loxton; thriving, handsome and, again, perfectly situated on a bend in the river.

From there we drove back some distance to Banrock Station Wine and Wetlands Centre, where we first walked the wetlands then sampled the wine along with a more than decent lunch.

We learnt quite a lot on our walk about the problems affecting the river, among them salinity (caused oddly enough by over-irrigation) and the very rascally “rabbit of the river” - the European Carp. Banrock Station drained one of their wetland areas and ended up with 60 tonnes of carp to dispose of.

Back in Loxton, we walked the peaceful (if chilly) river bank as much as we could - this was by far the most beautiful and quiet stretch of the Murray we had come across.

Before we left the area we visited the gardens of “The Pines”, a rather fancy old home bequeathed to the town on the passing of its owner.

Then, on the way out, we took in one last sight, Lock Number 4, 516 kilometres from the sea but, incredibly, only 13 metres above sea level.

There are 10 locks altogether on the Murray, embedded into weirs that are both a boon to boat operators, irrigators and anyone with a property within cooee of the water but which have significantly changed the natural environment, with the natural ebb and flow of minor flooding eliminated, affecting vegetation and animal and bird habitats. In any case, it was a nice spot for a walk along the river and a few photos.Okumaya devam et
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South Australia 2022 Gezgin
Port Augusta and Quorn
4 Haziran 2022, Avustralya ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C
We headed north west along the straightest of straight roads, through the other copper town of Wallaroo before passing through Port Pirie (a lead town) to the head of Spencer Gulf at Port Augusta, our most westerly point of this trip.

We first headed out to the Arid Lands Botanic Garden, at the start of the Stuart Highway (and 2,700 kilometres from Darwin).

The Matthew Flinders (he sailed up Spencer Gulf, and, yes, named it after an ancestor of the late Princess of Wales) Red Cliffs lookout provided great views of the waterway, and the garden itself was a wonderful walk through a succession of arid Australian climates.

The Wadlata Outback Centre was our next stop, a fascinating and detailed journey through time in the outback and the animals and people that inhabit it. All the usual historic outback aspects were all featured - flying doctor, school of the air, Oodnadatta postman - with vivid and clever displays.

The following day we caught the Afghan Express to Quorn, a cold, ratting, bouncing, smoky, 90-minute trip on the Pichi Richi Railway.

The scenery of the South Flinders Ranges was beautiful, but by the time we reached Quorn the weather had turned cold and windy, so after a quick lunch and an even quicker walk around we took refuge in a pub before boarding the train for the return trip.

There were some delays on the way back due to some damage to the tracks, so we were a little late getting back to Port Augusta station, which took no time reminding us of the dark side of the outback world with the number of discarded wine cask bladders by the tracks. In fact, there were many people wandering around the town with nothing apparent to do and with open bottles of liquor in hand. Not only was it confronting to our sensibilities, it is a bloody national tragedy.

Nonetheless, we enjoyed the offerings of Port Augusta, and look forward both to the next part of our trip and to maybe returning in the future.Okumaya devam et
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South Australia 2022 Gezgin
Moonta - Little Cornwall
2 Haziran 2022, Avustralya ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
It was a quick drive from Clare across to the coast at Port Wakefield and across the top of the Yorke Peninsula to Moonta. Our accommodation, overlooking the jetty at Moonta Bay, had spacious, well-appointed rooms, marvellous water views and an annoying flock of birds that cooed and squawked and rattled around on the roof in football boots at all hours of the day and night.

Then it was off to explore a part of the so-called “Copper Coast”.

Paddy Ryan, an alcoholic shepherd, found some copper near a wombat burrow in 1861, and, undeterred by minor issues such as a complete lack of drinking water, an industry was born. Cornish miners, fleeing the tough times in their homeland (and apparently not thirsty) soon put their mining skills to good use and the Moonta Mines thrived until after the First World War.

The site of the former mines, heritage listed, is a huge, rather desolate, area of tailings heaps, ruined buildings and assorted old junk. We walked and drove around to quite a few of the main items, but the information on each when we got there was a bit sparse.

There is also a popular tourist railway, formerly used to transport the ore, but due to a stuff up on our part we weren’t there on a day that it was running.

We visited the museum, located in the rather grand former Moonta Mines school building, which covered both the mechanical processes in the mines and the cultural and economic impacts of life in Moonta.

It was a tough life. The shortage of good water brought frequent and deadly outbreaks of typhoid and there are many unmarked children’s graves in the cemetery.

We also enjoyed wandering the town - there is no shortage of attractive old buildings - and a few windswept walks down on the coast.

And we had a couple of Cornish pasties.Okumaya devam et
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South Australia 2022 Gezgin
Clare
30 Mayıs 2022, Avustralya ⋅ 🌧 12 °C
We temporarily farewelled the Murray River with a day in Goolwa, where we took a Coorong Discovery Cruise down through the lock and past the mouth of the Murray to make a brief stop in the national park.

The weather was pretty bad, and the southerly winds were pushing the tide up and creating quite a maelstrom at the entrance to the river. In fact we actually had to rise up in the lock to reach the level of the sea.

The scenery, though, was fascinating, and the bleak weather made our quick visit to Storm Boy country all the more appealing. We hopped off the boat and walked some distance through the dunes into a fascinating and peaceful - if cold - environment.

We stayed the night in Goolwa then in the morning did a rather tedious drive, skirting around Adelaide, through Gawler and on to Clare.

There wasn’t much happening in Clare that afternoon - apart from 11-degree temperatures, strong winds and intermittent rain squalls. We arrived too late for a mooted winery lunch so did some washing instead!

Before leaving Clare the following morning we took a drive out to Mintaro for a look around the historic town, then out to Martindale Hall - a grand stone mansion built in 1880, incredibly stylish and filled with some magnificent pieces of furniture.

As it was built by a rich guy - he even imported 50 tradesmen from England - Martindale Hall was surrounded by a polo ground, racecourse, boating lake and a cricket pitch. Kind of makes our cabin in the caravan park seem rather puny!Okumaya devam et
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GezginOMG Your itinerary is making our recent SA visit seem very mundane ! The expert and I had the best 10/10 Thai meal in Goolwa !
1.06.2022Yanıtla
GezginWould have loved a Thai meal, but Monday night the selection was limited. We did enjoy lamb shanks in the pub, and the locals were very friendly.
1.06.2022Yanıtla
GezginThank you for taking us on this wonderful trip, where to next?
1.06.2022Yanıtla
GezginNorth and west to Moonta and Port Augusta before starting to make our way home. This is a very interesting part of Australia!
2.06.2022Yanıtla
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South Australia 2022 Gezgin
Mannum
29 Mayıs 2022, Avustralya ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C
We continued our Murray River theme at Mannum, 1,260 kilometres downstream from Swan Hill but only about 475 across country.

Leaving the straight, flat roads with irrigation ditches and crops growing on each side, we travelled along straight, flat roads with nothing much on each side to Ouyen and thence, having surrendered a tomato to the fruit fly inspector, to South Australia and Pinnaroo.

From there it wasn’t far to meet up again with the Murray at Tailem Bend and a quick drive north to Mannum.

As the town from where the Murray River paddle steamers originated, there was quite a lot of history to take in, with the Mannum Dock museum keeping us interested for quite a while both inside the building and outside where the PS Marion was open for a look around.

It was intriguing to see some more of the history. In Swan Hill we stood on the PS Gem; in Mannum we saw photos and accounts of her sinking and subsequent salvage.

We read of William Randell, who started the whole Murray paddle steamer thing (and Mannum, along with it) and looked down into the dry dock he built to service the ships. Not bad for a miller from Devon who had never built a boat before, and went on to be a member of parliament!

The following day we drove north along the river as far as Swan Reach, another very small, quiet and attractive town. The various viewpoints along the road had some great views of the Murray from high on the cliffs, or at least they did once the fog had lifted!

It hasn’t been all exploration and history, though. We have checked out all the old wares on sale in the town and did manage a drink or two overlooking the river from the beer garden of the Pretoria Hotel.Okumaya devam et
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GezginThanks for keeping us up to date and happy to see you are enjoying yourselves - although Sharon did look a little cold in one of the photos. Guessing the Barossa will be next up! Stay sober.
30.05.2022Yanıtla
GezginUnlikely! Skipping the Barossa this time - a brief stop in the Clare Valley then Yorke Peninsula. And it has been cold! Hope you’re still heading down recovery road after Kim’s Covid surprise.
30.05.2022Yanıtla
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South Australia 2022 Gezgin
Swan Hill
25 Mayıs 2022, Avustralya ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Leaving Griffith, we drove south through the very attractive town of Jerilderie to Deniliquin and hence Swan Hill.

Deniliquin was nice too; we checked out the Road Transport Wall of Fame but it was a bit hard to talk about it over the incessant roar of the trucks going past.

And Swan Hill was great, with a long, scenic pathway along the riverfront and lots of historic spots noted.

Then there was the Pioneer Settlement, surely a standout of its genre, with historic (or, at least, old) buildings gathered from around the place, a former paddle wheeler, a steam locomotive and enough old farm equipment to power an ocean liner.

It was thoughtfully laid out and there was a huge amount of information about each exhibit. There were horse and cart rides, trips in a vintage car, blacksmithing demonstrations.

After dinner we wandered back to the Pioneer Settlement for “Heart of the Murray”, a superb - if a bit brief - depiction of the history of the river and its peoples. We sat overlooking the river and watched lasers, water and fire combine to tell the story, to a soundtrack combining the narration with the various innocent “oohs” and “ahs” of the school children in the audience. A great experience!Okumaya devam et
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South Australia 2022 Gezgin
Griffith
24 Mayıs 2022, Avustralya ⋅ 🌙 12 °C
We arrived in Griffith from Sydney via a quick look at some very attractive buildings in Leeton, an hour or so up the road.

Griffith appears to be a most prosperous and friendly town, with some unique history, and we enjoyed a day wandering around under a cloudless blue sky, taking in some fascinating sights.

From the Visitor Centre, with an Australian Navy aeroplane perched inexplicably out the front and a clever memorial incorporating a Dethridge Wheel (used for measuring water allocations), we walked up and down the very impressive Banna Street and navigated Walter Burley Griffin’s radial street design to the City Park with the Main Canal flowing slowly through it.

Then it was off up what seemed to be the only hill in the district for a look at the Hermit’s Cave, where in 1920-something Valerio Ricetti made his home in the overhangs and crevices, closed in by dry-stone walls. We spent an hour or so enjoying the sunshine and stumbling up and down the hill looking at the various structures, all amazingly put together from rocks moved solely by him and largely under cover of darkness.

Poor Valerio was a great stone-mover but a bit unlucky, having been jilted by the barmaid he loved, left his wallet in a brothel and then interred during the Second World War as a suspected spy. He also lived on the hill under the impression that he was the only Italian in the area, a short wander from Griffith where half the population have Italian heritage.

Our last stop was the Griffith Pioneer Museum, an impressive collection of old buildings and memorabilia gathered from the surrounding area. Australia is a bit full of such outdoor museums, but this one was made interesting due to the particular history of the area, with the development of the M.I.A. and the Italian heritage of the people (not to mention the winemaking) strongly emphasised.

Speaking of wine, we didn’t taste a single drop, although this will definitely not be the case for the rest of the trip!Okumaya devam et
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Trans-Mongolian 2019 Gezgin
Beijing
25 Eylül 2019, Çin ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
After one last overnight train trip, one final epic journey through Chinese customs and immigration and a five hour wait in the customs hall while they changed the bogies on the train, we made it!

We have now traveled from Helsinki to Beijing by seven trains, including six nights spent rattling and swaying along trying to sleep and trying to avoid using the toilet.

October 1, 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the formation of the People’s Republic of China, and there seemed to be more portaloos than bicycles on the pavement in preparation for the forthcoming celebrations.

The Forbidden City was closed in preparation for the ceremony, but we did the walk around Tiananmen Square in 32 degree heat, watching people lining up in the shadows cast by the flagpoles, the only shade available.

We also visited the Temple of Heaven, complete with lanterns installed in the trees and a giant video screen behind the Temple of Prayers for Good Harvests.

That was all we had time for in Beijing, although Don and Kim have two more days to explore the Great Wall and look around a bit more.

It has been a fascinating trip, replete with reminders of how little we really know about the rest of the world no matter how smart we think we are. For example:

They had built a whole new MRT line in Singapore that we had never heard of.

Sometimes countries change the design of their currency. We brought British five pound notes, and a whole lot of Chinese yuan from home, carefully saved from previous trips and now no longer legal tender.

First class on a Chinese train is not nearly the equal of first class on a Russian one, but did come with a (male) carriage attendant who snorted, hacked and spat constantly into the rubbish bins. Unlike our Russian experience it also didn’t come with drinking water or cups, which did lead to some improvisation and some urgent shopping excursions on remote Mongolian railway stations.

Just because a short, chubby, middle aged Chinese woman in tight jeans and a cowboy hat says a “steak” restaurant is any good doesn’t mean it is. Especially when she has a loud, grating voice and dismisses our questions with “Listen to me!”, and keeps turning the pages of the menus while we are trying to look at them. Actually, this wasn’t a mistake - we knew it would be no good but her performance was so bewilderingly funny we were unable to get up and leave.

This has been a marvellous trip, full of new sights and experiences (almost all good ones) and shared with great, funny, caring friends. We are rather lucky.Okumaya devam et
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