From magnificent to miniature - a world of contrasts

Its a lot cooler this morning.
We have booked breakfast in the restaurant and apart from that awful artificial orange juice that you find all over the world, the breakfast offerings match the dinner from last night. Scrambled eggs, bacon for Donna on toast,lots of fresh fruit including one of the palest pineapples I have ever seen - but so deliciously ripe, to the customary European cheeses and meats and salad ingredients.

We plan our day out before we set off. We will start in the Gouda Markt Square. The cheese markets are not on until tomorrow, but a local flea market is set up with the sellers doing a roaring trade - not dissimilar to our markets back in Maryborough - minus the fruit and vegetables.


There are a number of historic buildings we want to see. One of the former civic buildings houses a chiming character moving clock, donated to the City in 1961 to commemorate the granting of the City status to Gouda in 1272.

the Cheese guild building now houses the Tourist Information Centre.  You should see the crowd in here!  You ca purchase cheese, buy souvenirs, watch a Gouda making workshop and more.  Too bad we cannot bring the real McCoy back in to Australia with us.

But the building we are really here to see today is the Sint-Janskerk  with its 72 magnificent stained glass windows. (I am just realising that the word of this trip is magnificent!)
We buy tickets from a man who worked in Gladstone in the metals market, its a small world . . .  You can choose to do a self guided tour or a follow the numbers tour. We plug our headsets in to the guide tablet, choose self guided and promptly primarily follow the

numbers.  This church and its windows are (wait for it) M A G N I F I C E N T.  This is the longest church in the Netherlands and at 123 meters it is also the tallest church in the Netherlands. The building is so large that it is impossible to get the whole of it in amongst the tight little streets around it.  No problem - there is a scale model inside!

Dating back to 1530, much of it was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1552. Shortly after the disaster, the directors commissioned to build the most spectacular church in Holland. Initially built as a Catholic Church, after the Reformation it became a Protestant Church and survives as this today (c.1579). A magnificent pulpit was put in the church and the catholic alter relegated to a back corner of the choir.

But the real claim to fame are the 72 splendid windows and the burial stones - the oldest one I found was 1561.  All the windows tell stories, with most of them being biblical, but a few are historic. They have to be seen to be believed. During WWII, the windows were dismantled and stored in strong boxes across the City.

After a number of hours staring jaw-dropped, we left Gouda (after a Cloudy home-made lemonade) and buy some siroopwaffles for later.

We programmed the car for Kinderdijk (Kinderdyke) about an hours drive. Here there are about 20 windmills lining one of the canals, some working, others not, and in a variety of styles and ages and the vista is very popular.  The locals have a 'magnificent' view and there are lots of Porsches in the narrow streets. We are wowed again and again.

BUT the day is not yet finished,

back in to the car we go and head for the miniature world at Madurodam which is found in The Hague. We left this until last, hoping to stay until the lights are turned on. Again we are moved by the story behind this 'magnificent' miniature world.  All structures are constructed to 1/25 scale and include historic monuments, many of which we saw in-situ today, through to modern operations including Amsterdam Airport and the Hoek de Hook port.  About now, the temperature plummets and the light drizzle starts to get heavier.  We have rushed through much of the site and now head for the souvenir shop and the restaurant to wait for the lights. About 7 pm we decide to leave and beat the traffic that will all leave at 8 pm when they close.

It rains all the way back to the hotel and we are happy to pull in to the parking lot just before 8 pm.
Rain is expected tomorrow so we are planning a day with indoor visits, although we are hoping to get to the Gouda Cheese Market. We need to be back at Amsterdam Airport about 4 pm to get our flight to Oslo, Norway!

Blog is now up to date!

Dunedin - a city for all tastes

Another foggy morning, but by 9:30 am the sun is burning it off.  We are high on a hill with the Catholic Church directly opposite- funny about that - the Mick's always seemed to manage to snaffle the best high spots in towns - perhaps 'nearer my god to thee?!!

First stop of the day - Cadbury World!  Our guide for the morning is Christie who is definitely on some kind of upper.  For the sixteen of us she is hyped and happy and high on chocolate.  Everything she says and does has a bubbly 'high five' feel about it.  She leads us through the process of turning cacao to cocoa and then to chocolate including filling our goody bags with all things chocolate. We go through the 'breakfast room' where we can help ourselves to liquid chocolate, adding such things as pretzels, coconut, sprinkles, popcorn and oreo bits. Not really my idea of breakfast but for some of them - wow!

We climb halfway up one of the storage silos (the purple one) and watch one tonne of liquid chocolate fall from a height further up down to the base of the silo!


Near the end of the tour we learn that the factory in Dunedin will close in three months.  I wonder whether this will be her downer?  But no, she is very philosophical about it.

After finishing our visit to the Chocolate caverns with a coffee, we set out to find some of the amazing Street Art that Dunedin is known for.  

We find the first dozen or so pieces and then realise that we are within a cooee of the Chinese Garden and take a detour from the hot summer sun into the serene coolness of the garden.  This is a sanctuary in the city - a green space in the concrete and brick and bitumen!

As we move through the gardens with the wind moving through the willow trees, we spy the Tea House and sit down for a Rose tea (Michael) and a peppermint tea for me.  Coupled them with a selection of buns and dumplings - just a very light snack.  The teas were just what we needed!

From here we head over to the stunning Dunedin Railway Station that everyone had told us to make sure we checked out. This building is a homage to a bygone era of grace and beauty.  

The entire main entrance is tiled, from the small mosaic tiles on the floor to amazing vitreous ceramic tiles on the walls.  There are 3D tile surrounds to the ticket windows and across the top of the ground floor under the mezzanine floor with its cast iron balustrade and stunning stained glass windows.  

Designed by George Troup and opened in 1906, it demonstrates a commitment to quality and pride in workmanship - stunningly beautiful, there are no other words to use.

We visit the Art exhibition upstairs where we have missed out on buying a Green Man art piece (but I have a contact for the artist) and buy a stunning had painted silk scarf for half the price of any other one we have seen in NZ!  Winner!

As the day is closing fast, we head to Toitu - Otago Settlers Museum.  Sited between the railway and the Chinese Garden in a re-purposed warehouse with a stunning new entry building added.  

The people of NZ know how to do a museum.  The layout, the connections and the collections are stunning with enough hands on and interactive displays that mean that the non-touch displays are easily protected. We end up with only about 90 minutes to explore a space that you could spend a day in.  

There are lots of story-telling from the Maori, white settlers and the Chinese perspectives.  The displays take you from the arrival of the Polynesians right through to the new technologies of today and everything in between.

After the Museum closes at 5 pm, we hit the streets to find some more examples of the street art before we stop for some early dinner at a pub chain CBK where I was offered a Plum Cider by Stuart - wasn't too sure I would like it, so he gave me a tot to taste.  Man - move over apple - this Plum Cider by Good George Brewing has plenty of tart and plenty of flavour and none of the over-sweetness of many of the new fruit ciders.

 Michael has a Seafood Chowder and I settle in with Steamed Bao Buns - one each with smoked beef, fish and spicy chicken. Delish.  And Stuart has given us the premium address to view Dunedin from on high for a great view day and night - we'll check it out tomorrow.

And as we arrive back at our accommodation, something wicked this way comes - another sea fog is creeping very quickly, very silently in from the coast. 

Where even a stranger is welcome

On the advice of Vinko and Ztravka, this morning we head out from Apartments Johnny to take a drive and have a look to the south of Split. They have suggested that we drive down the coast to Omiš, then to Makarska and then Tučepi. So after breakfast we head off. The road south from here hugs the coast with its beautiful clear waters that this morning are hardly raising a ripple. The sun is shining and it is warmish. Life is good!

After 20 minutes we reach Omiš. It sits on either side of the Cetina River where its emerald-green meets Adriatic Sea. There is a gorge beckoning and so we hang a left and one of our first finds is the outlet for a hydro electric plant that is taking advantage of the waters falling from the cliffs somewhere nearby. It seems rather odd to find a generating plant nestled at the foothills and seemingly camouflaged!

However, as we press onwards - and upwards we are driving along this ever increasing incline. As we reach the summit we see a parking spot at the side of the road; low and behold at the summit's edge lies a disused observation post. The post, which may have been built during the hostile years, affords an amazing view over the valley we had just left. The view up through the valley is quite spectacular, while seaward provides a 'birds-eye' view of the hydro electric plant!

After this short stop, we continue our journey along the mountain ridges and being rewarded by some fantastic views. The road narrows at times to a single lane, traverses the crust of the cliff and cuts through mountain edges in tunnels of varying lengths. All in all, a stunning drive. We are heading away from the coast and its not long before we see farming - olive groves, grape vines much of the land terraced - and they terrace it by clearing the natural vegetation of rocks into shallow walls - it serves two purposes! In fact, there is little natural top soil on these rocky hills and I guess that just serves to prove that olives in particular thrive in hard conditions. There are lots of pomegranates too. We pass through hamlets too small to be called villages - they are more a collection of homes at the roadside.

Here too we see some real contradictions - the bushfire warning signs and the government workers who are clearing the road verges including at times, burning off! Mind you, the verges are just the bush encroaching on the road's edge. And on the highest points on the rides we see the now expected churches. What we don't see however, is how to reach them. So when we do find a small gathering of buildings with the church accessible, we head up the narrow street to take a look. There is a church complete with bell tower and a small graveyard beside it.

Now, you can often tell a lot about a community by its graveyard and this one is no different. While the church claims the prime spot on the top of the hill, there has been one concession - the grave appear to have been laid so the coffins are interred vertically - standing on their edge! Anyway, to our disappointment, this church too is shut. Seems that they are only opened for services around here. We have a quick look around the outside and are about to leave when from across the street and from an old house that looks like it has seen the ages, an almost as old man comes across the street speaking to us in Croation. We have no idea what he is saying, but it is obvious that he can help us - he is pointing at the church, with the keys in his hand. He wants to show us his church! For all we know, he may well be the priest!

So we point and nod and he walks forward to open the church for us. It is a simple little church with three separate altars - the main one, a Marian Altar and one to one of the saints - and all of them are in marble - baroque in style, but no plaster here! It is simple but nice. And so we are ready to leave and he follows us out, locking the door behind us. There is no shared communication here, but we manage to convey to him that we would like a photo with him. He seems a litle perplexed and for a moment worried by the working clothes he is wearing, but consents.

So, back to the car and we are ready to push on. Just a little further down the road as we are heading down the hills, we come across a family using a chaisaw to cut down a tree on the slope adjacent to the road. They obviously didn't expect to see any traffic as the foliage from the tree is blocking the road, and just as we come to a stop, so too does an ambulance vehicle coming up the road. The man quickly jumps from his perch up in the tree and scrambles down the slope, chainsaw in hand! At least if anything happened, the ambulance is right there! Michael gets out and helps them to drag the branches off the road as he cuts them down. Quite enough excitment in the day for everyone I think! At this point we are headed down hill towards Makarska.

When we reach Makarska, we find that it is another coastal town - filled with lots of holiday accommodation. In the centre however, life moves very slowly. It is just towards the end of lunch time, yet nothing is closed - all the shops are still trading. But the main square is very quiet - even the waterfront with its cafe bars and restaurants is quiet. And the church here too is closed - it is only opened twice daily for masses in the morning and evening. And there is no friendly parishoner with a set of keys waiting to open this one!

After looking at the menus pasted outside a number of the local restaurants, we decide to have a late lunch at the Restaurant Konoba Buža. Turns out to be an excellent choice too - the food is great - especially Donna's scampi!
Entrées:
Slani Inčuni (Salted anchovies) Michael
Plata ‘Buža’ (Platter Buza) Maria and Donna
Mains:
Komarča na žaru (Grilled gilthead sea bream) Michael
Škampi na Buzaru (Scampi ‘Buzzara’ style) Donna
Lubin na žaru (Grilled sea bass) Maria

By the time we finish our lunch it is almost 4:30 pm. Our tip to the staff is very genuinely appreciated, the waiter comes to shake our hands - all three. I guess tipping is not the norm here - but it is a pleasure to reward good service and food. And it is nice to see it really appreciated!

From here we walk down the back street parallel to the marina across the front. The shops are open, but there is very little trade being done. We have a choice - keep moving, or feed the parking meter some more. Enough seen we decide and turn to head back to Podstrana and Apartments Johnny. We figure that Tučepi is just more of these stunning small coastal towns - lots of history in the most idyllic settings. But we have seen enough for today!

As we leave the outskirts of town, we pass a shrine much much larger than any of the others we have come across on this leg of our trip. This is Vepric, a Marian shrine based on the one at Lourdes in France, that commemorates the sighting of Our Lady. This is a full blown deal, but without the tacky commercialism. The genuine beeswax candles are huge and cheap (yes, lit enough to carry my prayers for you all), there is a large chapel for the groups that arrive by the bus loads and smaller shrines to all the known saints. There are confessionals built into the cliff wall and literally thousands of memorial plaques.

As we turn north again the light strikes the cliff faces with its dying warmth and near Podstrana we say goodbye to the day with another gorgeous sunset.

Vatican...Vat he can't!

Today is Michael's turn to blog
Well, today is the day to set forth in search of Europe's largest church, St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City. However, before we can proceed any further there is the urgent matter of attending to laundry...hoo-ray - NOT! Michael obtains details of the closest laundromat in our vicinity from the ever helpful staff of the Domidea Hotel where we are staying. Armed with two large bags of washing, Michael and Helen set out to find the 'OndoBlu' laundromat located 7 kms away while Maria tries to get some sleep after a sleepless night spent in the bathroom. Obviously something she ate last night did not agree with her usually cast iron stomach!

Traffic in Italy never ceases to amaze me...and no less than this Saturday morning! The 'give-way' rule is virtually ignored as are pedestrians. As street parking comes at a premium, the locals have improved upon the concept of 'double-parking' - that is 'double-double parking'. The streets have virtually become rally circuits with chicanes materialising at an instant! We finally arrive at our destination; however, it is now our turn to source out parking...and 'double-double parking' isn't an option. A parking area is found and a spot is located after a circuit, however, this stroke of luck incurs a kilometer walk to the laundromat?

On arriving at OndoBlu, we discover that it isn't a self-service establishment. Hence, we part with our laundry and €16 (A$27) to the attendant who states we should return at midday - so, that's two hours to kill. Helen and I go for a walk around the town and find a cafe where we can have a coffee or two.

As we enjoy the ambience which the cafe's situation provides, it is amazing to observe how the locals greet each other. It is with enthusiasm and joy, and one could be excused by assuming these are renewed greetings after long absences. They embrace, shake hands vigorously or kiss and stand where they are and converse with great animation; or sit and talk over coffee. Finally it's time to collect our laundry and re-enter the frenetic traffic for our return to the hotel. The laundry attended to and distributed, we out for Rome and the Vatican City. On the advice of some travellers on the bus to the Isle of Capri who had just come from Rome, we have booked online the tickets for the Museo Vatican and the hotel staff have kindly printed our voucher. The American ladies suggested that we need to go to the Museum during the day and go to the Basilica later in the day when we won't need to queue.

We caught the #447 bus from near the hotel to Rabbibia Metro Station for the 'B' Blue Line necessitating a change of trains at Termini Underground for the 'A' Red Line to the Vaticican City stop. However, alighting at Termini we were faced with a snag (no...not the edible type), the gates leading into the Line A platforms had been shut! Commuters a wandering around as perplexed as ourselves, as there are no information boards or announcements hailing the situation. A transit policeman tells Maria that Line A is closed today and that we need to get a bus - "up, up the stairs" he calls behind him as he hurries off.

Hurrying towards the the Railway Station's main foyer, we confront a railway employee asking them whether the line was indeed closed or opened. In his best English (after my worst Italian) this cove says, "Si, it is open!" Michael makes a mad dash for the stairs leading to the underground; whereby he reappears minutes later confirming that Line A is indeed closed? It's a regular madfest down there with commuters cursing and running around like headless chooks!

We come across the same railway employee and affirm the line is indeed closed. Then this bloke says, "Si, it is closed." (....go figure?). We ask him which bus we need to catch to get to the Vatican, the employee says we should catch the #30 bus to the Vatican. Flying out the doors, we rush towards the bus ranks and aim for the first #30 we see....it's chockers, you couldn't see daylight amongst the passengers! However, we catch the next bus which gradually fills to near capacity en route.

Finally, we arrive at the required stop and only to wonder which way to go? Michael goes and asks a fellow manning a news stand, who in turn advises we should walk in the opposite direction and turn left before the bridge. (Groucho: "Go by the viaduct." Chicko: "The viaduct?" Groucho: "Yes. The viaduct." Chicko: "Vie notta the chicken?" ["Marx Brothers: Duck Soup"])

Following these directions we finally venture onto hallowed ground - St Peter's Square. Ah, who said Ancient Rome was dead? It was like entering the forum at Pompei; albeit, St Peter's is far more complete and larger! Now, the next question is: "Where do we collect our on-line tickets from?" After much wandering around, Michael is told by the Vatican Information Centre - "Go through the arch on the left and follow the yellow signs." These directions are confirmed by Maria by the information she was given by a member of the Constabulary! So, we fall in line and make like the 'Wizard Of Oz' and follow the yellow signs.

Following the signs was a lesson in navigation, as we virtually circumnavigated the perimeter walls of the Vatican City to gain access to the Museo Vatican where we had to retrieve our tickets! Entering this labyrinth via security and scanning, we secured our tickets and entered the Vatican vaults.

We started our 'tour' in the Museo Pio-Clementino, via the Cortille Octagono, which displays an array of sculptured masterpieces; eg. the Laocoön Group and Apollo Belvedere. I must add, after a while one does develop the impression the Vatican must possess one of the largest private collections of art and artifacts on the globe?

Leaving the Octagono we entered a courtyard (the size of two football fields) called Cortille Della Pigna, which has on display a colossal bronze pine cone, which forms part of a fountain - Fontana della Pigna, dating from 1AD Rome. It's here we discover the Papal collections were amassed between the 16th and 18th centuries. Later, additional rooms were added to accommodate the works of art commissioned by various Popes.

From here we made our way to the first and second floors which comprise the Museo Gregoriano, established by Pope Gregory XVI during the 19th century. This museum comprises an enormous collection of of archaeological, Pre and Post-Christian artifacts and sculptures. Apologies for this post seeming a mite rushed, but we were pushed for time and we had to make the Sistine Chapel before 17:30!

After much jaw-dropping, oohs and ahhs we entered the sanctum sanctorum of the Vatican's .... Pinaconteca. "What?" may you well ask? These halls and rooms have to be seen to be believed and appreciated (I guess..) Here is displayed a myriad of paintings, frescoes and tapestries collected and applied between the 11th and 19th centuries. This museum, (yes, they are all seperate museums,) was eventually inaugurated by Pope Pius XI in 1932! We negotiated sixteen rooms in total, all in chronological order, which displays some priceless masterpieces. The collection includes Giotto di Bondone's, 'Stephaneschi' triptych.

We leave Giotto and friends then move onto the next set of rooms. Ah, well these rooms are actually the reception rooms within the Vatican Palace, the public part of the Papal Apartments. The rooms in question are referred to as Stanze di Raffaello ('Raffael's Rooms') as they were planned, designed and mostly painted by him, and similar to the Pinaconteca these too can leave one speechless! The four rooms: Sala di Costantino (Hall of Constantine), Stanza di Eliodoro (Room of Heliodorus), Stanza della Segnatura (Room of the Signatura) and Stanza dell'incendio del Borgo (The Room of the Fire in the Borgo), are covered in frescoes - walls and ceilings. The rooms were originally commissioned by Pope Julius II around 1508-9, whilst Raphael was a young man. The enormity of the commission was such that Raphael died in 1520 (he was 37) before he could finish the work. However, this legacy was continued by Raphael's assistants, Gianfrancesco Penni, Giulio Romano and Raffaellino del Colle finished the project with the frescoes in the Sala di Costantino.

It's now a frantic dash to visit the Sistine Chapel (Cappella Sistina) as 17:30 is looming! When we finally arrive at the Chapel's doors we are abitrarilly made aware - No Photography; No Video...what-so-ever...and nothing other than SILENCE.... The Sistine Chapel's architecture is as awesome as the works of the artists. The Chapel is evocative of the Temple of Solomon as depicted in the Old Testament, and I loathe to admit the structure does command ... silence. Albeit, no matter what one reads or views pictures in any reference book, nothing...and I mean nothing, can prepare you for the vastness and beauty of the work by Michelangelo (ceiling and alter wall); and other famous Renaissance artists, Raphael, Bernini, and Sandro Botticelli (panelled frescoes).

The painting of the Sistine Chapel was commissioned by Pope Julius II, Michelangelo was resentful of the commission as he felt the Pope was just satisfying his thirst for grandeur. However, Michelangelo painted 1100 sq m of the ceiling and alter wall creating his masterpiece. The ceiling frescoes depict the time of Creation whereas the altar wall represents The Last Judgement.

Any attempt to describe the paintings would do the Chapel an injustice - one has to personally view the surfaces to appreciate the work of these Renaissance artists. Personally, my experience was somewhat surreal, just by being there and having to pinch myself several times to remind myself of this fact! I suppose the most poignant facet of this journey, apart from the enormity of the Papal project, is the blue in the sky of both the Creation and the Last Judgement. However, there is one reality - there are people, tribes and nations starving on this planet. Missionaries are in the field working virtually unresourced. Yet, there is wealth within these Papal walls beyond the level of loathing....

A bell rings, a voice resounds stating: "The Sistine Chapel is CLOSED - please leave!" - right on 17:30. The congregation of visitors is quickly husbanded towards the exits by a bevy of impatient warders. Being marshalled in the direction of the Museo Vatican main exits, we are marshaled through hall and gallery of gilded trim and wall to ceiling paintings. Our escorts are now line abreast, marching behind us with an ever increasing pace and stamping their feet! Like wind passing through a venturi, we burst through the exits and the sods (Escorts) don't even say "Thank you for visiting" or "Have a nice day"?

Anyhow, after escaping the Vatican we decide that our 'tour' would not be complete without a visit to St Peter's Basilica (Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano)! On entering this capacious structure you can appreciate how this church is regarded as the largest place of worship on earth, with a capacity to accommodate up to 60,000 people! That folks is a lot of generated body heat within such an abundance of masonry?

It is the symbolic Mother Church of the Catholic faith and apart from tradition there is historical evidence to suggest its namesake, St Peter the Apostle, is interred in a tomb directly below the alter. To assume the Basilica is a cathedral is pure misconception as it is not the seat of a Bishop, it is a papal basilica with its entrance to the east and the apse at the west end. The interior is as monumental as its exterior - the marble flooring alone is enough to occupy any visitors time. Look, I don't intend to weigh you down with a mass of facts and figures, if you're interested just follow this link.

So it is now dark and we are miles from the Termini Rail Station. Maria's hip is bad - I mean we have climbed up and down countless staircases and walked quite a few kilometres today. There is a line of those open topped hop on, hop off buses across the square and so we head over to see if we can buy a ticket tonight that will get us back to the station and that we can use again tomorrow. Most say no, even though they are running the last bus for the night we must buy a ticket for today and a new one tomorrow - but one says yes!

So, tickets clutched in our hands, we jump aboard for the trip back to the Termini station, and while we are travelling there manage to get a great eyeful of Rome by dusk! Back at the Station, we opt to have dinner before heading back to the hotel - no one can face the next door restaurant again tonight. There is a cafetaria style restaurant here on the first level, so we head there. Quite a choice on offer - and it all looks pretty good. Guess that the constant crowd at least ensures that the food is fresh! But the English is limited, so its a point and grunt type of moment.

Michael chooses Pork shank with roasted vegetables, Helen has the Fish and chips and Maria goes for the Chicken with veges. Not sure whether we were just overly hungry or not, but the food was surprisingly good. AND you could get a piccolo of wine to accompany it much to Helen's joy!

Hunger sated, off we head to join the masses heading home. We phone the hotel from the station and wait for their shuttle bus that delivers us safely to the door and our beds. Whew, what a day!!!