We have a new friend - barmaid Howrie!

Writing the blog sober can sometimes be a little of a chore.
Writing the blog while pissed as a fart is  . . .  a challenge.
So I didn't try to write the blog last night - hence me writing this morning!


The day started out well enough - with breakfast as we planned a day sightseeing in Göteborg.  Now Göteborg is a very walkable city.  It is predominantly flat and right on the coast with a significant harbour, with a few canals leading from the harbour in to the City.


The Scandic Crown Hotel is inner city - just beyond the Central Rail Station. The concierge at the desk here provides some advice on getting right in to the historic areas.  Walk around the station and through Nordstan, a 'Westfield style' shopping mall right in the centre of the CBD.  would you believe that in the month that we have been in Europe, this is the first shopping centre that we have been in.  And you will all be proud of us - despite all the 'Sale' signs in windows, we bought nothing!  To get to the historic areas of the City, we need to get beyond Nordstan, and the fastest way to do it is through it.

On the other side, we come out in an area of narrow cobbled streets radiating in a grid pattern out from the significant Gustaf Adolf’s Square facing the Rådhuset (Town Hall) with a canal running along one side - complete with picture pretty bridges lined with flower pots.

Our first building visit is in to The German Church which its also called Christinae Church. Named after Queen Christina, it was inaugurated in 1748, and used by he German and Dutch congregation in Gothenburg. While there are some ornate decorations, in the chandeliers and the windows, predominantly it is simple and basic and filled with light.


Crossing the canal brings us into closer quarters, with narrower streets, many of them pedestrianised so we don't need to be watching for vehicles quite so diligently.  It gives us a chance to look at doorways and rooflines and into the minutae of daily life here in Göteborg.


We are now close to the main canal and the city park and notice the spire for the Domkyrkan - the Cathedral.  We had a little difficulty getting in initially, turns out they are preparing for a radio broadcast on today, Sunday 8 September.  The original church on this site was consecrated in 1633 and following two fires, this final Cathedral was built in 1815. It is plainer than many we have seen.

We are headed to the Saluhallen, the Market Hall in Göteborg. This is the largest indoor market, and significantly nicer that the two outdoor markets we have seen thus far today.  When you enter in through the double doors,your senses are assailed in the very best of ways.  There are foods of all descriptions - smallgoods, cheeses, fruit and vegetables, sweets and nuts, meats, home-made pastas, cooked meals.  Only one fishmonger - and really they only had prawns and salmons plus sauces and salads.  Turns out that the City of Göteborg has its own fish markets down near the harbour.


Back into the sunshine - it is warm and lovely until the sun disappears behind a cloud and the wind picks up!  Across the next canal towards Kungsparken (Kings Park) we see further evidence of the regal presence in the city of the past.
At this point, Donna tells me we are not too far from the Haga district, the oldest quarter.  "How far is not far?"  "Only about 1.5 kms"  "Too far", was my response! Time to put the tram tickets we have bought to use.  Soon to the tram we go to visit the Haga district.  The first thing that we tend to notice are the rooflines - and that includes the spires and towers of the various churches.  There is no reason that the Haga should be any different!
At first we cannot get in to the Church as there is a service in progress.  Turns out the service is a wedding.  

I join the locals taking the sun, sitting in the beautiful little park adjacent to the church while Donna takes a walk down to see how close she can get to the Fish Markets we could see from the tram stop.  Like many other cities, there are significant road works being undertaken here and this means long detours around said works!
She comes back via some of the traditional half timbered houses that exist only in the Haga district now.  And like the main city area, some of the cobbled streets have been closed to traffic to allow safe access by pedestrians and bikes and cycles.

The bells were ringing (for me and my girl) as the newly wedded couple leave the church.  We come up to the doors as one of the church officials comes to the door, telling us we can only have five minutes as they are closing the church.  Quite a number of people follow us in! Church done, we head off to find one of the best examples of restored buildings in this area. We find a couple, unsure of which is the exact building in a row that all demonstrate some special features.

Our day is done.  My feet are done.
So it is back to the tram and back to the Scandic Crown.
After walking just over 5km (tram rides extra) we deserve a drink.

Howrie, bar tender of the day, helps us to make sure that we celebrate appropriately!
A few drinks later, we ask for Cointreau on ice.  She has never served Cointreau before and has to search the register to find the button!!
Its about now that she delivers a smallgoods tray to us.  Not sure if it was in recognition of our patronage or to ensure we eat something as we drink!  Who cares, was delicious.
She tells us that Göteborg can get as low as minus 20 degrees in winter and that in a heavy snow, the whole public transport network closes down.
She also tells us that limes are the most expensive fruit - even more so than mangoes,and that she would give anything to have a lime tree in her yard.  Turns out they sell at about 3 for 70 SEK.  That makes them about $3 each!

An early night follows - we needed it!

Its a long way on a full load plane

Well so much for the first blog on Friday!
For those who haven't heard, the weather in SE Australia went to the wall on Friday and after some serious doubt about whether we might need to make a dash for Brisbane, or worst still for Sydney, our flight finally took off from Hervey Bay 2 hrs 30 mins late.  A very 'chunky' flight with an almost empty plane (could spell a danger if that becomes a regular occurence), and a landing at a much higher power level than I think I have ever expected into a nasty cross wind on the ground.  A challenging start to the journey, but nonetheless, it was a start!

So got in to Sydney about 4:30 pm and by the time I had collected my luggage and got a cab to Donna's it was about 5:15. She finished work at 7 so at least I had time to catch my breath!  By the time we had eaten dinner and decided what cameras and chargers, adapters, power sources we could share, midnight was beckoning and so was bed.

And now I am truly on holidays.  Slept in until 7 am! Pure bliss. The wind continues to rage and I was very thankful for the electric blanket on the bed last night, even though I can't normally sleep in one. Definitely no longer in Kansas Toto, and nor am I in Queensland.  The day is miserable in the wind and Antony tells me that snow is falling in Canberra today.

While Donna packs, I re-pack and end up leaving few items of clothing at her place. My suitcase feels a little lighter and when we way it, I have lost the grand sum of 1 kg! Garry has a mate who drives a Silver Service Taxi and so at 11:30 we call for George. We are at the international terminal just before 12 noon, ready to queue to book in and seats allocated. 

Chloe tells me that this flight is often full and sure enough it is a full load with not a single empty seat.  Luckily we are seated on the right side of the plane. Donna in the centre and me on the aisle. The lady at the window is Jennifer from New Lambton in Newcastle - about a 15 minute drive from Mum's place. It's a small world I often say.

We are away about 30 minutes late, again due to the wind in Sydney and all travellers are glad to be off.  It is a 13 hr 50 min flight to Dubai where we have a 4 hour stop. Service on the plane is good,and although Emirates offer seats with extra pitch and width, sardines still feel like sardines in a can. The aisles are narrow and when inconsiderate people fully recline their seats,it is still impossible to lay down the food tray. The 12,039 km trip feels every minute! Food is good, despite all the comments people make about airline food. With no where to stretch and too many people needing to get up and down to loos,there is no opportunity to walk the aisles,so a very long, cramped flight. 

With very little sleep under our belt, we were glad to touch down in Dubai at 00:15 am to a hot and steamy 37 degs! Thank goodness we are staying inside and not venturing ot in that! Unlike many other airports, this truly is a 24 hour operation. You can buy just about anything here. The gold sellers aren't too expensive with 24 carat gold selling for USD$65 per gram. Interesting, but truly, nothing appealed!
Did you know that Dubai's main Terminal B where all planes arrive is shaped like the wing of a plane? And it is the longest terminal building in the world. We seemed to have to walk forever to get from or entry point to our next gate, but in reality, only walked half the length. Oh, and that was before we are bussed out to the plane, into the heat, and have to climb a mount everest of stairs in front of us!

Our departure is also delayed 15 minutes, so at 4:00 am we push pack from the deck. When I asked if the flight was full at check-in, I am told it is overbooked. Bugger.  This flight we have two centre seats in the middle of the row.  And the same deal with inconsiderate people in front.

HELLO AMSTERDAM.  It is 17 degs heading for 21. A beautiful late summer morning. We join the never-ending congo line of passengers weaving towards passport control under the watchful eye of security. Plane after plane seems to disgorge its load on to the end of the line. Once at the front, Donna and I face no delays, no questions and walk through in seconds. The baggage claim area is frenetic (remember all those passengers). It doesn't take too long before we claim our suitcases and head through Customs. As there is no staff at the 'Something to Declare' gate, we just join the 'Nothing to Declare line with one man casually asking random people what they have in odd shaped packages. Again we just glide on through.  Starbucks and a coffee are calling. Mmmm.

We try all the sim providers, but the cheap ones are only offering local calls. So over to Telecom where I manage to get UK based sim that will cover all of Europe, but not calls to Australia.  If you want to send me a message, do so through Messenger or Facebook.
Finally it is time to go over to the Hotel. As we have dragged the luggage enough (and not to mention being dog-tired), I decide to shout us a cab. Donna just about wets herself when she realises we are getting into a Tesla. As a cab! And like all cabbies all over the world, he owns the road - across lanes, ignoring speed limits. 20 minutes later we pull up at Hotel Espresso which is just outside the old city area.  AND, showers had its in to bed we go for a couple of hours.


Definitely refreshed and with feet and ankles that have lost some of the swelling, we head out about 6 pm to start exploring. We have bought a 24 hour tram ticker as we are a short walk to the closest tram into Dam Square, the main square in Amsterdam. We hop off and head off on foot. How I hate the 'cats' we are walking on (in french, cobblestones are referred to as 'la tete de la chat' - the head of the cat). They are at times uneven and I have to take extra care not to trip.

The Square is quite stunning, although the amount of litter is amazing. Lots of people out. The are numerous little lanes and streets fanning out in every direction.

Tram lines criss-cross the streets and run very frequently. between them, crazy cab-drivers and the millions of cyclists, pedestrians (who if I remember correctly have the right of way, take their lives in their hands.
It is after 7 pm now on a Sunday evening. Many of the retail stores are shut, but the ubiquitous Coffee Shop (not to be confused with a Cafe) are doing a roaring trade and so are all of the adjoining eateries, from pizza slices, to pommes frites, to sitdown restaurants - all catering to people with heightened appetites!

Donna manages to be dwarfed in a pair of clogs outside a Cheese Shop where we sampled the wares including some amazing flavoured gouda, only leaving after bu a sample pack to take with us.

All the way we are heading for Anne Frank's House (or are we Donna?) up alleys and down streets first north then west then east. We cross canals, climbing up and then down the cobbled bridges. We are nearly collected by a car coming at speed around a corner, with more passengers than should fit, jumping out and taking off at a run - a pub Crawl is on! Oh to be that young and have that much energy again!!

We eventually reach Anne Franks House. No photos and I wait because of all the steep narrow stairs.  Looking across the canals and down the streets we see the fabulous architecture that the city is known for and manage to get photos of quite a few - small selection here.

I peep in through the grilled of a closed museum door but still lit within for another perspective.


Finally we are really flagging and our feet still somewhat swollen and sore. We have dinner at 9:45 pm just as the light is falling in to the dark of night. A cosy little pancake restaurant where we celebrate our arrival with a Prosecco, have a savoury pancake apiece (Donna = spinach and goat cheese, me = cheese and ham) and share a plate of Poffertjes, mini Dutch pancakes.

Then its off to the tram for the journey back to the Hotel.
More walking and a canal trip tomorrow.
Night all, I've had it and its time to crawl into bed at 1:40 am here!  See you on the morrow.

 

 

 

 

Schwäbisch Gmünd from a different view

Even though we are spending time in and around Schwäbisch Gmünd, there is still so much to explore.

We began our day today going back to Ludwig Tomas Strasse to Felix and Steph's former home. We can help out doing a few chores that will give them more time on the weekend. While Michael spakfilla's the holes left by nails and screws, I give the house a good sweep out.  Its dusty more than anything, and the three rooms in the basement have plenty of evidence of previous spidery residents - although there is only one still there. I guess without the human presence, the eight legged variety lose interest!
Thought to take this photo as we left - the garage is the iron door and you are looking from the front door through to the back year.

Once done, we went back to Xavier Bader Strasse and the new house - which is really only about 4 blocks away to get changed and go into Schwäbisch Gmünd to have a look at the church being renovated and to have some lunch.

We lunched at Mauritius, which Steph later tells us is a chain restaurant.  We were thrilled to find that they make a fresh lemonade, but with limes, so it doesn't quite have the tang of those we had in Romania.

The St Johannis Kirche was just closing when we came in on Monday, but a quick look inside and we knew we had to come back to have a proper look. Turns out that this former church has a tower and for the princely sum of 2 euros, Michael can climb it. This is all the more special as the tower at the Schwäbisch Gmünd Minster has collapsed and no longer exists. 

The tower exists over 5 levels and climbs to a base height of 30.36 m - high enough to get those really interesting shots of the rooftops and the layout of the old centre as well as some close-ups looking down on the Munster and the nearby 'Mouse Tower' as well as the surrounding area.

There has been a recorded church on this site since 1210 AD. The current form of the former church dates predominantly to the 15th century when in 1429 the high altar was added to complete the church. In 1706 significant changes saw the church take on a more baroque form and from 1842 it was re-reromanised. It fell into disrepair and has been almost constantly under repair since 2008.

The bell tower dates from the early 13th century and was the first free-standing and tallest structure in the city. 

Found under the chancel in 1972 is the 12th century Romanesque Pomeranian, also called Staufische Madonna. This is considered the most important sculpture in the City. The amazing wall and ceiling paintings were re-created in the 1870s and re-make the original. Today, these are all under constant restoration.
The side ships of the church store the collection of carvings and statuary from this church and the Minster.

They include saintly bodies, characters that would adorn the roof-lines known as grotesques and even the odd green man.  
While looking at these, and during his climb into the heavens, Michael managed to identify three mason marks - they have not stood the weathering of time too well unfortunately.

Surrounding the church and framing Johannisplatz - the square outside the church are some really well maintained examples of early architecture dating back to the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. These buildings have each been restored over the past century. This square was once a cemetery site, and later was paved as a parade ground for the barracks that were converted from the former preacher's convent.

We finished off our visit back into the City with coffee at Cafe Margrit - too bad we sat in the plaza - Steph tells us that they have the best cakes in Schwäbisch Gmünd - in cases inside!

Still, didn't matter - it meant that we were ready to eat grilled steak with herbed potatoes, mushrooms and salad that I cooked for dinner tonight. We ate in the balmy night outside and chatted until it was time for Steph to head for bed. Felix had caught up with an old friend in Schorndorf tonight and comes in after 10.  We chat very briefly before he heads to bed with us not too far behind him.

In a place out of time?

Ah yes, that glass walled shower on view for all the room to see was interesting to say the least! Breakfast at the motel was expensive to say the least so Michael took a walk to the train station and came back with great coffees and pastries. Graz like many other cities is having road works done so we dodge them to get across the river and closer to the old city that we want to see.

Parking is not too much of a problem here - while there is no street parking nearby, there are plenty of parking stations that have been located underground. And these parking stations are like none others we have come across - spotlessly clean, very well lit, plenty of space with the spots marked by a sensored pad on the ground, piped music etc etc etc! And affordable!

They are all located at the peripheries of the main tourist areas, which makes it easy to get to things to have a look. The city sits in a valley and up the slopes of a steep hill that is crowned by the Schlossberg (castle hill). We will finish our time here with a trip up to there. But we start down in the main square, which is just around the corner from the car park. The tourist office here has put out an excellent brochure that is divided into three walks through the old city allowing you to tailor your time.

We begin our stroll in the Hauptplatz (main square) near the town hall with its domes, statues and clock. In the Square in front of the town hall there is a market place with permanent stalls selling souvenirs, food, flowers and newspapers. They are set all close together so that along with the modern settings, you still get the atmosphere of the markets places of old. There is the Archduke Johann fountain just outside the town hall. All around the sqaure (on the outer sides of the tram lines) there are a number of buildings with amazing facades of stucco or sgraffito high on their walls (including the amazing 'Painted House') and with arcades from the streets into inner courtyards. Many of the facades date back to the early 1700s!

Around behind the town hall lies the Landhaus - a masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance that looks like it should be sited in Venice. Turns out that it was designed by a northern Italian architect so no wonder it looks like it does. Not only is the facade beautiful, the inner courtyard with its lamps and wells and its arched porticos is just as stunning. The Styrian parliament (the State that Graz is capital of) sits here.

From here we head up. The streets are not too steep, but the cobblestones are painful - how I hate them. And no, even after almost a year, my feet have not grown accustomed to them! And to add insult to my injury, we enter into a medieval courtyard where the cobbles are made from river stones that are laid on their edges - ouch ouch ouch! We see the Glockenspiel and buildings that have operated as various enterprises for hundreds of years, including a bakery with an amazing carved and inlaid timber store front.

I pass the shop of a tailoress who is selling traditional clothes. There are hand knitted jumpers and cardigans on a rack out the front and I can't resist buying a special little girl a special little one. It will come in very handy - no not in Darwin, in Kapooka! We heard from Antony this morning that he has been promoted to the rank of Bombadier and is being transferred to Kapooka near Wagga Wagga on the New South Wales / Victoria border as of early January as a Cadet Instructor! Anyway, back to Graz - this seamstress must be pretty good, there are three couples in there buying clothes - all Austrians!

We continue to walk up and come to the Cathedral built in 1438 - 1464 and the close by Mausoleum. Neither are open so all we can so is admire them from outside. In the architectural gems of the surrounding areas there is a Jesuit College and the 'Old' university that was founded in 1585. There are more squares with statues and more churches including the Parish Church that is a nice mix of old and new. We are now winding our way back down to the main square through narrow pedestrian streets filled with narrow shops selling all many of goods from sporting equipment to jewellery, from confectionary to eye glasses. People walk or ride pushbikes here - though not too many of them are riding uphill, just a couple of very fit young men - most people get off and push their bikes!

Now its time for lunch. Well, I'm not sure what you call the meal that covers both lunch and dinner - lunner? Kind of like brunch at the other end of the day. Anyway, whatever it is, we are having it now. We walk away from the main square looking for somewhere that takes our fancy and we find the Keller Restaurant through an alleyway and a courtyard. We are hungry, but boy, these meals are huge!
Entrees:
Champignon gebacken mit Sauce Tartare (Deep fried champignons with Tartare sauce) Michael
Emmentaler gebacken mit Preiselbeeren (Deep fried Emmentaler cheese with Cranberries) Maria
Mains:
Gemischter Grillteller mit Reis, Bratkartoffeln und feinem Gemüse (Mixed grill with rice, pan-fried potatoes and vegetables) Michael
Fiakergulasch mit Ei, Gurkerl, Würstl, Servietterknödel (Beef goulash Fiacre style with egg, gherkin, sausage, white bread dumplings) MariaWe had been eyeing off the breaded apple slices for dessert, but the meals are so big that we can't finish either of them, so there is definitely no room for desserts! Our hunger pangs put away, we head back out into the afternoon sun to head towards the Schlossberg high on the hill overlooking the city. There are three ways you can get up there - on foot up the hundreds of steps, using the funicular or via a lift that goes up through the centre of the mountain - our preferred choice today. For the tiny sum of €2.80 we both get return tickets!

Now this has been my eagerly awaited highlight of the day. The clocktower that sits high above the city and is visible from almost every part of it is the best known symbol of Graz. Trouble is that the clock's hands are back to front with the small hand showing the minutes and the large hand, the hour! And while we don't have time to climb all the way to the castle, we do spend some time at the clocktower, admiring the scene over the rooftops of Graz and the Mur River. The hoarding around the top of the tower was erected as a lookout for the fire brigade. And then there is the bell tower just a little further up the hill that Michael dashes up to see.

But dont think for a minute that Graz is trapped in some time warp. Just as the old city shines, there are a number of very futuristic buildings that have been commissioned. Most notable are the Kunsthaus Graz built in 2003 to host exhibitions, and the Mursinel - a floating structure in the Mur River connected to the banks by two weaving footbridges. It houses a restaurant and an amphitheatre. They sit shoulder to shoulder with the architecture of times long past, complementing rather than competing with them. And their wierd shapes seem very much at home amongst the myriad of towers that were there long before them.

And so our time has come to leave Graz and head for Munich. We have a four hour drive ahead of us which means that we won't get there until after 8 pm. As we are leaving the city, the afternoon light is fading fast. Gosh, it wasn't all that many weeks ago that it was light until the late hours of the night!

As we travel across Austria we are heading back into the land of the high snow capped mountains (and yes, they have already had snowfalls high on the peaks)! For quite some time we are actually travelling throug the mountains in a series of tunnels - the longest being 8.3 kms long is the longest we have travelled on our trip. When we see the last breath of the sun gently washing the wispy clouds with a soft rosy hue, and the mountain tops gleaming in that last light of the day, with small villages burrowing down for the cool night in the valleys below (it is now 4°C), I understand why my Dad loved this part of the world so much and kept coming back.

We are travelling the motorways and as soon as we reach Germany, just past the city of Salzburg, the speed limit free Autobahn sees the traffic take off in a frenzy of fast paced racing. Honestly, some of the cars are travelling well in excess of 200 kph - in the dark. Not us though. We keep to a much more sedate 120 kph! We make good time and hit Motel One in Putzbrunn just outside the main centre of Munich about 8:20 pm. Oh for a bed. On checking in, the receptionist Consuela, remembers us from our last stay here in July - now THAT is what you call great customer relations! She does say however that friendly guests make it easy to remember them!! Ain't she sweet.