A move towards the north - for more cheese (hic)

It was significantly colder last night and as we watch the news tonight, find out that it got down to 2 degrees. Yep, a lot colder! Even Gen felt the need for the aircon to be turned to heat this morning. Before we went to bed last night we sorted out the remaining 'stuff' we are carrying. I filled on postbag with some clothes that I won't be needing for the last week, nor immediately when we arrive back in much (much) warmer Queensland! We moved clothes for the next week, souvenirs that we will want as soon as we touchdown at Upper Kedron 😉) and some breakable (liquid) items to the large suitcase. We put all the laundry needing doing in a bag for laundry on Wednesday before we head back to Hobart, and started to put aside food etc that we will leave with Nick when we go - I men, there is no point in wasting it. Meredith and Andrew have good luggage allowances and have offered to carry some things home for us (they arrive home on Monday just before we leave for home). I'm really grateful for this as it will minimise the luggage Gen needs to carry between Hobart and Brisbane.

Because we had sorted our sh*t last night, we were able to get away in good time and drove away from the Rosevears Hotel right on 8:30 am. There are three routes that we could take to reach Scamander. Gen had thought that the most northern route would allow us to have a look at the coast, but we (lol we, read me!) really want to visit the Pyengana Dairy cheese factory. And as luck would have it, it is located closest to the most southern route we could choose! Turns out the choice was made for us. Our hire car has a 'no gravel roads' clause in the rental agreement and the centre route that would have been the most appropriate is unsealed. But we don't really want to stick to the highway as it goes through the southern part of our route, and nowhere near the coast. So our second choice becomes our first!

Our route north from Exeter (near Rosevears) took us almost directly north to Pipers River and then to Bridport on the coast. We began in lush pastoral country filled with a multitude of wineries and then surprisingly encounter 'big timber' forests again as we hit a mountain range. We had not expected to find mountains this close to the coast. 

It was interesting to see the change in landscapes so abruptly. One minute Gen is traversing the dreaded hairpin bends up and down slopes at an average of less than 40 km. The next corner puts us back on the coast with the sleepy seaside town of Bridport coming in to view. Well, it looks sleepy on its outskirts, but is much larger than it first appears. Gen was happy to find a petrol station there!! From here, the soil is again sand, the dunes are not only seen, but crossed as are numerous small streams and rivulets. The birdlife is abundant and in the earlier (lol) light of the day, we startle a number of flocks of black birds, just waiting for the roadkill to commence. There are lots of sheep in the paddocks and the cattle are now more diary cows than beef cattle. Traffic is light and the travelling easy, although the road is somewhat undulating, as though the sands are shifting beneath us. 

By now, neither of us has mobile coverage so we are relying on road signs. We have abandoned trying to get to the Pynegana Dairy as it looks like it will need significant back-tracking. With glimpses of the clear aqua water of the Bass Strait teasing us through dunes and low-lying wind-sculpted coastal trees and shrubs, we turn toward the south after travelling as far as we can along the northern roads.
We reach Gladstone (the other one!). If wanted to continue to the northeast most point, Cape Portland, then we needed to do it another way as from here, the road is unsealed. Between the towns of Derby and Gladstone (there are lots of references to English places, reflecting the pioneers) we see a tourist sign to the Little Blue Lake. 

Now, I have seen plenty of blue lakes in my travels, but this was something altogether different. There is a viewing platform just off the road, with a solid chainlink fence keeping you back from the edge. And while most of the blue lakes I have seen attribute their amazing colour to glacial or summer snow melts, this one was very different. It is the result of about 100 years of mineral mining - mainly tin, and at this spot, that tin was intersperced with kaolin, that amazing white clay that is so prized by Chinese pottery makers.  The colour is truly amazing, but what is also amazing is that there is no signs of life anywhere near it - the vegetation stops about 3 metres from the water's edge and there is no sign of wildlife - not even a bird. This site is part of the mine rehabilitation area of the former South Mount Cameron mine.

A little further south, we pass through the hamlet of Moorina (there are numerous much smaller settlements - but what do you call a collection of less than ten houses?) At Moorina there is an intriguing sign pointing to the Moorina cemetery and the Chinese Monument - the Tin Dragon. Now, that sounds interesting! Turns out that this area has quite a history of mining, opportunities sought, fortunes won and lost, of Chinese immigrants and their legacy locally. The monument is more of a memorial because although it is located adjacent to the local cemetery, there are very few Chinese graves because if they perished, as many did, the bodies were returned home - predominantly to the Guandong region from where most of them came. An unexpected and interesting stop on the route. 

Gen asks me "What will we be eating in half an hour or so?"
"I don't know. Lobster?", I ask.
"Nope", she says with a grin, "Cheese!"
On this memorial there was a great regional map and despite the convoluted route we have taken, we are now a mere 29 kms from the Pyengana Dairy Factory! Yay!! 
We are skirting around the edge of the other side of the Blue Tier Forest and back into winding roads. And the dairy cattle are now everywhere. Its not long before we see the signs and take the road towards the dairy and St Columba Falls. This award-winning dairy is literally in the middle of nowhere (and still with no mobile coverage), so we are quite surprised when we get to the farm gate to see that their car-park is full, with more vehicles parked on the side of the 'highway'. 

The dairy visitor centre is housed in a former milking shed. There are lots of story-boards, under cover, along the long side of the building that leads you to a viewing platform where you can watch the cheese being made. That is what you would normally see, but today one of the farmers is there explaining that they are not making cheese this week as the milk is all needed for the Easter demand! It is just after midday and lunch is certainly on the cards. I had read in the Travelling Tasmania Facebook page that the Cheese and Chive scones were excellent. They offer a small but sufficient selection for lunch. I have already decided that I am going to have those scones which are served with their dairy butter and a smoky tomato relish (that has a bit of a kick) and Gen decides on the Tasmanian Gourmet Platter that includes homemade pumpkin sourdough, crackers, a range of their cheeses and local meats and fruits. Both were delectable and as usual we shared. Gen had asked if I wanted a glass of wine with lunch - they do offer that lovely Josef Chromy Pinot Gris, but I said that while in Rome . . .  so we had milkshakes! While Gen ordered our food, I found a table right next to the gentle warmth of the open fire. Man, this is living. AND they offer Valhalla icream that we both love.  Jersey Caramel and Strawberry Choc Chip were today's choices.
The have a great selection of cheeses and other souvenirs and again, I may, (or may not)  have sent some cheese home - the free postage if you spend $100 was very easy to reach! Remember - Saturday 23 is tasting day at home - keep it free peeps!! Pyengana is well worth a visit if you are in the north/east of Tasmania - AND they do mail order from their website.

Now absolutely rolling with all the food we have consumed (well, that is a bit of an exaggeration, we brought some of it with us for tonight!) we left and turned for the East Coast and St Helens (again, not the local one). St Helens is the gateway to the Bay of Fires where those amazing seascapes of lichen and algae covered rocks in crystal clear waters are known world-wide. There are opportunities to see them right along the roadside, with plenty of parking areas for a car or two, but the formal viewing area is at the very end of the road. We arrive about 3 pm and spend about an hour with me taking telephoto shots and Gen walking down slippery ramps and across very soft sand to clambour over the rocks. 

This is truly a beautiful landscape and it is easy to see the inspiration for many professional photographers and artists whose works grace glossy books and galleries right across the state! As we leave there is a steady stream of traffic coming out - heavens knows where they will park, as the carpark is already full. The rocks are best seen as the sun is setting, but it has been close enough for us! There is an on-shore wind and our views are softened by a fine powder of both sea-mist and that fine sand as it is blown across the roadway. The whitecaps dance along the crystal clear water in lines as they meet with rock obstacles. From time to time, there is a whoosh as water encounters a rocky outcrop and I am rewarded with some lovely photographs of shooting waters.  

In total, driving directly it should have been 4.5 hours travelling to cover the 304 kms trip - seems like a cinch, but in reality it took us all day - with us arriving at Pelican Sands at Scamander right on 4:30 this afternoon. Turns out that Terese and Tony from home are here in town tonight also. They have been here for a short trip of about 9 days - and depart on the Spirit of Tasmania on Saturday. They have travelled the opposite direction to us. We will need to catch up when we get home and trade stories! We have some of the cheese we left at lunch for a light dinner, with one of our last apples (purchased at Willy smiths in Huonville what feels like weeks ago). along with the cheese, I am enjoying a can of Crafty Cuts Lemon+Lime Gin Cucumber Cooler - very quaffable! Will have to see if we can get it at home/online!

We are here for two nights (accommodation is very hard to find, with the local news tonight reporting that there is NO accommodation left for the Easter break in either Hobart or Launceston!). Tomorrow we are headed to Bicheno, 45 minutes away for lobster rolls and a visit to the Devil's Corner winery (as the Farmshed East Coast wineries that stock wines from all the east coast wineries).

Off for an earlier night - biggie coming tomorrow. Later . . .

Reconnecting with my roots

Now that we have a car, and with itchy feet because we are not travelling any longer and not seeing new things every day, we had planned a day taking the two mums over some of the country that my mum grew up in. We get away in good time and are on the road after breakfast about 10 am. First stop is to say 'hi' to Dad and check on his grave at the largest cemetery in Newcastel, the Sandgate Cemetery. All looks in good condition and it is hard to believe that it is almost 9 years since we lost him to Motor Neurone Disease. We pass by the graves of Mum's parents - George and Annie Stevens as well and it is nice and clean as well. They are not at all like the cemeteries that we saw so often in Europe, adjacent to the churches and filled with flowers growing on the plots. Here the cemeteries are sited on seperate land are are somewhat stark, just row on row on row of gravestones with little colour - I guess we are following somewhat the example set by the early English settlers.

So we push on, knowing that we want to cover quite a bit of territory today. Our next stop is at Bulahdelah, north on the Pacific Highway about 80 kms from Newcastle. There are major highways works underway around here with a bypass planned doe the town. But at the moment, we still pass through and there, in the same spot as he has had for the last 20 years or so is a cherry seller, next to one of the local petrol stations. We stop, eager to taste more of the amazing fruit that we have available to us here in Australia in summer and buy two half-kilo bags. One for Michael and I in the front of the car and another for the mums in the back. The next half hour or so is very quiet as we all stuff our faces. Gosh they are good. Thick and firm, they burst their juices into your mouth with the first bite, full of deep cherry flavour. Yu-um!

We leave the Pacific Highway and head on to The Lakes Way that will take us around the Myall and Smith Lakes system to reach Forster and Tuncurry where the lakes enter in to the ocean. Long known as caravanning beach holiday towns on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, these have grown to include many medium density holiday apartment complexes and all the mod-cons that the modern holiday maker seems to need - clubs, cinemas, shopping centres. But if you leave the main street in either of these twin towns that straddle the Wampoola River mouth where it connects with the draining Wallis Lake, connected by a bridge that is clowly sinking in to the sandy depths, then little has changed - there are streets and streets of holiday homes waiting for the arrival of the summer holidays, getting ready for their owner families who will spend much of the 6 - 8 weeks living a very casual beachside lifestyle. First time visitors to Foster-Tuncurry are usually amazed at the colour of the water that break out from the lakes under the bridge and out to sea. With a sandy base, this water is some of the clearest, bluest and aqua water that you see in this part of the country (you need a sandy base to get a blue river, when they have a mud or dirt base then it looks muddied).

We continue our trip a little further north to Old Bar just outside Taree. This was where my Dad grew up and I have fond memories of a holiday with my sister Donna when I was about 13 or 14 staying with our great aunt and uncle on their dairy farm at Pampoolah just down from Grandma and Granpa's home. Of course this once very rural area is changing with more new subdivisions springing up every time I come through here. We head right down to the beach, exposed to gale force winds today, whipping up huge seas with very obvious rips - but it doesn't deter the board riders who seem to take great delight in the less than safe seas - thankfully there are no swimmers trying to brave the waters - just a few paddlers. We are disappointed that the surf club is not open for meals as it is well and truly lunch time now - in fact it is after 1:30 pm.

There is a small hamburger shop open in the park just back from the beach and once we have placed orders for 'burgers with the works' for us all we head back out into the sun. Netta lies soaking it up while the rest of us head for the shade of one of the covered picnic tables. Now, those burgers were fantastic - mince patties, bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato, pineapple, beetroot, cheese and onion barely held within a straining bun. We had bought a serve of hot chips to share, but really the burgers are enough. This is fast food at its very best - hot and fresh and bursting with goodness. Followed by coffees all round we felt like kings.

Onward and upwards to Taree where Mum had lived for many years, where she met and married Dad and where I was born. This city sits on the banks of the Manning River and is a lush green city. As we cross the bridge into the city we can clearly see the one remaining riverside black of undeveloped land that Mum's aunt owns. That has got to worth a bit these days with everyone wanting waterfront property. Over the bridge I call on Mum's memory to take us up to the family home on the corner of Smith Street.

You know with the memory of a child, I remember this house to be a huge sandstone construction. We spent many happy times here visiting with Nanny and Pa and the first time I came back passed here (when we were moving our family to Bundaberg in Queensland), I was disappointed as it was much smaller than my memory remembered and of brick construction. Today, it is beautifully kept and is indeed a large home for its day with a multiple of bedrooms and the most enormous sleepout (a closed in verandah area lined with beds along the outer long wall) that catered for the large Stevens family of 8 children and the many visitors or workers who also regularly stayed. Taree has adopted the Flame Tree as their city emblem and today the main street of Victoria Street is lined with superb examples in full bloom - a truly beautiful native tree.

Wauchope
Ellenborough Falls
Comboyne to Landsdowne - a real trip down memory lane for both Mum and me!

The Isle of Capri swimming in azure seas

You should have seen the views we had when we woke at the Hotel & Spa Bellavista Francischiello - oh, hang on a sec - you can! Thanks to the age of the digital camera. Before we went down to breakfast, we watched the sea get choppier and choppier from the other side of the bay. Out towards the Isle of Capri however, it was like a millpond.

Breakfast was served down in the restaurant and was sumptuous. Helen was commenting that it was the first time in ages that we have not had croissants and before we could blink, three were delivered to our table! The coffee was great and there was a functioning toaster so we could have dead set real toast - yum.

Once we had checked out, we got into the car and braced ourselves for the trip down into Sorrento from our wonderful hotel on the hill. By the time we get down there, we need to find a parking station - there is NO on-street parking anywhere for cars - just motorbikes, so it is in to one at €1.50 per hour which is much more reasonable than I expected. We head back to the main square which is really a very small roundabout around which cars zoom from 5 directions and look for the signs to the Porto.

From here we follow the signs that point down one of the narrow shopping streets and then away. Too late, we realise that the way down (and I mean down!) to the Port is via a steep hairpinned road, or a number of sets of staircases. Steep staircases. Too bad we did not have a map before we set out on this leg, we could have known to catch the bus down! So, down those blasted stairs we go. My hip is not happy and Hels has jarred her knee - not a great start to our island day!

Once we are down at ground zero, Michael and Helen head off to buy ferry tickets. Eventually the ferry arrives about 10 minutes late. I don't get a good feeling while watching them try to berth it - 3 goes it takes with the vessel tossing and lurching in the surf that is trapped inside the harbour walls being fed by a large swell! The poor fellow who is tossing the mooring rope has to rescue it, sodden, from the water twice. Not a good look at all! The passengers disembark and then it is own turn to board. There is a long line of people waiting and we slowly inch forward onto the pontoon. Then onto the gangways that have a mind of their own - sliding and jumping on the pier. They are each being held firm by two of the crew who struggle to keep them still while we all clamber to get on board. Once on board, it does not seem nearly as rough as it looks - ah, thank goodness for catarmarans!

The water is very choppy inside the harbour, but once we are outside its walls, it settles to a more reasonable roll very quickly. The trip will take a little longer than the advertised crossing time of 25 minutes as they are taking the boat further along the coast of the island to ensure a safe approach. So a little more than 30 minutes after we depart, we are docking at the Isle of Capri. People pour off the boat onto land. It takes a few minutes for me to get my land legs together and stop the rolling that they had just become used to. The crowd disperses into the island where there are loads of taxis waiting and one lone bus. Along the shore there are a number of ferry moorings and a small fleet of private boats - including some that would have very heavy price tags!

The bus up to the top of the Island is packed with people jammed on like sardines from the bay! There is no way that we can get on, so we wait for the nest one, supposedly sue in 10 minutes. While waiting we check out the cost for one of the taxis. Now, the bus fare is all of €3 and the cabbie wants €25! So you know where he can put that!!!
The taxis are all convertibles - and they must be a joy to ride the winding roads on a warm and sunny day. In fact, today is quickly going from drab to fab as the sun burns off the clouds that had threatened to dampen our spirits. He starts his negotiations for a 2 hour tour at €150, but quickly comes down to €120. He won't budge below €100 though and that is way over Michael and my budget for the day. So, back to wait for the bus we go.

The bus eventually turns up 20 minutes after the last one. A queue has grown again, but we are one of the first on and so manage to get seats on the small bus. By the time we leave about 5 minutes later, it is jam-packed again! Gosh, I know that the main tourist season is over, but in this shoulder season there should still be more services operating. And so, off up the hill we go. Now we have travelled on some narrow roads recently, but this one really takes the cake. At some point, we meet another bus coming down the mountain and things get very very tight - there is literally one inch between the side mirrors of the two buses and the side mirror and the rock wall we are passing - I kid you not. Helen actually took a video to show her kids, but the file is too big to upload here. Ask her to show you (and you will hear her in the background tell how she has been scarred for life while driving the Amalfi Coast roads that are about twice as wide as this road!)

Its only about 10 minutes to the top where we all alight into - streets even busier with tourists. We are hungry and so find a cliff top little cafe and settle in for toasties, pasta and milkshakes - mine was lemon - and don't knock it till you try it - amazing! As soon as we are finished we head over to the railing edge to have photos with the amazing beauty of the island and the Gulf of Naples in which it sits.

Shopping on the Isle of Capri will generally require you to have long arms and filled deep pockets. Especially in the resort town of Capri, the offerings are all up-market and up-price. Lots of high end fashion and jewellery on sale - and lots of Japanese tourists who have bags from these shops walking around here! Helen has been looking for a pair of Capri pants and had an experience much like Julia Robert's character in Pretty Woman (when she quotes "I tried to buy some clothes here yesterday, but you refused to serve me. Big mistake, Huge!") Many of the shop-keepers in Capri have a very disdainful attitude to the tourists. That might not be an issue for them in the summer months, but now that the main holiday period is over, you would think that they would welcome the sales income. So a rude, uncooperative seller who had shirts that appealed lucked out on what would have been a fairly major purchase. And in his place, we found another two shopkeepers in the quieter part of the tourist stretch at the front of the marina who could not have been more obliging. And guess what? They were rewarded with good sales when she found the elusive capri pants - we had assumed that they would be easy to buy here, but they were not! Thanks for being so lovely Vincenzo and Claudia!

Helen had been the one who really wanted to come to the island today with the hope of seeing the famous and beautiful Blue Grotto. But as the sea is so rough, cruises have been cancelled. There is one company who is selling tickets on a cruise around the isand, but as we watch, they cancel that and bring the people who had been waiting on the boat, off. The gangplank was bouncing even more than what it was on our ferry earlier. So, unfortunately, the closest poor Helen gets is to the poster outside one of the sales kiosks! And while we are there taking this photo, I turn to the harbour where we see some amusing warning signs. This one in particular took my fancy!

And all too soon, our time on the Isle of Capri is done. We have tickets to get the ferry at 3:45 pm. It's running late due to the seas, and then when they do berth they are frantically hurrying everyone to get on board - no doubt they are trying to rescue their timetable. The boat is full and we are all separated in finding seats for the trip back across the bay. All too soon, we are back at Sorrento later than we would have liked as we haved a 4 hour drive ahead of us to Roma. So it is a cab trip back to the parking station to save our (my) legs and some time. We leave Sorrento and drive further around the coast to join the motorway to Rome. And back on the motorway we pass again through the outskirts of Napoli - seeing smoke yet again, but this time we are witnessing a house fire.

On the road trip in to Roma, the changing sky tonight is very beautiful after the rain. We watch as the rays first shine on through the cloud layers before later they create an awe-inspiring silver lining on another bank of clouds before the night claims victory over the sun. And then as the lights in the City come on, we join the queues of traffic seeking entry!

We have opted to save some money by staying a little way out of the centre of Rome, but on good transport connections. And our approach has paid off! Our accommodation at the Hotel Domidea is a few steps from a bus that takes us to one of the main Metro lines into the City. They also have a shuttle bus that they use to ferry their guests to and from the station with prior booking. Both are convenient! And our room is a suite! Helen has her own bedroom for only the second time on her trip and we share a separate bathroom. But there is no restaurant on the premises. They suggest the restaurant next door - La Biga. It presents as more of a function centre than as a restaurant complete with tacky decorations, big screen with the ever popular 'booby' Italian game shows and musak blaring. The food is definitely the pre-packaged 'heat-in-microwave' variety. But food it is. Actually, my main course of Tagliolini al Limone is actually very good - ah lemons, one of the best fruits that Italy has to offer!

Off to do the Vatican in the morning, so not too late a night!

be. Berlin

I had tried to find out what the marketing tag for Berlin last night and couldn't find it anywhere on the web. But when we went in to Berlin this morning, it is everywhere (as well it should be!) - it is simply: be. Berlin

Doing the bus tour yesterday gave us a better idea of what we wanted to make sure we got to see today. So we spent a little time this morning planning a route. Given that they were scattered all over the city we decided to take the car in, knowing that if we could not find parking that we could bring it back only partway to one of the big rail parking stations. But you would not have believed how little traffic there was! Anywhere!!

First on our list was the Oberbaumbrücke Bridge. We had seen this bridge on the way through yesterday and it looked so amazing! When the Berlin Wall was built in 1961, the bridge became part of East Berlin's border with West Berlin and beginning in 1963, the Oberbaumbrücke was used as a pedestrian border crossing for West Berlin residents only - even though it is a two tier rail and pedestrian bridge with a road bridge joining it. Because of its length and the busy road at the end it is almost impossible to get a photo of the full bridge, but this one isn't too bad.

And for a length of 1.3 kms from the bridge, there is part of the former wall still standing. After the fall of the wall in 1989, artists began to paint messages and pictures. Today, it is the longest piece of the wall still standing where it had been situated and more than 118 artists from 21 countries have left their messages on this stretch. The story of the Berlin Wall and the Berliner people's determination not to let it tear them apart is very interesting reading. The link is above! This section of the wall is now known as the East Side Gallery and is a protected monument. There are conservation and rehabilitation works underway to minimise the affects of weather and dirt. Unfortunately, there are some pieces that have been vandalised with meaningless spray can graffiti tags - bloody blighters, lets hope that they never have the need to leave messages as those before them here had to.

From here we set Kate to take up to the ruins of the Franziskaner Klosterkirche. In the twilight of last night when we were trying to find it, we had actually driven straight passed it, but as its not lit, we didn't see it! We are a little disappointed to find it locked up tight. After being struck by bombs in WWII and almost totally destroyed, it was never rebuilt. Now it has become a venue for the arts - we can see various sculptures both inside the former church ruin and in the grounds and there are advertisments for musical concerts on the front of the building remains. It is is a beautiful setting and must have once been a lovely piece of Berlin's architecture.

We are lucky enough to park the car in the street beside the ruins. Surprisingly, we are having absolutely no trouble either moving through the city, or finding (cheap) street parking. You would hardly know that you are in a capital city! But remember what I said yesterday about the lack of a single business area. That is coming though! In the area of Potsdamer Place which was the no-mans land between the east and west, there are multiple projects building a new commercial centre for the reunified Berlin. It will take some time to complete though - maybe another ten years?!

So once we had finished admiring the kloster ruins we were ready for some lunch. There is a shopping complex across the road (an 8 lane major road - Grunerstraße) so we dash across when the lights allow us to find a café. We figure that this will be cheaper than a restaurant. And it is. We sit on the sidewalk in the shade and have our lunch (we forgot to write the name of the cafe!) Michael has Hungarian Goulash with rice and I have chicken and peaches in curry sauce. Not big meals, but very tasty and enough to fill the holes. From here we can see a steeple which is very close to the television tower we went up yesterday (gosh, can't help but compare our small lunch with the magnificent meal yesterday). So lunch down, we go off to take a look.

This is the Marienkirche (St. Mary's Church) and while the exact age is unknown it was first mentioned in German chronicles in 1292 and is presumed to date from earlier in the 13th century. It was originally a Roman Catholic church, but has been a Lutheran (Protestant) church since the Reformation. There are major conservation works underway as we walk through.

So this was an added bonus as it wasn't on our list of to-does for today, but as we are so close, we can't leave without taking a look. It sits in Alexanderplatz along with the very impressive Neptune Fountain that the Italians are all climbing over making it hard to get a photo, and it is bordered by the Rathaus. When we walk in to take a look, we can't help but be reminded of the simple beauty of the Maryborough City Hall and Council Chambers. The Berlin Rathaus is much much more ornate, but in a dignified way that despite its glitz and bling manages to retain an air of glamour not gaudiness. It contains beautiful architectural touches such as highlighted capitals and ribbed vaulting, plus stunning stained glass window panels and cool marble floors.

So back out into a warm sunny day - although at 24.5°C, late summer in Berlin is proving cooler than late winter back home. I'm finding it hard to get my head around temperatures in the low 30's in August. What on earth will it be like next summer when we have to come home from the European winter? Yuk!

We walk back through the cool of the park around the kloster to the car to head for something totally different. While its nice to see the historical and cultural side of a city, its great also to get a sense of the today. And on an artificfal 'beach' established by the River Spree, we are lucky to visit the Sandsation - World Solo Championship. Lucky because the displays will only be up for another week! This is the result of a competition for solo sand sculptors. And what they have made out of sand with a little fixer and water is amazing. The theme for 2009 was 'City of the Future' and some of the artist's statements are truly thought provoking when you read their interpretation of the theme and the message they are portraying. There was an Australian entrant for the first time as well. Set against the backdrop of the Hauptbahnhof - the new Berlin central rail station, they looked quite stunning.

We continue to the last of the places that we had planned to go to today and for the first time since arriving here encountered real traffic. And this was on top of road closures for events and road works. Gosh, it was a total shambles. We wanted to go to the Brandenburg Tor (Gate) and then drive Straße des 17. Juní travelling through the Großer Tiergarten towards the Großer Stern (the Great Square) with its imposing Victory Column. And although we finally managed to get up close and personal with them both, it was the hardest thing we did today!

There has been some sort of event at the Brandenburg gate and the roads leading into it are congested as nothing we have seen yet in Berlin while the scaffolding that rings the edge of the Tiergarten and that has closed the Straße des 17. Juní is dismantled. The worker ants (cos that is what they look like!) are scurrying busily, working efficiently and quickly - but there is so much to do. The local drivers are as impatient as some angry hornet - they don't like not being able to travel their normal routes and you can feel the road rage building as we crawl forward inch by small inch. And it is truly a pity as we cannot get a photo of this impressive reminder to the might of Germany as a nation from back. It is hard to demonstrate its size with the ones we can get, but hopefully you will be as impressed as we were.

The Victory Column at this hour of the day casts it shadow and points towards the east as if it is the needle of some huge sundial. Yes, 5:50 pm - right on the mark! Now, THIS is some monument - built in the days when honour and pride in the achievements of a nation were paramount in demonstrating might and power to others, and engendering the soul of a nation. This column commemorates the Prussian victory in the Danish-Prussian War, but by the time it was inaugurated in 1873, Prussia had also defeated Austria (Austro-Prussian War,1866) and France (Franco-Prussian War, 1870–71), giving the statue a new purpose.
It is magestic sitting in the middle of the round square of the only major intersection in the Großer Tiergarten - meaning that you look down a wide avenue to see it in the centre of this magnificent park. This monument is a masterpiece of design and construction - check out the link if you want the details, but you have to see the mosaics that form the entire wall of the monument inside the collonaded portal - artistically and aesthetically these are just stunning.

What is disgusting is the lack of respect sho to the monument by many many visitors. You see you can climb up 301 steps to the top of the monument for amazing views over the Großer Tiergarten and up the Straße des 17. Juní to the Brandenburg Tor and indeed right across the city skyline. And the inner stairwell from bottom to the very top is covered with graffiti - as though adding your name to an immortal statue brings one a place in history - NOT. Absolutely disgusting (in my humble opinion).

London has Harrods. Berlin has Ka De We (Kaufhaus des Westens). But here the comparison ends. While Harrods relies on its name and its 'connections', it is old and dated with threadbare fittings and a desperate need for a makeover. Ka De We on the other hand is total chic.
There are two restaurants here and as the one on the lower floor is closed for the day, we head for the 7th floor and the Wintergarten International Buffet. You can choose from an incredible array of foods all cooked to order (except the roasts) - from fish and shellfish to steaks, from salads to asian, from pizza to crépes to cakes and coffee. We are hungry and so decide to have dinner - well, it is just before 7pm!
Mains:
Lamb shaslick auf Rosmarin Kartoffeln backen und Gemüse überbacken (Lamb shaslick on rosemary potato bake and vegetables au gratin) Michael
Gegrilltes Rumpsteak mit Whisky-Pfeffersauce, Pommes backen und Gemüse überbacken (Grilled rump steak with whisky pepper sauce, potato bake and vegetables au gratin) Maria
Frische Brötchen mit Butter, Knoblauch und Zitronen-Butter (Fresh breadrolls with garlic butter and lemon butter - savoury not sweet and oh-so-yummy!)
Dessert:
Erdbeer-Gelee Scheibe mit Kiwis (Strawberry jelly slice with kiwifruit) Michael
Fresh Krepp gefaltet mit Kirschen (Fresh crepe folded with cherries) Maria

And as we are leaving we get a little treat for later - fresh marshmallows, nougat and licorice! The lady in the confectionary sales area tells Michael that I am 'just like a little girl' as I giggle and grin with our selection. Yep, thats me!!

And just when we thought the day was as full as, we are caught in the middle of a VIP (very important politician) motorcade. We are not sure that the German Chancellor is in one of the cars, but it is a pretty safe bet as there are police and military police cars and motorcyles surrounding two cfars travelling at speed, ignoring traffic rules and almost bludgeoning other traffic into pulling aside to let them continue unimpeded (albeit with a polite bitte over their loudspeaker as they rush past). Wen the motorcade pulls into the grounds of the German Federal government building - we just put two and two together.

Once back at the hotel (via the motorway this time which took us through places we had not yet seen), we spend the rest of the night booking accommodation through to the end of the month, making plans to visit Felicitas (our last exchange student) and her family, and planning for the Western Front tour!

Off the beaten track to see Warsaw through different young eyes

Over the last couple of weeks we have seen quite a few of the 'Old Town' centres and done walks through them as well as a couple of guided tours. So we are looking for something a little different to do and Warsaw seems the place to do it.

We had enquired at the reception here at the Castle Inn about the tours available. We were handed a couple of brochures - and then saw a poster advertising
"Adventure Warsaw:
Do you want to see the real Warsaw?
Do you want to feel the socialist atmosphere of the City?
Experience an adventure in an amazing trip!"
See places regular tourist never go to. From an old vodka factory to a pre-war bazaar, from the Praga district to a socialistic flat . . .experience the relicts (sic) of socialism and feel the atmosphere of a pre-war city. Relax in an old milk bar enjoying the best Polish cuisine. Explore Warsaw in an original Socialistic car!"

Sounded great! A 10 am departure is within our limits and a 3 hour tour sounds just perfect, so we ask them to book us tickets. 300 PLN poorer later (€37.50 each) we have our ticket in hand. They will collect you at the hotel we are told.

And so this morning is a little cooler and an earlier start. We need to set the alarm to wake us at 7:30 am - lol, lately we don't rise for at least another hour (and excuse me, why should we? After all, we are on holidays!) The hotel breakfast is limited to say the least so we decide that Subway just down the street might be a better option. The sign on the window says they open at 9 am, but today, everything is a little sluggish and Michael is told "another 15 minutes!" Finally around 9:30 am we have sandwiches in hand and sit in the square outside the hotel to eat in case the tour guide is early. The only other life at this moment are the numerous sparrows and two of the horse and carriage rides who have just pulled in to the square. And gosh, I just love the light at this hour of the day - it is great for photos. Oh, and breakfast for the day for others wandering around seems to be - ice cream! HUGE ones in cones that are filled to the base with the ice cream towering 5 inches over the top of the cone!

After waiting until 10:15 am and still no sign of the tour guide, Michael goes back in to the hotel to get them to phone him. Bugger - he is waiting for us over near the monument. We hurry over and guess that our guide is the dude in the funny looking old leather flying helmet. And yes, for sure, it is Rafał, owner and operator of these tours. He has parked his car at the base of the castle in Mariensztat. We walk down the stairs and sloping path, as though walking back in time. This area (which we had not previously explored) was the first to be re-built after the war. Most of the construction was undertaken by volunteer labour, and most of the area was re-built in the style of what had been there previously. We finally get to the car, a typical Polish NYSA 522. These were made in Poland from the late 1950s to the 1990s. Once we are in, no mean feat for me when the step up is 2½ feet off the ground the back, we are seated inside the back on original seats that line the walls.

Rafał tells us that he has just finished 5 years of study in Urban Planning and could not believe that no-one else was doing these tours. So he saved and then searched for a car like this one in good condition and took the plunge. We are first on our way to the area of Praga across the Vistula River to collect another two passengers. Small world it turns out to be as we stop outside the Krokodyl Hostel and collect Matthew and Julie, two nurses from RBH who live at Herston! Rafał explains that we will come back here later in the day to see examples of socialist flats, but we see our first example on the way to the hostel.

Rafał is proud of his car and gives us all the low down. His vehicle is from the last production in 1994, but still resembles the first ones ever made in 1958. You see, improvments and refinements were never part of the socialist way - function before form! Turns out that the only modification ever made was to move the gear shift from the column to the floor - but they continued to make the column fitting with the hole for the gear shift - right to the end of its production!

We begin our tour proper in Plac Konstytucji (Constitution Square) and get our first real explanantion of socialism as it impacted the Polish people. This square had earlier housed the elite of the Polish society, and in an effort to demonstrate to the people that socialism would mean that they were all equal, many of the former buildings were demolished and in their place, a uniform row of unit buildings were constructed that they showed to the people that they too could live here. Of course they never became home to anyone that was not a party official. The square was widened to provide an area for military parades, but as these were only held once or twice a year, became nothing more than a central car park. But of course the buildings were decorated with the emblems of socialism - statues of the workers for whom the system supposedly turned, so all was supposed to be OK. The buildings were even constructed in such a way as to hide the local churches as they knew to pull them down would only incite the population.

But in a back block, behind all this shining example of the socialist order, one building escaped both the devestation visited upon Warsaw during WWII, and the ravages of the socialists afterwards. We see the beauty that was once the capital of Poland through the picture of this one graceful block, reminiscent of a better time when art deco was the order of the day.

From here it is then around to the legacy from "Uncle Stalin" as Rafał refers to him. We can see the 'landmark' building from across the city - in fact Rafał explains that the rationale was to build something that towered over the rest of the city as a sign of the might of socialism. En-route we pass a photographic wall that commemorates the latest uprising by the Polish people in their endeavour for self rule and independence - erected by a the national bank. But, as impressive as it is, it struggles for recognition itself in the face of the larger, brighter, capitalist advertising banners.

And now back to that landmark. The Palace of Culture and Science (Palac Kultury i Nauki / PKiN) was the 'gift' by Stalin to the Polish people for 'embracing' socialism and used to go by the name of Joseph Stalin Palace of Culture and Science. It was completed in 1955, after a mere three years of major construction work. But the people of Warsaw hated this structure of their oppression almost from the start and just a few years ago, in 1992, managed to change the focus of the building by adding a clock to the top of the tower!

Yes, today was very definitely turning out to be a different style and it was to continue in this manner! We sit in the 'shadows' so that the passionate young Rafał can elaborate on the history of Warsaw and the place that socialism played. Studying for his thesis gave him a good understanding of the mechanics of the socialist regime in building a new Warsaw after the war. Because much of the city was shelled and at least partially destroyed, it provided them with a unique canvas on which to stamp their mark - and he even agrees that some of their planning principles were better than what was before, or to come later even. e hear of the hardships of every day life where it was not uncommon to queue for days for necessitites such as toilet paper. In fact, one of the best jobs was to be paid to stand in line for someone else. He shares photos along with his knowledge.

Then we are off to see the remnants of the Warsaw ghetto while we are en-route to see the city from a very different perspective! There are just a few remnant buildings of what once stood here. Sad, forlorn reminders of a time that for many was not good - shephered into a confined area before greater attrocities were visited up on them. Most of this area that housed the local Jewish population that at the time was the largest concentration in Europe, was bombed during WWII. And the horrifying thought for us is that the buildings constructed after the war, were placed directly over the rubble that was once a whole people's former lives. Thats right - the sites were not even cleared, but rather, formed the foundations for the new buildings.

And that different perspective? Well, we are off to the beach! Yes, that is right, to the beach in the centre of Warsaw. One the bank of the Vistula River is a remnant beach being gleefully enjoyed by the locals on a warm and sunny Sunday. Down we go, esky in Rafał's hands. He sits us on towels as we gaze across the river to a clear view of the Old City skyline from a very different perspective. Out comes some local delicacies for us to try - bread, lard with crisp bacon crackling bits through it, salted cucumbers and of course vodka! Gosh, it was good - and who cared what it might be doing to our arteries!!! And we are having such a good time, that no-one even gets a photo.

Back to the Nysa we head. And off to Praga we go. On the other side of the river from the City proper, Rafał refers to this as the forgotten area. After the war, the socialists moved the poor and the criminals into this area that is somewhere between slum and ghetto. In fact, there are still buildings with the bullet holes that were inflicted during the war still plainly visible. It is only in recent times that there is an effort being made to clean the area up. There are a growing number of artists moving in to this affordable area, lending parts of it a bohemian air. One element though that has been there all along is that of the Praga Orchestra. This monument was erected to honour the members of a street band who used to wander the streets of the Praga district playing not the socialist music, but keeping alive the traditional Polish music. Normally you can SMS a message and the edifice plays some of their tunes, but today it won't work and when Rafał goes to the nearby kiosk to ask why, turns out it has broken over this weekend! He is so disappointed for us that he even sings for us!! Kinda liked that more than any recording!

And then there is the bazaar where anything could be purchased from household needs to guns to passports - all on the black market. And while it is more mainstream today although closed because it is Sunday), Rafał tells us that some locals still insist that this is the same today if you know someone.

Finally he takes us to a traditional Polish milk bar where we sit with the locals and try good local Polish cuisine just like babcia (grandma) makes. There is no milk in this milk bar, and I guess it is the equivalent of our cafes. We sample
Ziemniaczane i pierogi z serem (Pierogi with Potato and Cheese)
Pierogi "rosyjski" z kapustą i serem (Pierogi "Russian" with cabbage and cheese)
Kiełbasa i pikantne Kapusta kwaszona (Savoury Sausage and Sauerkraut)
Kluski śląskie (Silesian dumplings filled with ground meat)
and a form of gnocchi.
All washed down with glasses of delicious home-made cordial based on berries and cherries. A great culinary delight that showed us that it doesn't matter how fancy the restaurant is, you still can't beat grandma's cooking!

Yes a very enlightening and ever-so-cool day.
Tonight we ventured into the Old Town Square for dinner where we could not have been more disappointed. We sat at one of the busier restaurants and drinks orders were taken. Some time later they came for our food order and we got our starters and from then we were ignored. No drink refills, no mains came, and no waitress seemed to want to come near us. So 1½ hours after we sat down we walked out in disgust. And the explanation? Oh sorry, my friend does not speak Engligh and did not understand what you wanted. Do you want to order a main now? - yeah, right - NOT - she had told us in English that there were no ribs left and that the chicken was good. Not a good advertisement. If you want to know which restaurant to avoid, email me, I am not even going to give them the benefit of a mention.

On the other hand, we cannot recommend The Castle Inn highly enough.
Fabulous location - especially Room 11, great service with the friendliest and most obliging of staff. We would come back here if in Warsaw any day!