Our next port of call was Istanbul. We arrived early in the morning once again and had a day tour ahead of us. Most of the people on our tour were doing this excursion, so we needed 2 buses to get us all around.
Our German tour guide had ensured that his Turkish counterparts would show us the places of interest without the viewing of carpet making. Knowing how persuasive these people can be, both hubby and I were very grateful of this fact. Gerard is a salesman’s delight – he could be sold ice, in winter!!!
Istanbul has developed as a world metropolis because of it’s geopolitical location of the city. It is the only city in the world which is established on two continents.
The city consists of three parts in general. On the European side, the Historical Peninsula to the south of the Golden Horn and the Galata District to the north, and the New City on the Asian side.
Today, Istanbul is still a political and commercial center for the Balkan and Middle Eastern Countries and the Turkic Republics of Central Asia.
It was knows as Constantinople, the city of Emperor Constantine, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. It then became knows as Istanbul after the conquest of the ottomans and became one the biggest and most crowded city of Europe. The city is spread over an area of 7.500 square km, 150km long and 50 km wide.
There are an estimated 12 to 15 million people living in Istanbul and the population increases around half a million every year.
Our bus took off from the harbour area and drove through this very busy city with so many beautiful sights to be seen all around us.
We were taken to the Hippodrome which is the heart of the Old Town. The ancient works in the middle of this square and the structures arranged in a line around the square are the most spectacular historical remains of Istanbul.
In the Byzantine Period, the place had three functions. The first being Sport activities and art events. Horse races were an attractive sports event of those times. Other than these, gladiator fights used to be held here. The second function of the Hippodrome was that it was a political arena. In the Ottoman Period the Janissary Corps riots generally started here.
The third function of the square was the decorative purpose as an open air museum by being embellished richly by the Byzantine Emperors. The spina in the middle displayed, columns, statues, sun clocks, obelisks and monuments brought here from all over the world.
The obelisk is Istanbul’s oldest monument. It is dated as 15th century BC, that is to say, this obelisk is 3.500 years old. The Pharaoh had it built for the memory of his victory.
We were then taken into the Blue Mosque which is the greatest and most splendid mosque of Istanbul. It is the only mosque with 6 minarets in Istanbul and in Turkey which makes it matchless among other Ottoman Mosques. The mosque is one of several mosques known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior. It was built between 1609 and 1616, during the rule of Ahmed I. Like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasah and a hospice. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque has become one of the greatest tourist attractions of Istanbul.
Because I had chosen to wear shorts that day, I had to cover my legs with a drape/skirt that I was given. We all had to take our shoes off and put them in packets which we carried. It really was a magnificent building, inside and out.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Monday, November 19, 2007
Izmir Turkey and Ephesus
Our time spent sailing on the seas was generally done during the night. So on our 3rd morning, we were eating breakfast while the ship cruised into the harbour of Izmir. Once we had docked, we joined our tour guide on the quayside. Izmir is the 3rd largest city of Turkey but we drove through the city and headed off for our tour to Ephesus.
This was an amazing place to visit. The history of Ephesus is unbelievable and when one walks through this ancient city, one can imagine the people who once lived there and how huge this city must have been.
I am quoting a little of it’s background off a website I found but suggest that if you want to know more on this amazing archaeological site, one should google the information.
This enclosure for archaeological remains at Ephesus elegantly reconciles historic conservation with accessibility for visitors. The site of a succession of great ancient civilizations, Ephesus, on the south-west coast of modern Turkey, embodied a peculiarly fertile synthesis of architecture and culture. In 356BC the Greeks built the Artemesium (a colossal Ionic temple dedicated to Artemis the fertility goddess) which was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. During the 2nd century BC, Ephesus was the fourth largest city in the eastern Roman Empire, famous for its Artemesium, the Library of Celsus and its medical school.
Quoted from Catherine Slessor's Housing History.
Ancient Greek city of Asia Minor, near the mouth of the Menderes River, in what is today West Turkey, South of Smyrna (now Izmir). One of the greatest of the Ionian cities, it became the leading seaport of the region. Its wealth was proverbial. The Greek city was near an old center of worship of a native nature goddess, who was equated with the Greek Artemis, and c.550 B.C. a large temple was built. To this Croesus, who captured the city, contributed.
From Lydian control Ephesus passed to the Persian Empire. The temple was burned down in the 4th cent. B.C., but rebuilding was begun before Alexander the Great took Ephesus in 334. The city continued to thrive during the wars of his successors, and after it passed (133) to the Romans it kept its hegemony and was the leading city of the province of Asia. The great temple of Artemis, or Artemis, called by the Romans the temple of Diana, was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. From c.100 B.C. to c. A.D. 100 Ephesus was the world capital of the slave trade.
The city was sacked by the Goths in A.D. 262, and the temple was destroyed. The seat of a church council in 431, Ephesus was abandoned after the harbor silted up. Excavations (1869-74) of the ruins of the temple brought to light many artifacts. Later excavations uncovered important Roman and Byzantine remains.
Quoted from The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001.
As we finished our tour and were walking along the harbour street (Arcadiana), they had a reality show on. We watched the Roman guards in all their glamour, wealthy Roman people in traditional dress and a sculptor busy sculpting. It made it all feel so real!!!
I have relied on google here for a lot of the above to be able to explain it but can only say that both Gerard and I thought that this was the most interesting excursion of our whole trip.
To walk through this ancient city gave us the most amazing sense of those ancient days and what a city it must have been.
Absolutely mind blowing.
This was an amazing place to visit. The history of Ephesus is unbelievable and when one walks through this ancient city, one can imagine the people who once lived there and how huge this city must have been.
I am quoting a little of it’s background off a website I found but suggest that if you want to know more on this amazing archaeological site, one should google the information.
This enclosure for archaeological remains at Ephesus elegantly reconciles historic conservation with accessibility for visitors. The site of a succession of great ancient civilizations, Ephesus, on the south-west coast of modern Turkey, embodied a peculiarly fertile synthesis of architecture and culture. In 356BC the Greeks built the Artemesium (a colossal Ionic temple dedicated to Artemis the fertility goddess) which was one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. During the 2nd century BC, Ephesus was the fourth largest city in the eastern Roman Empire, famous for its Artemesium, the Library of Celsus and its medical school.
Quoted from Catherine Slessor's Housing History.
Ancient Greek city of Asia Minor, near the mouth of the Menderes River, in what is today West Turkey, South of Smyrna (now Izmir). One of the greatest of the Ionian cities, it became the leading seaport of the region. Its wealth was proverbial. The Greek city was near an old center of worship of a native nature goddess, who was equated with the Greek Artemis, and c.550 B.C. a large temple was built. To this Croesus, who captured the city, contributed.
From Lydian control Ephesus passed to the Persian Empire. The temple was burned down in the 4th cent. B.C., but rebuilding was begun before Alexander the Great took Ephesus in 334. The city continued to thrive during the wars of his successors, and after it passed (133) to the Romans it kept its hegemony and was the leading city of the province of Asia. The great temple of Artemis, or Artemis, called by the Romans the temple of Diana, was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. From c.100 B.C. to c. A.D. 100 Ephesus was the world capital of the slave trade.
The city was sacked by the Goths in A.D. 262, and the temple was destroyed. The seat of a church council in 431, Ephesus was abandoned after the harbor silted up. Excavations (1869-74) of the ruins of the temple brought to light many artifacts. Later excavations uncovered important Roman and Byzantine remains.
Quoted from The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001.
As we finished our tour and were walking along the harbour street (Arcadiana), they had a reality show on. We watched the Roman guards in all their glamour, wealthy Roman people in traditional dress and a sculptor busy sculpting. It made it all feel so real!!!
I have relied on google here for a lot of the above to be able to explain it but can only say that both Gerard and I thought that this was the most interesting excursion of our whole trip.
To walk through this ancient city gave us the most amazing sense of those ancient days and what a city it must have been.
Absolutely mind blowing.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Katakolon
Our next port of call was Katakolon.
Ships call at the sleepy port of Katakolon at the western edge of the Peloponnese because it's close to the archeological site of Olympia, where the ancient Olympic Games were held. Otherwise, Katakolon is pretty much a one-horse town with a big pier. Obviously it is very tourist orientated with loads of little shops selling curio type things.
Our tour today was of Olympia. Was this an eye opener for Hubby and I? To think that we were walking through one of the most important sanctuaries of ancient Greece.
There is so much history to this archeological site that I advise you to google it for more information. Hubby and I buy books at all these type of places but I cannot bore you all with this. I have found the following to be quite a good summary (titbit) of what Olympia is.
The archeological site is found at the foot of Kronos hill. The Olympic Games originated here in 776 B.C., although the Sanctuary of Olympia dates to the 10th and 9th century B.C. This is also where the Olympic flame of the modern games is lit (using sunlight and a lens). This was amazing for us to see.
All the buildings at Olympia were built either for the early games or to celebrate Zeus and the other gods. Visitors today see the remains of the temples, changing rooms, gymnasia and other buildings, as well as the outdoor stadium where the competitions were held.
Competitors in the ancient games had to be Greek, born free (not slaves) and without criminal convictions. The oldest contests were foot races, but eventually the challenges grew to include warrior games, a pantathalon, wrestling and chariot races. As with the modern games, revived in 1896, the original games took place every four years. But in the ancient games all competitors were male and competed in the nude. The winner's reward was an olive oil branch and a wreath said to be from a tree planted by Hercules.
Ships call at the sleepy port of Katakolon at the western edge of the Peloponnese because it's close to the archeological site of Olympia, where the ancient Olympic Games were held. Otherwise, Katakolon is pretty much a one-horse town with a big pier. Obviously it is very tourist orientated with loads of little shops selling curio type things.
Our tour today was of Olympia. Was this an eye opener for Hubby and I? To think that we were walking through one of the most important sanctuaries of ancient Greece.
There is so much history to this archeological site that I advise you to google it for more information. Hubby and I buy books at all these type of places but I cannot bore you all with this. I have found the following to be quite a good summary (titbit) of what Olympia is.
The archeological site is found at the foot of Kronos hill. The Olympic Games originated here in 776 B.C., although the Sanctuary of Olympia dates to the 10th and 9th century B.C. This is also where the Olympic flame of the modern games is lit (using sunlight and a lens). This was amazing for us to see.
All the buildings at Olympia were built either for the early games or to celebrate Zeus and the other gods. Visitors today see the remains of the temples, changing rooms, gymnasia and other buildings, as well as the outdoor stadium where the competitions were held.
Competitors in the ancient games had to be Greek, born free (not slaves) and without criminal convictions. The oldest contests were foot races, but eventually the challenges grew to include warrior games, a pantathalon, wrestling and chariot races. As with the modern games, revived in 1896, the original games took place every four years. But in the ancient games all competitors were male and competed in the nude. The winner's reward was an olive oil branch and a wreath said to be from a tree planted by Hercules.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Our Floating Hotal
We would wake up every morning to find that the daily programme had been pushed under our door. This contained all the information we needed for the day. There was an overview of the City we would be docking in, some nautical information and lots more.
The food on the ship was pretty good. One could go to your designated dining area for meals or go to the upper deck where there was a buffet meal. We used this one for lunches, as it was open from 1.00pm – 4.00pm and offered a wide varieties of foods.
You could sit and eat all afternoon staring out at the most wonderful views of islands and sea.
We did however have to pay for all our drinks on board the ship. This is where our cards came in handy, as you would hand your card to the waiter and order your drinks. We were also allowed to buy drinks in duty free shops and bring them aboard.
The mini bar in the cabin was ridiculously expensive, but at least we could keep our drinks cool in there.
There was also 24 hour room service offered but with a family of five, this just was not an option.
Our dinner’s and breakfasts we took in our allocated dining room. We had a good waiter who waited on us hand and foot.
We couldn’t believe how many waiters there were. The crew were multi nationality and a lot of them were Asian. They all made a huge fuss over our little Lara.
Our rooms were cleaned up every day, beds made etc. and at night, we would get back from dinner or a show, to find our bed linen turned down and the children’s bed made up.
This was really something I got used to!! No one seems to want to do it for me here at home.
We went to two of the shows in the theatre. They put on a different one every night. The entertainment coordinator would welcome everyone in 4 different languages.
In fact, any announcement that was made on the ship was always done in 4 different languages being: Italian, French, German and English.
We had a firedrill on the 2nd day. We all had various areas in which to assemble and we all had to wear our lifejackets. After the demonstration of how to use the lifejacket, the photographers descended on us. One could go to the photo gallery and choose photos that were being taken on a daily basis. These came at quite a hefty price.
We had a gala cocktail evening where we got to meet the captain. This was a formal evening, and we all got toffed up for the occasion. We stood in a queue for ages to have a photograph taken with the captain, who was such a small unfriendly man. If he had smiled, his face would have cracked!! (A real people’s person he was!!)
We were then treated to cocktails and snacks in the one lounge. This of course took hours and was done in two sessions.
We also had a Captain’s dinner one evening, where everyone donned their fine and fancy once again. Towards the end of dinner, the entertainment co-ordinator came in and introduced us to certain staff members, the chefs and then all the waiters. Lastly, they dimmed all the lights and the waiters came out with Baked Alaska’s with sparklers all over them. We were then given some champagne to finish off our dinner and enjoy our Baked Alaska.
That was just some of the things we were offered on board this wonderful floating hotel.
The food on the ship was pretty good. One could go to your designated dining area for meals or go to the upper deck where there was a buffet meal. We used this one for lunches, as it was open from 1.00pm – 4.00pm and offered a wide varieties of foods.
You could sit and eat all afternoon staring out at the most wonderful views of islands and sea.
We did however have to pay for all our drinks on board the ship. This is where our cards came in handy, as you would hand your card to the waiter and order your drinks. We were also allowed to buy drinks in duty free shops and bring them aboard.
The mini bar in the cabin was ridiculously expensive, but at least we could keep our drinks cool in there.
There was also 24 hour room service offered but with a family of five, this just was not an option.
Our dinner’s and breakfasts we took in our allocated dining room. We had a good waiter who waited on us hand and foot.
We couldn’t believe how many waiters there were. The crew were multi nationality and a lot of them were Asian. They all made a huge fuss over our little Lara.
Our rooms were cleaned up every day, beds made etc. and at night, we would get back from dinner or a show, to find our bed linen turned down and the children’s bed made up.
This was really something I got used to!! No one seems to want to do it for me here at home.
We went to two of the shows in the theatre. They put on a different one every night. The entertainment coordinator would welcome everyone in 4 different languages.
In fact, any announcement that was made on the ship was always done in 4 different languages being: Italian, French, German and English.
We had a firedrill on the 2nd day. We all had various areas in which to assemble and we all had to wear our lifejackets. After the demonstration of how to use the lifejacket, the photographers descended on us. One could go to the photo gallery and choose photos that were being taken on a daily basis. These came at quite a hefty price.
We had a gala cocktail evening where we got to meet the captain. This was a formal evening, and we all got toffed up for the occasion. We stood in a queue for ages to have a photograph taken with the captain, who was such a small unfriendly man. If he had smiled, his face would have cracked!! (A real people’s person he was!!)
We were then treated to cocktails and snacks in the one lounge. This of course took hours and was done in two sessions.
We also had a Captain’s dinner one evening, where everyone donned their fine and fancy once again. Towards the end of dinner, the entertainment co-ordinator came in and introduced us to certain staff members, the chefs and then all the waiters. Lastly, they dimmed all the lights and the waiters came out with Baked Alaska’s with sparklers all over them. We were then given some champagne to finish off our dinner and enjoy our Baked Alaska.
That was just some of the things we were offered on board this wonderful floating hotel.
First Port of Call - Bari in Southern Italy
Our first port of call was Bari which is is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia (or, in Italian, Puglia) region, on the Adriatic sea, in Italy. After a quick breakfast, we dashed off to meet our Tour leader for our morning tour. There was only a small group of us going and we walked out of the harbour area, to find our bus which arrived about 15 minutes later. We all climbed in and set off for the town of Alberobello. We drove through Bari which is a University city and then got onto a highway which would take us to our destination. We travelled for an hour before reaching Alberobello which is a town full of Trulli houses. Our Italian tour leader was telling us all about these houses but with my limited German, could not really understand it all. We were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves in this quaint village. These gleaming houses (whitewashed each year) are curious, rounded structures with gray, stone, cone-shaped roofs. They are trulli, common in the province of Bari and Taranto, yet unknown in the rest of the world. The town's historical center is on a hilltop, amid the scent of almond and olive trees, and has been declared an International Human Resource by UNESCO. It is made up of a hundred trulli some 5 centuries old. The origin of their oddly-shaped, stone teepee design is unknown. Although some theories date the Trulli back 5000 years, the favorite story of their creation claims that such buildings were first constructed during the Middle Ages. At the time, anyone who built a dwelling on the King's land was heavily taxed. With this in mind, the Pugliesi cleverly devised the drywall stone Trulli solely for purposes of tax evasion. As the story goes, upon word of the taxman's arrival (perhaps by means of a smoke signal), the Trulli were rapidly dismantled and moved out of sight. After the visit was over and that gentleman successfully ducked, the homes were re-erected. Nowadays, Trulli are firmly planted and buttressed with stucco. A cone still comprises a single common area and the interiors, though charming, are spartan. With the exception of bathroom doors, the rooms are separated by colorful curtains in sharp contrast to the stark whiteness of the interior walls Mostly handmade furnishing of olive wood, quite beautiful by any standard, are representative of the work of the traditional peasant artisans of the area. The hearth remains the source of heat to this day. Luckily, Puglia is fairly warm and the cool stone Trulli provide relief from the hot summer sun. In spite of its rustic simplicity, the prices here are a bargain (Puglia as a whole is a bargain compared to most of Italy). Alberobello, the Trulli capital, is a fairy-tale city. Fanciful hex signs adorning each home add magic to the already bewitching setting. A wealth of history, art, food and vistas, rivaling anything in Italy, is found here.
On our way back to the ship, our tour guide decided that we had to see the Basilica of San Nicola in Bari. So, we parked on the promenade and took a quick walk to the Basilica. A beautiful building both inside and out. After some quick photo taking etc., we were then dropped off, close to the gangway onto the ship.
We then headed off to have a late lunch.
On our way back to the ship, our tour guide decided that we had to see the Basilica of San Nicola in Bari. So, we parked on the promenade and took a quick walk to the Basilica. A beautiful building both inside and out. After some quick photo taking etc., we were then dropped off, close to the gangway onto the ship.
We then headed off to have a late lunch.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Leaving Venice
After a great breakfast at the hotel, we packed our overnight bags back into the bus and set off for Venice. The bus driver’s managed to do a half hour detour, because they were so busy chatting to each other on their cell phones that they missed the turnoff.
We arrived in Venice at about 10.00am and unloaded the bus and trailer. We said goodbye to our driver and his wife, who were spending one night in Venice before returning to Germany.
We all then went through passport control and a customs check. It was also at this point where we were all photographed with webcams and issued with a card each. This was our “pass” on and around the ship. We were then called in batches and we had our photo taken before finally stepping onto the MSC Orchestra. Oh boy, what a ship!!.
We went off to find our cabin and acquaint ourselves with the ship. We seemed to walk for miles to our cabin and hubby was rather disappointed with our inside cabin. The kids thought it was great, as they had two bunk beds which pulled down over our double bed.
We then went and checked out the rest of the ship. It was amazing. The kids found their entertainment centre quite quickly and were keen to try it out. We walked up to the tennis court, mini golf course, inside to the disco, through numerous lounges and restaurants before finding ourselves in the reception area. We decided to ask about an upgrade in cabin. Unfortunately, nothing was available that night, but were told that we could try again the next day, as people were getting off the ship in Bari.
One of our suitcases had arrived at our cabin, so I unpacked all our things into our cupboard and bathroom. Our other suitcase just did not arrive. We asked a porter about it’s whereabouts and he suggested that we enquire at reception. This we did and they told us to wait until 5.00pm when the ship sailed. I thought how stupid, when our suitcase might be left ashore somewhere. Anyway, at about 5.45pm it was brought to our cabin.
We were all up on deck when the ship set sail from Venice at precisely 5.00pm. What a wonderful sight to see from the ship. As the ship moved away, it blew it’s horn and then the music started up and the dancing team put on quite a show. Only minutes earlier, had this team of stunning ladies come prancing past hubby and I. His eyes nearly fell out of his head, as they were all in G-strings with white fishnet stockings over them. Gerard has an absolute passion for G-strings!!!!!
The photographic team was out in full force taking photos of all and sundry. There were people on every deck, hanging over the side to take photos of Venice as we slowly made our way out of the harbour area and into the sea.
Just a few facts about the ship.
It was built in 2007 – started sailing in April 2007
Speed limit – 23 knots
Length and Breadth – 293 x 32,5m
Passenger Decks – 13
Cabins – 1 275
Maximum Passengers – 3 013
Crew – 987
We arrived in Venice at about 10.00am and unloaded the bus and trailer. We said goodbye to our driver and his wife, who were spending one night in Venice before returning to Germany.
We all then went through passport control and a customs check. It was also at this point where we were all photographed with webcams and issued with a card each. This was our “pass” on and around the ship. We were then called in batches and we had our photo taken before finally stepping onto the MSC Orchestra. Oh boy, what a ship!!.
We went off to find our cabin and acquaint ourselves with the ship. We seemed to walk for miles to our cabin and hubby was rather disappointed with our inside cabin. The kids thought it was great, as they had two bunk beds which pulled down over our double bed.
We then went and checked out the rest of the ship. It was amazing. The kids found their entertainment centre quite quickly and were keen to try it out. We walked up to the tennis court, mini golf course, inside to the disco, through numerous lounges and restaurants before finding ourselves in the reception area. We decided to ask about an upgrade in cabin. Unfortunately, nothing was available that night, but were told that we could try again the next day, as people were getting off the ship in Bari.
One of our suitcases had arrived at our cabin, so I unpacked all our things into our cupboard and bathroom. Our other suitcase just did not arrive. We asked a porter about it’s whereabouts and he suggested that we enquire at reception. This we did and they told us to wait until 5.00pm when the ship sailed. I thought how stupid, when our suitcase might be left ashore somewhere. Anyway, at about 5.45pm it was brought to our cabin.
We were all up on deck when the ship set sail from Venice at precisely 5.00pm. What a wonderful sight to see from the ship. As the ship moved away, it blew it’s horn and then the music started up and the dancing team put on quite a show. Only minutes earlier, had this team of stunning ladies come prancing past hubby and I. His eyes nearly fell out of his head, as they were all in G-strings with white fishnet stockings over them. Gerard has an absolute passion for G-strings!!!!!
The photographic team was out in full force taking photos of all and sundry. There were people on every deck, hanging over the side to take photos of Venice as we slowly made our way out of the harbour area and into the sea.
Just a few facts about the ship.
It was built in 2007 – started sailing in April 2007
Speed limit – 23 knots
Length and Breadth – 293 x 32,5m
Passenger Decks – 13
Cabins – 1 275
Maximum Passengers – 3 013
Crew – 987
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The First Leg of our Trip
Our Friday morning started off early. Our alarm went off at 3.20am and Gerard and I were up and going.
We managed to get away at 4.40am. Gerard thankfully had checked the route to Neuhof on the internet the night before we left. We tried putting it into our navigation system as we left home but this is when the trouble started.
Our navigation system decided that it was time to give up the ghost!!!! I was so busy trying to get the thing to work and Gerard was trying to help me, that he overshot the turn off to Neuhof. Now we found ourselves driving “forever” (it felt that way), before we could find a place to turnoff and drive back. Hubby was having serious case of sense of humour failure. At this point, we had warned the kids that any smart comments could result in severe injuries. They realized that something serious was up and were silent in the back of the car.
We got to the parking place in Neuhof with just minutes to spare!!! Nothing like an adrenalin rush and high blood pressure to start our holiday. We loaded our suitcases into the trailer and our little overnight case and toiletries into the bus luggage compartment.
We then set off for Fulda where the rest of our group got on.
Our bus was great, being a double decker Bistro bus. This meant that we all got to sit upstairs and could go downstairs for coffee and snacks. There was also a loo which we had been asked to use only in emergency, which is understandable. The law in Germany for heavy duty driver’s, is that the driver has to stop every two hours for a half an hour break. This enabled us to stretch our legs, use ablutions at the rest stops and buy any other odds and ends we wanted.
The weather on our first day started off with a lot of mist which melted away and we had sunshine and blue skies until we reached our destination – Verona in Italy.
Travelling through the Tirol was absolutely beautiful and I managed to take quite a few pics through the bus window. There were 104 people on our tour and therefore two buses had to be used. We were lucky to have been allocated to the Bistro bus, as the other half of our group, were in a normal tour bus. I think they were quite envious of us.
We overnighted in the Airport Hotel on the outskirts of Verona on our first night due to our group being too big for the planned hotel accommodation at the Garda See. This was a great disappointment to us, as this was one of the reasons why we chose to travel by bus, considering this would take 12 hours sitting and trying to keep kids occupied.
The accommodation at Verona was however, very good. This was a 5 star hotel.
Our group all gathered together for our evening meal which was inclusive except for the drinks. We had our first taste of Italian cuisine. The lasagna was in keeping, but obviously the cook had been tipped off about a German tour group arriving for dinner. We were served Pork as the main meal – how Italian is that??
We managed to get away at 4.40am. Gerard thankfully had checked the route to Neuhof on the internet the night before we left. We tried putting it into our navigation system as we left home but this is when the trouble started.
Our navigation system decided that it was time to give up the ghost!!!! I was so busy trying to get the thing to work and Gerard was trying to help me, that he overshot the turn off to Neuhof. Now we found ourselves driving “forever” (it felt that way), before we could find a place to turnoff and drive back. Hubby was having serious case of sense of humour failure. At this point, we had warned the kids that any smart comments could result in severe injuries. They realized that something serious was up and were silent in the back of the car.
We got to the parking place in Neuhof with just minutes to spare!!! Nothing like an adrenalin rush and high blood pressure to start our holiday. We loaded our suitcases into the trailer and our little overnight case and toiletries into the bus luggage compartment.
We then set off for Fulda where the rest of our group got on.
Our bus was great, being a double decker Bistro bus. This meant that we all got to sit upstairs and could go downstairs for coffee and snacks. There was also a loo which we had been asked to use only in emergency, which is understandable. The law in Germany for heavy duty driver’s, is that the driver has to stop every two hours for a half an hour break. This enabled us to stretch our legs, use ablutions at the rest stops and buy any other odds and ends we wanted.
The weather on our first day started off with a lot of mist which melted away and we had sunshine and blue skies until we reached our destination – Verona in Italy.
Travelling through the Tirol was absolutely beautiful and I managed to take quite a few pics through the bus window. There were 104 people on our tour and therefore two buses had to be used. We were lucky to have been allocated to the Bistro bus, as the other half of our group, were in a normal tour bus. I think they were quite envious of us.
We overnighted in the Airport Hotel on the outskirts of Verona on our first night due to our group being too big for the planned hotel accommodation at the Garda See. This was a great disappointment to us, as this was one of the reasons why we chose to travel by bus, considering this would take 12 hours sitting and trying to keep kids occupied.
The accommodation at Verona was however, very good. This was a 5 star hotel.
Our group all gathered together for our evening meal which was inclusive except for the drinks. We had our first taste of Italian cuisine. The lasagna was in keeping, but obviously the cook had been tipped off about a German tour group arriving for dinner. We were served Pork as the main meal – how Italian is that??
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