Travels in Europe 2015

27 May Melbourne to London Premium economy - ahh stretch your legs as far as you like. Still a deadly boring trip.
London - Premier Inn, Tower Hill. Good spot, cheap eats nearby. Tube was a cinch once we bought an Oyster. I got a stern lecture from ticket office man when I said - "I would like two tickets please." "TWO TICKETS TO WHERE! You can't ask for two tickets @$&&&£!!! ...etc.
Love London. Feels safe, people friendly.
Went to Coulthard Gallery where Meg Sheahan gave us a guided tour. Went to the British Museum to keep warm. Had dinner with Rob and Janet at their Marylebone airb&b.

30 May
Plane to Pisa, then train to Lucca. Stayed in a Villa, with the Hepburn Crew.
First day boys went to a wine tasting in Chianti province, little town called Radda?
Very special day, got lost on way home and drove through Florence.
Lucca lovely old city, walk around for hours.

June 5, Ally and Olly by train to Venezia.
Residence Palazzo Ordoni.
We are in the Carravaggio suite. Very comfortable two rooms plus bathroom with spa.
This must be the best city in the world. No cars, no scooters, no bicycles. Transport by foot or boat on the canals. Wander for hours through a wondrous maze of ancient lanes among ancient buildings. People,people from everywhere. Shops, cafes, gelati, beer, proseco, spritz.
From Res Palazzo, turn left, walk past Rest. Crevat (don't eat there) turn right, cross little bridge, cross big bridge, cross square to Restaurante Sportivo.

June 7
Visit Palace Ducale and Cathedral.
Quattro Antiche Repubbliche Marinare Italiane. Watch parade celebrating the four maratime states - Venice, Pisa, Genoa and Amalfi, who dominated the Mediterranean about 500 years ago. Followed by a boat race, men rowing traditional craft. The green boat (Venice) won. Everything ran late.
Visit wine bar near Piazza S.Marco for second time on way back to hotel. Speak to a couple on honeymoon from Chicago. Very friendly bar staff.

June 8
Rick's birthday, we phoned from Marco Polo airport and sang hap b,day. He was en route to Amsterdam with the band.
In morning we walked to the Ghetto. Had lunch at Cafe Gam Gam. Yum yum! Then walked to Peggy Gugenheim for Dose of culture. Jackson Pollack and his brother, actually more of the brother - Charles.

Lots of other stuff by the C20 masters- Chagall, Picasso, Klee, all patronised by super rich Peggy whose family earned massive wealth during a 19th century industrial boom. Sadly she lost her daughter artist whose photo shows a very thin and frail figure smiling at the camera.
Flew to Split. Warm welcome from taxi driver and host at Banica Apartments. Amazinggg. Emir our host was fantastic, meeting us from the taxi and escorting us through the old Palace to our room at Banica Apartments.
Short stay in Split, then into a hire car (Fleet) and drove to Dubrovnik.

Man at Fleet programmed gps to go to Dubrovnik. We wanted the coast route, gps had another plan. Spent terrifying half hour careering around Split with gps barking instructions, Ally in a panic shouting alt instructions and me trying to remember which side of road to drive on.
Hotel La Pad in Dub. gps found it ok.
Off to the old city for most of stay, saw Ursula Oppens, amazing American lady pianist play in Rectors Castle.She played Frederic Rzewski's 'The People United Will Never Be Defeated'. Walked around wall, had lunch at Rest. Pi Pi and went to Dali exhibition - mostly his illustrations for Dantes Divine Comedy.

gps led us on a scary ride trying to get out of Dubrovnik then planted us in the middle of a market in old town Split - no cars allowed. Had a relaxing cruise on route A1 in between - driving through a rugged rocky and mountainous landscape.
Caught car ferry to Solta (pron. Shol_ta).
Met at the newsstand in Stormorska by Mirna, owner of the Airb&b. Beautiful view back to Split from our patio. Just a few hundred meters from a lovely little port complete with bars and restaurants.

Cruisey day. Went for swim. Stomorska. ---

Train en route To Budaptest, left Zagreb at 10:08. A bit of confusion on the platform. A train pulled in, the info board said Rijeka, then it changed to Budapest. We sat and waited for the Rijeka train to leave and our train to pull in, but then were told by an official that carriages would be added to the front of the train and they would go to Budapest. So on we got and found our reserved seats.
Much angst yesterday trying to return hire car to Fleet at Hotel Westin. Couldn't find a way in to the hotel, parked around the corner. Couldn't remember where the documentation was but went in anyway only to be told by an aggressive woman that we would get a big fine, we better find it. Frantic few hours rushing back to hotel, emptying suitcases, Ally making phone calls to the nice Fleet people in Split where we picked up the car. Docs were in glove box all the time! Fleet office in Zagreb was like sitting in SS interrogation chamber. Got a 100 kuna parking fine as well. Not happy with Fleet Zagreb - very rude and must feed that back.
12:05pm Just waiting in Gyekenyes, Hungary I presume as passports just checked for second time - done earlier in Croatia as well. On the move again, but we seem to heading back the way we came! Train has wifi but it doesn't work. Lake ? was on our left for much of the journey. It is very big and popular with tourists.
Arrived in Budapest, left station after directions from some charming young Mormons from US. Got lost, hailed a cab and got ripped off by a surly Romanian. Found out at the hotel that you never take a cab off the street, always call and get a quote. The bastard also tried to change some dud currency for 10,000 forint but we didn't fall for that. Hotel D'Art was great, friendly staff and our room had a great view of the Danube.
Walked up to the Castle from hotel. Lots of steps, beautiful buildings. Went to a rest. in Duck St, the Duck Restaurant, and had a hilarious night. Amazing music duo, violin and piano, and an entertaining waiter. Our exit was slapstick, stumbling into the toilets , Ally and I clanging the waste bin lids almost simultaneously for the whole restaurant to hear, cos the doors was open. They then watched us walk out of the toilet door and into a cupboard next to the exit. The violinist paused from his playing to kindly open the sliding door that let us out. All smiles from patrons and staff, especially considering the bill and tips we left. We laughed all the way back to the hotel.

Thursday 18 June
First whole day in Budapest. Went back to Castle area for another look. Late checkout then transferred to Colours Apartments via hotel arranged taxi. Great apartment, shown over it by Jose, a Spaniard studying language in Budapest. Lovely fellow, gave us lots of tips for places to eat and visit. We are bang in the middle of the Jewish quarter, a really interesting area. Lots of bars and cafes, music and laughter.
Highlights of Budapest: Heroes Square, and the quaint Museum, which turned out to be The Museum of Hungarian Agriculture. Some interesting and weird exhibits, and surly staff. Remnant of the Soviet era? The big market - a lot like Vic Market but Ally loved it.