Europe 2011 -

Well here we are on our last day in Paris, in fact the last day in Europe. Barb and Karen are off to the Louvre to battle the queues to see the Mona Lisa and i am here resting up for the big day in dubai tomorrow.

Ironic isnt it that queue is a french word but yet some still do not grasp at the meaning of the word.

Yesterday we had a big day tripping around with our taxi man Andy - lovely wingeing pom who is very pleasant. We started at the Palace at Versaille which we arrived just on opening time and still the lines were for miles. Worth the look though - amazing place sheer opulence. Though they did overdo the Laura Ashley look a little too much. We enjoyed our time though and go to go chest to face with some Japanese tourists who again dont seem to want to wait their turn. I must admit that I did get out my ticket at one stage and politely explained that his was the same so we both should have the opportunity to see what we were there for. Not sure if he understood but i did feel better.

From Versaille we dropped in at one of our favourite eateries - the AutoGrill on the Motorway. You could do all meals there and not be disappointed. From there to Giverny and Monet's Garden - what a sight! Absolutely beautiful, took some photos so i may have a small project to complete in the backyard - any volunteers to help?

The water garden was magical and you could have stayed for hours - if it wasnt for those annoying japanese tourists again.

A small bit of information - we actually drove through the tunnel where Princess Di hit the wall (literally) and it was a bit eerie. Andy has his own conspirancy theory with limited evidence. The best ones!

Anyhoo must go and finish the packing, off to see Notre Dame this afternoon before leaving for the airport. Hope the hunchback is there!

Till next time = bon voyage!

Love
Deb, Karen, Barb & Peter xxxx

Hello all you chilled Australians, we are here in sunny Paris. About 25 deg today very pleasant. We went up to the summit of the Eiffel Tower this morning and it was breathtaking. Not like Lauterbrunnen, breathing was still working well.

We arrived in Paris after a looooong train ride, mostly backwards but it was nice to finally arrive with our friendly taxi man Andy waiting with my name on a sign. Never been soo happy to see my name up in lights. He is an English man who has lived here for 18 years and drives tourists around. Very pleasant.

Yesterday he took us to Epernay (for all you peasants - Champagne country) and we did a tour of Moet & Chandon. Very informative and we got a drink at the end. Personally i dont see what all the fuss is about but "when in Rome....or paris in this case..." He took us for a drive back through some charming villages and we stopped at a charming little restuarant on the road back. We have something similar = Servo at Little River. That's right a servo - mind you a little more upmarket that ours.

Today started with the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de triumphe, a walk down the Champs Elysses and a river cruise on the seine. Soon it is Beer o'clock so cant be late for that.

Tomorrow morning Andy is picking us up to take us to Versaille and to Monet's Garden so I will finish up and better get ready for dinner. We had chinese last night (yumm) and tonight is pizza. I will regalle you with the adventures tomorrow

love
Deb, Karen, Barb & Peter xxxxx

Hi All
We are now enjoying our final night in Lauterbrunnen and are off tomorrow to the last leg in Paris. Today was a busy day with an early start to catch the Jungfrau Train up to the top of the Alps.

The journey takes about 2 hours with a change of trains half way through. The journey is through some amazing landscapes and breathtaking views. Now by breathtaking i also mean that it seems to grab hold of your lungs and makes it very hard to breathe. Not a pleasant feeling when the ground seems to come up to you.

On the summit there is a viewing platform after a stomach churning 150m elevator ride but you can collect your stomach on the way down. The Ice Palace is nice to see especially slipping and sliding along the floor. The plateau is an open viewing area that is of course still snowed in and the views out to the alps is indescribable and the cold wind is also.

Now one of the things that i have discovered on this trip is that the Japanese do not have in their vocabularly the concept of "wait your turn" - unbelievably pushy when they are roaming in packs. Stand in their way when the tour leader is waving their little stuffed toy on the end of the stick and it may not end well.

Also that Americans are very critical of the simplest of things - for instance, we are staying at a very pleasant hotel and several have been overheard to complain that they don't cook their bacon properly. One staff member was overheard to mutter something in swiss and i asked if that it was a naughty word - which she giggled and said "only for her not for the guests".

Another thing that has amazed me about the europeans is that the Italians, Germans, French and Swiss take their pets EVERYWHERE!!! Now taking Fifi down to the local cafe is one thing but they are in restaurants, train stations, airports and tourist sites. I have seen cats in cages in the luggage rack on trains, dogs sitting on airport trolleys, dogs sitting with their owners on long haul train trips and today even up to a place where humans suffer from altitude sickness god only knows how the dogs feel. I took a photo of a basset that was sitting with his face on his owners knee in snow goggles and it was the saddest basset i have ever seen. The poor thing was being dragged along and obviously very uncomfortable.

Tonight we went for dinner to one of the local restaurants and had a wonderful swiss meal. Well Karen had lasagne but i am sure it was a swiss chef (sorry she is hovering here at the moment and wants me state that it was vegetable lasagne. I dont know the point either). Also we had one of the best apple strudel I have had for a long time. Sitting there looking at the alps and waterfalls for the last time was a little sad not to have had more time there.

I highly recommend if you ever get over here to make the effort as we did to get to Lauterbrunnen as we did it is a magical place that is so beautiful.

Tomorrow we leave on the train to paris and it will be our longest journey yet. So it will be a long day we will arrive in about 5:35pm. The cases are getting heavier and heavier - someone is coming in at night and lining our cases with lead and not telling us.

I must adieu as it is getting late and yet again the creative packing has to be done.

Karen just come down to say that there is a storm coming in and worth seeing

Love
Deb, Karen, Barbara & Peter xxxx

Hello All

Venice is now a memory. Very beautiful city with a special aura - the ornate buildings, side laneways and canals are just magic. Unfortunately I did spend sometime in the hotel room due to chest infection but still got to see the main sights.
Last night we went out for a dinner and were having a few drinks - I have discovered that my sisters are 2 pot screamers. We were all relaxed in the thought that we would not be leaving till 11am the next morning but were a little shocked to find out that we were actually on the 8.30am from the mainland station which meant that we had to get to the station somehow.

Quaint as they sound the little cobblestone alleys are a bugger when you are rushing to get to some form of transport in a foreign city. So we spoke to our conceirge who was a cute italian bloke who was very helpful. We were frantically repacking (i hate that suitcase) and he came in to our room which was just behind reception and exclaimed "what a disaster". OK tell me someone who packs tidy!!! He had become very comfortable with us - well Karen did go and get him to come and stop the flushing toilet one morning at about 5.30am.

Our friend arranged a water taxi and a land taxi to pick us up to get us to the station quickly.Worked like a dream.

We had several train changes today which can make things a bit hard at times but the swiss system is a dream - great trains (much friendlier than the italians). The landscapes are spectacular - breathtaking. It is like a toblerone ad everywhere. We are staying at what I would call prob a guest house. No tv in the room, but a view to die for. We look out at the main waterfall and the alps - it is just beyonds words.

We just walked back from dinner to the sound of cowbells in the paddocks and the chalets looking like a chocolate box scene.

We are going up to the top of europe rail station tomorrow morning. It takes about 2 hours to make the trip and it looks like a melbourne tram more than a train. The temps should be about 0 degs outside. We may suffer from altitude sickness but apparently chocolate is a great remedy - whould would of thunk it! There is a god!

Anyhoo it is off to bed to cough the night away. Hope all is well at home and we will see you soon to bore you to death with the photos.

Love
Deb, Karen, Barb & Peter xxxx

PS only about 3 shops here - I not sure if we can survive.

Hello all

Here we are on our second day in Venice. It is truly a magical place to see. The train trip from Florence was quite uneventful but we have learnt that the most arrogant and rude people are either some italians or most americans. We have all had words with people who will just force their way in. Never thought i would consider Australians to be so polite. Tomorrow is one of our nightmare journeys across to Switzerland and it is not just the length of the journey but also the fact we have several changes. Wish us luck, I think this one could break us!

My coughing has not gone away, despite the anitbiotics and steriods - but i do think my voice has broken. I am resting this afternoon after a heavy shopping morning.

Florence was lovely but Venice is truly spectacular to see. The canals and also the little laneways that all of a sudden lead into a Piazzo with restuarants, shops and shady trees. Our hotel is located in a great position close to the sights (not just the markets) and on our first afternoon we went sightseeing including a vaperetto (waterbus) up the Grand Canal. We went to San Marco square and the buildings like florence are very ornate and to see them makes you wonder about how many OH&S laws were broken during the construction. Would have had a lot of workcover claims if they were built in Victoria.

The food here is amazing and last night Peter got one wish - fish and chips, which he said was quite enjoyable. If only we can find a shop selling meat pies we will make him a very happy man. Barb, Karen and i have been continuing the pasta tour of italy.

The shopping is like Florence amazing, leather and venetian lace plus of course the glass - murano and venetian. The markets close to the Rialto include a lot of jewellers nowhere close to the Pointe Vecchia bridge in Florence. There are a lot of little alleys that also have a range of shops available - gets overwhelming but we are coping.
Well they have finished cleaning my room so i can leave the laptop in the lobby and go back to my room to watch a little telly. I am getting quite good at the italian dubbing. You know i have watched McGyver, Walker, Texas Ranger all in Italian and it is still as boring as bat s**t.

OMG a group of American teachers just checked in - shackles are arising. The very glamorous manager is running off her high heels at the moment.

Bye for now and will hopefully catch up again in Switzerland - hard to imagine that we fly out next Saturday from Paris back to Dubai on our way home.

Love Deb, Karen, Barbara & Peter

xxxx