Maastricht - 15th Dec
After weeks of avoiding the many temptations of German food combined with regular gyming, the arrival and Adam and Bri in Koln signalled the beginning of the end to the fitness regime! Me finishing work in Europe FOREVER was also cause for going a bit bananas! First up we paid homage to our beloved pork knuckle at the Haxenhaus and the best schnitzel in town wasn't far behind...hmmm nice start. Some laps of the many Xmas markets with their irrestible sausages, pancakes, gluhwein and reibekuchen (deep fried mashed potato) - and we're done...for now!!
On the Saturday we hit the road to Maastricht, the nearest town in the Netherlands to Koln...if you get what I mean...wink wink nudge nudge. ; ) A very pretty town, its main feature is wide cobblestone streets - apparently it's not too common to have both in the Netherlands. Being a Dutch town, the mandatory bikes were everywhere and I was particularly impressed with the special ramp beside the stairs on the bridge to the train station - ingenious!

Koln - 18th Dec
Saying farewell to Bri and Adam, it was time to welcome our next guests Marcus and Narelle. Having had three years to come visit, they had to leave it till our last month on the continent to come over! To stave off any jetlag from their long flight we hit our favourite Koln beer halls and eateries. Marcus soon fell in love with all things German, especially the Rhine river which he promised to name his first born after. We also climbed the cathedral (Dom) tower, something we hadn't done during our time in Koln. It was a mammoth climb but a very wonderful view was the reward, even from as far up as I made it. The see-through steel steps required for the final push  didn't help, nor did my weakening fitness! To refuel we swung past the Lindt chocolate factory for yet another visit to fill up on choc-dipped wafers served by Oompa Loompas, some more market food and even more beer followed. We really should have started to notice this gluttonous pattern now, but alas there was plenty more to come. There will be repurcussions people!!

Xmas in Germany

. Our search for the hotel took us down many narrow streets including one with the Manequin Pis (THE peeing statue) - that's one less sight to find! After checking into our hotel we headed for the 'Grand Place' - the 'most beautiful square in Europe' - a claim that is pretty true for once. With appetites growing we hunted down the local specialty - Moules (mussles) and extra large glasses of Hoegarden with waffles and cream for desert!! Roll me home...

Amsterdaam and Brussels

Paris
Skimming the edge of Paris we headed out of town to the extravagent Palace of Versaille. It had eluded us on our last two visits so we were determined to pop in this time. After a massive queue to buy a ticket we joined the even longer queue to enter (lets not mention the queue for the womens toilets). Once inside, our efficient audioguide gave us a tour of everything we needed to see and afterwards we retired to the gardens for a stroll while watching the sunset…a beautiful view of a mighty fine palace!
The next day we walked from our Paris apartment to the Louvre Museum for a lap before heading to the top of the Eiffel Tower. After clearing the local supermarket of all their fine French foods, an early night was on the cards after our busy travels…and to rest up for the Christmas day party. The first bottle of champagne was popped pretty early, and the rest of the day was spent consuming wine, cheese and all things excessive! Merry Christmas! Barely sober from the day before we packed the car and headed for the far away land of London (after a brief, but daring trip on the forbidden Arc de Triumphe roundabout).

Paris

London
The weary travellers arrived and decided some decent pub fare was on the cards...but since we were in London we had to make do as best we could! As some Aussies in London for a whirlwind tour, we headed to Lord's cricket ground, caught a double-decker red bus along the crazy-busy Oxford street, downed a few pints in a Walkabout pub and took in a show - Monty Python's Spamalot!

Carcassone
Landing at Barcelona we picked up our hire car and headed back to France to the town of Carcassone, a medieval town recommended by most as a must see attraction. It was further away than I thought so I had to relent and let Marcus have his first drive on the wrong side of the car (and road) - an experience that had the whole car on edge...can I drive again now please?! Carcassone fell into ruins as people "borrowed" pieces to build their own houses, but was fully restored in the 19th century. Now returned to its former glory the castle is surrounded by an impressive double wall, moats, portcullis, towers - yep, it had the works! Spectacular castle aside, this town also has a signature dish - the Cassoulet - a clay pot with Toulouse sausage, duck, bacon and smokey white beans...amazing! For the return to Barcelona we took the scenic route through the Pyranees mountains. It was a nice (8 hour!) drive, especially the Georges Gorge (hee hee) where the road cut into the rocky mountain and meandered along an alpine stream...and there was a brief but spiteful snow fight as we crossed the snowy mountain top!

Carcassone

Barcelona
Drank lots of Sangria, had some Tapas and managed to see the Gaudi cathedral (just). I think I need to review the photos and get back to you on this one. I blame the sangria...!

Barcelona

Havana - all roads lead to ron
After a few 'slow tourist days' in Barcelona, we hit the ground running in Havana - driving past the Revolution Plaza on the way from the airport to our hotel! On one side of the plaza there is a huge illuminated picture of Che Guevera covering a Government building, while on the other side is the also large Jose Marti Memorial, where Fidel Castro addressed the nation. I had read that the facilities in Cuba aren't that great, and while we tended to do a little better than the locals, the morning cold showers were hard to get used to! Walking from our hotel to Plaza San Francisco, we passed the Havana Club Rum (or Ron) museum. Not ones to miss an opportunity to learn about how any alcohol is made (we've now seen most products!) we naturally went inside. The tour was quite short, but pretty interesting - the scale model of a working early 20th century factory was awesome (complete with its own train). No longer using the sugar cane for mainly sugar production, Cuba now focuses on Rum, and tourism.
Next stop was the Capitol Building, El Capitolio, an exact replica of the Capital building in Washington though the Cubans say theirs is taller! Across the road is the Grand Theatre, an equally impressive sight - though more for its intricate sculptures and carvings than its likeness to an American building. In fact, I was impressed with all of the architecture in Havana. It is such a strange combination of old world glamour, run down and in need of renovation, but still looking as best they could. And as much as it would be absolutely stunning to see this city at its best, it wouldn't have the same feel - this is Cuba after all, not Vienna! After a quick visit to the Partagas cigar factory (the factory was closed but the shop wasn't) and lunch in Chinatown (not a Chinese person in sight), we popped into the 'cradle of the daiquiri' El Floridita to samples their wares - yum! Probably not a great decision, but after our daiquiris we headed to the Revolution museum as it was nearby! This place was fascinating as it housed all the memorabilia (and propaganda) from the revolution when Castro came to power and also had a generous amount of anti-US sentiment thrown in.
Feeling slightly more educated, but craving more (add that to the list of things we have to read up on!) we wandered along the ocean front promenade, the Malecon. At times the strong winds swept the waves up and over the sea wall, drenching those who dared to walk on that side AND the gorgeous cars driving by, had it been warmer that would have been lots of fun! We also checked out the very beautiful San Cristobal Cathedral and its vibrant square - got to love those Cuban musicians and the toothless

ladies smoking their cigars! We tried to get into la Bodeguita del Medio for a mojito, but it was packed...oh well, I'm sure we can find one elsewhere...oh look, there's another bar! And not just any old bar, the Hotel Ambos Mundos was one of Hemmingway's favourite spots!
On our final morning we couldn't resist going out for another walk around this amazing city. This time we picked up some handmade gifts for the children of the family (plus the token magnet for us!), browsed the "antique" book market at Plaza de Armas (not too sure whether a worn cover with photocopied pages is too antique, but there were some interesting titles!), and had a quick look at El Templete (the founding site of the city) and the de la Real Fuerza castle nearby (one of the oldest forts in the Americas). We then crossed under the Bay of Havana to explore the Castillo el Morro, a strategic defense since 1630 complete with operational lighthouse. The operators insisted on an inside tour and delighted in showing us their rarely (if ever) used Australian flag. We then caught a taxi (it's far too hot to be walking around for us British-skinned folk) to the other side of town to the National Hotel - famed for its huge lobby, which was used as a casino for US celebs during prohibition in the 30's! The cliffs overlooking the ocean from the hotel had hidden tunnels built during the Cuban missle crisis, and we were lucky enough to meet an elderly local who for some reason had keys to the place and offered to give us a guided tour! Scary but very informative!

Cuba

Cancun
Currently lounging on a Mexican beach with BYO Kahlua, Sunshine AND jumbo nachos...a well earned rest for weary travellers. Unfortunately like many pale pommies before us we had a little too much of the good life and had to recover in our hotel room for the next day and a half...oops! Not just from the sun though, our super busy few weeks finally caught up with us. Postponed by a day, we luckily still had time for our day trip out of town to the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza (or Chicken Itchy). A stopover at the Sink hole swimming caves for a quick dip was on the cards but with only one hour allowed to change and get in and out it was too much for Kirstie (who requires a slow entry, one toe at a time into any body of water! But I need more time to acclimatise man!). But I braved the long drop into the water from the highest set of stairs.....shhhhhhhhiiiiii....into the dark, cold water...eek thats enough for me...I'm out too. Whilst not as large as I thought they would be, the main pyramid at Chichen Itza is an impressive sight to behold and mostly in good condition after recent restoration. It was interesting to learn of their ability to control the echoes made when you clap in front of the main stairs - the sound echoes 7 times (their lucky number) with the echoed sound altered to give the impression of a divine presence! Even more entertaining was the member of our group who climbed up on a bit he shouldn't have and was escorted off the site by security!! Idiot.

Cancun, Mexico

The long trek home
Well kids, the day has finally come that we take our final flight home, or four consecutive flights to be precise...aarrgghhhh. One flight, two flight, three flight, four...hello Melbourne, we've missed you!! So this is the travel blog, signing out. Thanks for tuning in over the years peoples (yep, both of you)...see ya soon.

Sunday 11th November: Koln Karneval
I was a little curious as to why the Carnivale started on the "11th of the 11th at 11:11", especially when this clearly did not resemble any Remembrance Day I had ever seen before! Apart from Ben and myself, and a few other very noticeable tourists, every good Kolner was dressed like a crazy person – cops, cows, a car wash, clowns… Was there a "c" theme?? Nope, I saw a spiderman, some bees and a few traditional lederhosen too! Hey we had our matching Snowgum raincoats on!! Not getting much information from "ze Germans" I eventually found that "Carnevale" (or flesh farewell in Italian) is a Catholic tradition (how did I not know this?!?) leading up to Ash Wednesday – so you can go crazy (and eat meat) before having to give it up for 40 days! But why the 11th Nov? Well, carnivals are celebrated at different times around the world (including Shrove Tuesday…oooh, I get it now!), and in Germany this was changed to celebrate the end of WWI and Armistice Day… The lesson for today then folks? (apart from all of that!). If you're planning any European travels, try to coincide them with a Holy Day – it's sure to be a party scene! And not ones to shy from such events, especially the eating and drinking parts, we dutifully obliged – see pics for the evidence!

Carnivale

Saturday 5th November: London to Koln trek
Who would be stupid enough to have a leaving do at a bar with a happy hour (featuring mojito's) the night before having to clean and pack up a house, catch the EuroTunnel and drive to Koln? Why, we would of course!! Yes, after 2 years, 10 months, 3 weeks and 5 days (give or take a few) we began the journey home. Realising that we would be quite "exhausted" from the previous night's festivities, combined with Ben's love for all things "war", we stopped off in St Omer for the night and visited the nearby La Coupole – a WWII German missile site.

It's one of the favourites of all WWII doco's. The German missile site that planned to flatten London with it's V2 rockets. The Allies eventually got wind of it and after 3000 TONNES of bombs were dropped on the area part of the mountainside gave way, but the 5 metre thick concrete dome remained intact. It didn't really matter anyway as the Germans had abandoned the place before ever launching a missile...phew.

La Coupole

Fri 26^th Oct: Rome
Today was dedicated to seeing most of the sites in and around the Forum – quite a lot, I know, but when in Rome…! Unfortunately there was a strike on which meant the Forum was closed (:<), so we climbed the nearby Palantine hill (where Romulus and Remus' grew up) for a bit of a sneaky peak over the fences…not bad! Passing the Arch of Constantine, we joined one of the very long queues in front of the Colosseum. Not for long though, as we were quite easily convinced by one tour "spruiker" that we could avoid this and the hidden but even larger security queue by joining his tour, due to start in 5 mins. More like half and hour, but we eventually entered and what a sight! Like most of the buildings we saw today, I found it amazing just how much still remained today – it really gives you a sense of what the city would have looked like, but also makes you wonder about that which is no longer around. What would this city have really looked like? I was also amazed by the secondary structures that would have made the "shows" at the colosseum so spectacular, like the hatches that gave lions and other beasts direct access to the arena – how did they do it?!?
The nearby Circus Maximus was our next port of call, and this was a particularly special moment for Ben as he had traced and coloured it for a project in primary school – looks a bit different to the pictures I had…! 
Though tempted, neither of us could entertain the thought of another queue, so instead we watched other tourists test their truthfulness at the Mouth of Truth (or 4th century drain cover?!?) at Santa Maria in Cosmedin. Perhaps we were just too scared of what would happen to us? We then headed down to the River Tiber for a stroll to the Ponte Fabrico, a 1st century BC bridge that is still in use! Further along the river, we came across the Theatre of Marcellus, well, we were actually looking for it, but got slightly distracted by pasta on the way…! After refuelling and admiring the theatre, we wandered past the Roman Insula (a 2^nd century apartment block) before climbing Michelangelo's staircase to the Capitol. Here the Capitoline Museums, which house beautiful marble and bronze statues as well as quite a few paintings, also conveniently overlook the Forum – ha ha, your strike can’t beat us, Romans!

Sat 27^th Oct: Rome
Shopping day!! Yay!! And drinking in the evening… yay, for today, not so for tomorrow.

Click on the photo for more pics

Rome

Positano

Tues 30^th Oct: Pompeii
Forgetting our previous experiences in challenging the routes suggested to us, we took the gorgeous but very long and winding road along the Amalfi coast to Pompeii. It’s hard to describe exactly what you feel when walking around Pompeii – as I kept repeating to Ben, “People lived and worked here almost 2,000 years ago, I can't believe it”. Following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD, Pompeii (and the surrounding area one would assume) was immediately buried, covering its many inhabitants, their homes and shops. The plaster casts of the people were quite horrifying as their expressions are so clear and emotive. As well as the architecture of the buildings, I loved the few remaining paintings and mosaics, and the roads. Slightly lower than pedestrian level (which is aligned with the buildings), the streets were for vehicles and had strategically placed stones, small enough for wheels to pass on either side, so that people could cross the street without getting their feet dirty – genius! As for the paintings and mosiacs, most of the best have been moved to the museum but many still remain and some are still being reconstructed. The "price list" on the brothel was an interesting one!

Pompeii

Saturday 10th October: Tower of London
Having lived so close for over a year, relative to some of the other places we have visited, we decided it was finally time to visit the Tower of London. The oldest palace, fortress and prison in Europe, hey Ben?!? (probably not but I'll let it slide). A very impressive building, I have always loved the sight of "The Tower" at night – the soft yellow light reflecting off the sand-colored French stone (from Caen – we've been there!). It is quite amazing to be sitting on a Big Red Bus, scowling at the traffic and ensuring you don't meet another Londoner's gaze on public transport, and then there it is: so very imposing and so very old, right in the middle of London. I guess that was William the Conqueror's point when he built the White Tower in 1078, to ensure his "new" subjects knew exactly who was boss!
We saw all the popular sights, shown around by a real Beefeater (they actually live onsite in gorgeous half-timbered houses, making for a strange scene as you wander the castle grounds and come across a washing line full of clothes!). The ravens were there, walking the green and ensuring that the Tower, and the Commonwealth, don't fall. While I was quite keen to see the Crown Jewels, I was a little disappointed. Perhaps it is my distinct lack of knowledge on the subject, but I'm just not a fan of colored gems, no matter how old and big they are… Just don't tell the Queen that!!  I was more impressed with the armories (including Henry VIII "proportions") and the original chapel in the White Tower, as well as the Torture chamber. The Scavenger's Daughter was one very mean contraption – literally folding the prisoner's body in two, not so good for the back!

Tower of London

Saturday September 29th
Joyously out of bed out 4am, we floated our way on a cloud of confidence to the local Walkabout pub to tune into the 2007 AFL grand final...I say this with the benefit of hindsight 'cos we all know the mighty Cats finally managed to win a Grand Final for the first time since '63...and not just any win - THE Biggest grand final win...YAHOO!!
Well, this weekend is pretty much a write off kids...after an afternoon recovery snooze we continued partying to the early hours of Sunday and even on into Sunday...well it was a big occasion after all!

Click for  more pics... 

The Mighty Cats 07