Sun 29th April Durstein & Melk
The weather today was exceptional the local guide Franchesca who guided us through the village of Durnstein said that they had not had weather this warm at this time of the year for a very long time .
Durnstein has a story to tell about when Richard the lionhearted was captured by the Austrian king and held captive for over a year in the castle of Durnstein .
This castle is a ruin that an be accessed by a 25 min very steep uphill climb we didn't go up there!!
The rest of the village is delightful with small cobbled streets and houses that abut the street with windows right next to the footpath , it climbs steeply from the river bank and there is an obligatory church but this one is different in that it's blue and white in color, the main item for the souvenir shops is "Apricot " products , they sell schnapps, liqueur , jam we did avail ourselves of a few items before heading back to the boat for lunch.
While having our lunch the boat proceeded up stream toward Melk this journey takes us through the Wachau valley This is a "Unesco world heritage site " and was a pleasure to experience with glorious scenery and lots of grape vines on narrow terraces clinging to the side of the steep hills.
The town of Melk is dominated by the Abbey on the hill looking over the valley Crackers stayed on board while Lyn Val and I did a tour of the Abbey we had one of the best guides that we have encountered and he made the tour very interesting .After the tour we made our way back to the boat on foot via the small township.
This evening a rep from the area gave a talk on wine growing in the valley and we were able to sample some of the local wines before going to dinner which was again top notch .
Crackers will report on our trip to Salzburg tomorrow .
Monday, 30 April 2012
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Bratislava and Beyond
Fri 27th Bratislava and beyond
We woke to the gentle movement of the boat as it made its way upstream in quite a strong current , the weather outlook promised a lovely day and it didn't disappoint.
We arrived in Bratislava at 12.30 so straight after a buffet lunch we boarded buses to be taken up the hills for some sight seeing and castle looking , Bratislava was under communist control for some 44 years and it shows. Some of the buildings leave a lot to be desired in build quality and design.
The Castle affords a magnificent view across the city and after we completed the bus tour we walked with our guide through the old town which is being renovated slowly but due to the countries economic situation and the fact that the current president is still stuck in the old communist ways the quality of the work and the speed leaves a lot to be desired.
St martins cathedral was very interesting and some of the artifacts inside dated back over a 1000 years , it wasn't to be compared with the basilica in Budapest but it was much older.
We witnessed a wedding party as we exited the cathedral. The bridesmaids and groomsmen looking resplendent in their outfits unfortunately we missed the bride.
The old town was very busy with loads of tourists something we have not experienced before and it's still early in the season .
We left Bratislava late in the evening after a very nice dinner , the food so far has been exceptional .
Sat 28 Th Vienna
Woke this morning as the boat entered a lock just prior to reaching Vienna, an early breakfast then onto the waiting coaches for a tour of the city. Our guide "Hilda" was very efficient and explained all the notable buildings that we passed along the way to the old city centre and another "bloody cathedral." This one who's name escapes me was exceptional in its own way but after a short time I found my mind wandering toward "Appfelstrudell ." eventually my dreams came true when we sat down at a local cafe and savoured the most recommended dish in Vienna along with a Viennese coffee "Yum"
We returned to the boat on the coach for a BBQ , after lunch Lyn Val & I caught the metro back into town to do some serious shopping leaving Crackers to have a poppy nap.
The crowds in the old town were even bigger than in Bratislava and makes us feel happy to be living where we are as we are told that as the season draws on they will grow in number.
Buffet dinner tonight due to the large number of passengers going to the optional concert and Ballet in the town , we decided not to join them as we have had a long day and are looking forward to Durstein and Melk tomorrow .
We woke to the gentle movement of the boat as it made its way upstream in quite a strong current , the weather outlook promised a lovely day and it didn't disappoint.
We arrived in Bratislava at 12.30 so straight after a buffet lunch we boarded buses to be taken up the hills for some sight seeing and castle looking , Bratislava was under communist control for some 44 years and it shows. Some of the buildings leave a lot to be desired in build quality and design.
The Castle affords a magnificent view across the city and after we completed the bus tour we walked with our guide through the old town which is being renovated slowly but due to the countries economic situation and the fact that the current president is still stuck in the old communist ways the quality of the work and the speed leaves a lot to be desired.
St martins cathedral was very interesting and some of the artifacts inside dated back over a 1000 years , it wasn't to be compared with the basilica in Budapest but it was much older.
We witnessed a wedding party as we exited the cathedral. The bridesmaids and groomsmen looking resplendent in their outfits unfortunately we missed the bride.
The old town was very busy with loads of tourists something we have not experienced before and it's still early in the season .
We left Bratislava late in the evening after a very nice dinner , the food so far has been exceptional .
Sat 28 Th Vienna
Woke this morning as the boat entered a lock just prior to reaching Vienna, an early breakfast then onto the waiting coaches for a tour of the city. Our guide "Hilda" was very efficient and explained all the notable buildings that we passed along the way to the old city centre and another "bloody cathedral." This one who's name escapes me was exceptional in its own way but after a short time I found my mind wandering toward "Appfelstrudell ." eventually my dreams came true when we sat down at a local cafe and savoured the most recommended dish in Vienna along with a Viennese coffee "Yum"
We returned to the boat on the coach for a BBQ , after lunch Lyn Val & I caught the metro back into town to do some serious shopping leaving Crackers to have a poppy nap.
The crowds in the old town were even bigger than in Bratislava and makes us feel happy to be living where we are as we are told that as the season draws on they will grow in number.
Buffet dinner tonight due to the large number of passengers going to the optional concert and Ballet in the town , we decided not to join them as we have had a long day and are looking forward to Durstein and Melk tomorrow .
Friday, 27 April 2012
Budapest to Bratislava.
27th April last evening at 6pm we sailed from Budapest for Bratislava the capital of Slovakia. Sailing in a boat of this nature on these large rivers is much different to sailing on the open ocean,the ride is so smooth that you do not know your moving unless your looking out the window. cruising all through the night we reached Bratislava at 12 noon today. The cruise company excursion was interesting enough but it seems to me that we will be visiting a castle in most of the places we visit along the way and it may become the case that having seen one or two castles you‘ve seen them all. Tonight we sail for Vienna Austria, a city of history. This boat is 135 meters long and 12 metres wide today we traversed the first of the 68 locks we pass through, this lock was big and we were asked to wait for a second boat to enter, equally as large as ourselves, Once the second boat had entered large steel doors closed behind it and the water began rising lifting both boats some perhaps 13 metres to the next level where large steel gates at the other end of the lock lowered allowing both boats to sail on to Bratislava.The meals continue to be excellent, except for that first night.I keep running into the waiter who looked after us that night, it turns out he‘s a bit of a character as he keeps on teasing and ribbing me regarding that evening, he is quite funny at times and has done heaps to relax the atmosphere. All for now Crackers the Eagle.
Last day in Budapest .
Thursday 26 th April
Rising early we showered in our plush ensuite availing ourselves of the very nice toiletries provided and proceeded to breakfast. The buffet was delicious with a good choice of fruit and cereals eggs anyway you like toast etc you get the idea.
The organized tour took us by bus to "Hero Square" along the way we saw many mansions and historical buildings including the baths that Budapest is famous for.
Hero square is a large open area at the end of a beautiful tree lined boulevard there are lots of statues all with significance to the history of Hungary, whilst at the square one of our fellow travelers had a nasty fall and bumped her head but luckily she didn't break anything and was able to soldier on but as the day went on she started to show signs of bruising we think that she will have a good black eye before long.
The next stop "The Fishermans Bastion "was reached again on the bus but this time on the Buda side of the Danube
We traveled via the Jewish quarter past the second largest synagog in the world our guide Rita was very informative and the tour ended at the boat in time for lunch.
The afternoon was spent on the boat relaxing and taking it easy , the dinner this evening was far more enjoyable than the previous night with six courses and more wine than is required ,the entrees one cold the other hot were followed by a main that was more than excellent and the whole meal was rated 5 star by our table.
During dinner the boat left Budapest and is heading toward Bratislava but that is tomorrow .
Rising early we showered in our plush ensuite availing ourselves of the very nice toiletries provided and proceeded to breakfast. The buffet was delicious with a good choice of fruit and cereals eggs anyway you like toast etc you get the idea.
The organized tour took us by bus to "Hero Square" along the way we saw many mansions and historical buildings including the baths that Budapest is famous for.
Hero square is a large open area at the end of a beautiful tree lined boulevard there are lots of statues all with significance to the history of Hungary, whilst at the square one of our fellow travelers had a nasty fall and bumped her head but luckily she didn't break anything and was able to soldier on but as the day went on she started to show signs of bruising we think that she will have a good black eye before long.
The next stop "The Fishermans Bastion "was reached again on the bus but this time on the Buda side of the Danube
We traveled via the Jewish quarter past the second largest synagog in the world our guide Rita was very informative and the tour ended at the boat in time for lunch.
The afternoon was spent on the boat relaxing and taking it easy , the dinner this evening was far more enjoyable than the previous night with six courses and more wine than is required ,the entrees one cold the other hot were followed by a main that was more than excellent and the whole meal was rated 5 star by our table.
During dinner the boat left Budapest and is heading toward Bratislava but that is tomorrow .
Thursday, 26 April 2012
329 Steps
Wed 25th April
Today we had another fine day, except for a minor hiccup created by me, Crackers on which I will comment later.
After another good breakfast, we packed our bags and checked out at 10 am, satisfied that for the money paid, La Prima was excellent value.
The Continental hotel was the Avalon assembly point, it is approx 600 meters from La Prima, we found that it was an easy walk even though we had to tow our luggage with us.
After dropping off luggage and taking refreshments we headed off sight seeing, our destination was St Stevens Basilica a catholic church of world fame. This church is large and open to the public for a small charge.
Our first test was to climb to the rampart at the top, so after paying 500 Huff each we headed for the stairs. These then become a spiral metal stairway that you could see through and down, down, down, well this started to test Val's metal for she has a phobia re heights and it wasn't long before she pulled the pin and slowly retreated to a more solid position to await the return of the three remaining Hartels, ( Pieter, Lyn and myself ). Up and up we went, we now found ourselves far into the roof among metal scaffolding and more metal stairways. We three are breathing heavily by this time and so high up that I felt that if I reached out I could surely touch Heaven.
After 329 steps we emerged out onto a walkway which circled the massive copper dome of the church high above the streets. This walkway provides 360 degree views of the city which can only be described as mind blowing. It is here that we took numerous pictures as you get beautiful views far and wide including the Buda side of the city. Budapest is a coming together of two ancient cities, Buda on the west side of the Danube and Pest on the east side to form the capital of Hungary, Budapest. The early history descends from the Mongolian hordes led by Ghengis Khan, who invaded in the 900s
The descent to say the least was much easier, but you had to be careful as a loss of footing would be dangerous.
After collecting Val on the way down to ground level we explored the equally interesting interior of the church. I am amazed at the detail of the workmanship that has gone into this place of worship it actually felt a very special place with its statues, paintings, stained glass windows and an enormous amount of gold leaf that has been liberally applied to various structures throughout the church. It makes one wonder at the enormous amount of money that must have been spent here and if perhaps it could have been of a more socially beneficial use if spent elsewhere. We are all very pleased with our visit to St Stevens a must for all first time visitors to Budapest.
After a quick lunch we headed back to the Continental , where we did not have long to wait to be bussed to our home for the next two weeks "The Avalon Panorama"
Time for dinner and it is here that I get a little testy and vent my honest opinion and disappointment at the standard of the meal served up to Pieter, Val and myself. On reflection I could have handled the situation a little better, I was not rude or abusive to staff etc. but they knew in no uncertain terms that we were not happy with the meal that was provided.
Pieter, Val and myself ordered a mixed grill of three different meats and vegetables which included a baked potato that had been cut at the top and a sour cream of some sort applied. The grilled meat consisted of Pork, Chicken and beef served on a skewer, it was so dry that it was difficult to break up and the consistency was very chewy. The potato was rubbery, the flesh of this object was heavily discolored by over cooking and looked most un-appetizing to say the least, however the Caesar salad was very good. It is obvious that this meal had been pre-cooked, possibly over cooked and that the reheating had done further damage.
The waiter quickly questioned me as to why I had not eaten my food, I told him that I would not eat this much below standard meal, (perhaps some other more explicit wording may have been used) he looked aghast and summoned the Head Waiter he quickly came but I was so upset by this time that I told him to go away, I don't think he understood so I told him again, he quickly backed off. All this time Pieter who hadn't eaten much of his meal either, gave me the benefit of his generous support only I can' t remember what he said. Val had eaten most of hers but the skin of the potato proved too much for her.
No more was said on this subject but I'm sure I have been labeled as a possible Australian hobby.
SUCH IS LIFE, Crackers the Eagle.
Today we had another fine day, except for a minor hiccup created by me, Crackers on which I will comment later.
After another good breakfast, we packed our bags and checked out at 10 am, satisfied that for the money paid, La Prima was excellent value.
The Continental hotel was the Avalon assembly point, it is approx 600 meters from La Prima, we found that it was an easy walk even though we had to tow our luggage with us.
After dropping off luggage and taking refreshments we headed off sight seeing, our destination was St Stevens Basilica a catholic church of world fame. This church is large and open to the public for a small charge.
Our first test was to climb to the rampart at the top, so after paying 500 Huff each we headed for the stairs. These then become a spiral metal stairway that you could see through and down, down, down, well this started to test Val's metal for she has a phobia re heights and it wasn't long before she pulled the pin and slowly retreated to a more solid position to await the return of the three remaining Hartels, ( Pieter, Lyn and myself ). Up and up we went, we now found ourselves far into the roof among metal scaffolding and more metal stairways. We three are breathing heavily by this time and so high up that I felt that if I reached out I could surely touch Heaven.
After 329 steps we emerged out onto a walkway which circled the massive copper dome of the church high above the streets. This walkway provides 360 degree views of the city which can only be described as mind blowing. It is here that we took numerous pictures as you get beautiful views far and wide including the Buda side of the city. Budapest is a coming together of two ancient cities, Buda on the west side of the Danube and Pest on the east side to form the capital of Hungary, Budapest. The early history descends from the Mongolian hordes led by Ghengis Khan, who invaded in the 900s
The descent to say the least was much easier, but you had to be careful as a loss of footing would be dangerous.
After collecting Val on the way down to ground level we explored the equally interesting interior of the church. I am amazed at the detail of the workmanship that has gone into this place of worship it actually felt a very special place with its statues, paintings, stained glass windows and an enormous amount of gold leaf that has been liberally applied to various structures throughout the church. It makes one wonder at the enormous amount of money that must have been spent here and if perhaps it could have been of a more socially beneficial use if spent elsewhere. We are all very pleased with our visit to St Stevens a must for all first time visitors to Budapest.
After a quick lunch we headed back to the Continental , where we did not have long to wait to be bussed to our home for the next two weeks "The Avalon Panorama"
Time for dinner and it is here that I get a little testy and vent my honest opinion and disappointment at the standard of the meal served up to Pieter, Val and myself. On reflection I could have handled the situation a little better, I was not rude or abusive to staff etc. but they knew in no uncertain terms that we were not happy with the meal that was provided.
Pieter, Val and myself ordered a mixed grill of three different meats and vegetables which included a baked potato that had been cut at the top and a sour cream of some sort applied. The grilled meat consisted of Pork, Chicken and beef served on a skewer, it was so dry that it was difficult to break up and the consistency was very chewy. The potato was rubbery, the flesh of this object was heavily discolored by over cooking and looked most un-appetizing to say the least, however the Caesar salad was very good. It is obvious that this meal had been pre-cooked, possibly over cooked and that the reheating had done further damage.
The waiter quickly questioned me as to why I had not eaten my food, I told him that I would not eat this much below standard meal, (perhaps some other more explicit wording may have been used) he looked aghast and summoned the Head Waiter he quickly came but I was so upset by this time that I told him to go away, I don't think he understood so I told him again, he quickly backed off. All this time Pieter who hadn't eaten much of his meal either, gave me the benefit of his generous support only I can' t remember what he said. Val had eaten most of hers but the skin of the potato proved too much for her.
No more was said on this subject but I'm sure I have been labeled as a possible Australian hobby.
SUCH IS LIFE, Crackers the Eagle.
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Budapest Funicular & Local Beer
Today started off with a breakfast at the hotel this was very nice with options of fruit and cereal, different breads and meat,eggs scrambled Hungarian style along with a good coffee.
The Meal set us up with plenty of energy for the day which started with us walking along the Danube to the chain bridge The river is very busy with boats of all shapes and sizes traveling along or tied up alongside the banks we then crossed the bridge dodging mad Hungarians on bicycles and taking lots of photos the weather at this stage was pleasantly warm.
There is a funicular cable car that goes up the hill to Buda castle that we took to get to the top just in time to witness the changing of the guard in front of the office of the President, much pomp and ceremony with a soldier accompanying on a kettle drum to add to the proceedings.
The view from the castle is spectacular while the castle is now used as the national gallery,the surrounds include many statues and fountains but none of these were working.
Returning down the funicular we recrossed the bridge still dodging cyclists and walked further upstream to locate the "Shoes on the Danube" this moving tribute to people shot by Arrowcross militia during the war.
Lunch was required and we found a small cafe that served superb bagels and the like at the cheapest prices we have seen,very nice young people with a good command of English the cafe was adjacent to the hotel so a quick visit there before walking to the local market
The market had a large range of salamis fruit veggies and breads all displayed to tempt us to buy, strawberries the size of golf balls at more than reasonable prices.
After all that walking a beer was in order this was served by a most "handsome man with a nice butt" according to Faye Smallone who was enjoying herself a little too much.
Dinner tonight was at a restaurant that was recommended by the waiter with the nice butt and turned out to be very good the meal was delicious and we had three musicians playing gypsy music ?
Tomorrow we board the boat for the next part of our adventure.
The Meal set us up with plenty of energy for the day which started with us walking along the Danube to the chain bridge The river is very busy with boats of all shapes and sizes traveling along or tied up alongside the banks we then crossed the bridge dodging mad Hungarians on bicycles and taking lots of photos the weather at this stage was pleasantly warm.
There is a funicular cable car that goes up the hill to Buda castle that we took to get to the top just in time to witness the changing of the guard in front of the office of the President, much pomp and ceremony with a soldier accompanying on a kettle drum to add to the proceedings.
The view from the castle is spectacular while the castle is now used as the national gallery,the surrounds include many statues and fountains but none of these were working.
Returning down the funicular we recrossed the bridge still dodging cyclists and walked further upstream to locate the "Shoes on the Danube" this moving tribute to people shot by Arrowcross militia during the war.
Lunch was required and we found a small cafe that served superb bagels and the like at the cheapest prices we have seen,very nice young people with a good command of English the cafe was adjacent to the hotel so a quick visit there before walking to the local market
The market had a large range of salamis fruit veggies and breads all displayed to tempt us to buy, strawberries the size of golf balls at more than reasonable prices.
After all that walking a beer was in order this was served by a most "handsome man with a nice butt" according to Faye Smallone who was enjoying herself a little too much.
Dinner tonight was at a restaurant that was recommended by the waiter with the nice butt and turned out to be very good the meal was delicious and we had three musicians playing gypsy music ?
Tomorrow we board the boat for the next part of our adventure.
Further more
24th April. Furthermore in my disgust of the pressure that we were subjected to I forgot to add that our flight from Dusseldorf to Budapest was not without drama.Wy should we be so lucky eh?
Half way through this flight our Pilot announced that there was a problem with the brakes on this plane, whoops all of a sudden everyone was paying attention as the pilot said that the brakes were badly over heated and that in mid flight he was going to lower the under carriage to cool the brakes down. This of course put the fear of God through the plane and I must admit that I found it difficult not to be concerned. Down came the under carriage for a period of time to eventually be raised. from then on you could see a certain amount of unrest amongst the passengers.
Unfortunately our Faye small one found it quite difficult to remain unconcerned, but to his credit our Hero Pierre Le Large rushed to her side shouldering away the rather handsome well endowed young man that was clinging to her side at the time, because we all were not sitting together. For the rest of the flight we were all on the edge of our seats until we landed.
To our relief the Pilot made in our opinion a perfect landing, however he used the whole length of the runway and applied the brakes sparingly, we did notice that when he turned at the end of the runway that he took the corner rather quickly, however we were now safe. But this is not the End of our story as the pre booked taxi failed to turn up to collect us at the airport.
crackers the Eagle and his Hen and Pierre Le Large and Faye Smallone.
Half way through this flight our Pilot announced that there was a problem with the brakes on this plane, whoops all of a sudden everyone was paying attention as the pilot said that the brakes were badly over heated and that in mid flight he was going to lower the under carriage to cool the brakes down. This of course put the fear of God through the plane and I must admit that I found it difficult not to be concerned. Down came the under carriage for a period of time to eventually be raised. from then on you could see a certain amount of unrest amongst the passengers.
Unfortunately our Faye small one found it quite difficult to remain unconcerned, but to his credit our Hero Pierre Le Large rushed to her side shouldering away the rather handsome well endowed young man that was clinging to her side at the time, because we all were not sitting together. For the rest of the flight we were all on the edge of our seats until we landed.
To our relief the Pilot made in our opinion a perfect landing, however he used the whole length of the runway and applied the brakes sparingly, we did notice that when he turned at the end of the runway that he took the corner rather quickly, however we were now safe. But this is not the End of our story as the pre booked taxi failed to turn up to collect us at the airport.
crackers the Eagle and his Hen and Pierre Le Large and Faye Smallone.
The Red Eyed Special.
Sunday 22nd April 2012.
Picked the Tels up 10am all very excited, Merry Megsy and Pete were there to see us off. We then proceeded to my very special Aunt Vals at lalor arriving 11:20 to enjoy a cuppa and specially baked fruit cake.
Left the car with her and employed Turkish Taxi driver Sidic to take us to Tullarmarine. He left us around 1pm and said he would pick us up on 1st June.
After the usual booking in at gate we checked out Duty Free and boarded singapore Ailines flight No. SQ228 Airbus A380 leaving on time for Singapore. The aircraft was packed to the gills however this plane is so large the numbers were hardly noticable. After 7 hours and smooth flight we arrived Singapore quite fresh still very excited and after a 2 hour stop eager to set off for Frankfurt. This is going to be easy don't you think?
We are off again, out to the runway we taxi with a fresh crew its around midnight and the weather is good however the Captain now advises us of a small technical problem, which means that we must return to the gate so that engineers can fix the problem. Thats ok an hour to fix and we'll be off again, but no it will now take half an hour to top up with fuel, eventually we get off 1.1/2 hrs late. Its now 1:30 am Melbourne time Monday 23rd April.
Flight to frankfurt is smooth but we got little to no sleep on this 13 hour flight, checked out the movies and games all good, however we need to make up time as we only have about 2.1/2 hrs at frankfurt to meet our next flight to Budapest, normally there would have been plenty of time but the loss of 1.1/2 hours with the "technical problem" has left us only 40mins to clear customs, registrations and boarding. The thought that we may have made up time was at the least a pipe dream as most of the way heavy head winds were the experience. No matter after much lobbying of the crew we were informed that as there were a number of passengers on the plane needing to meet this conection to Budapest there would be airport ground staff to meet us, expediate our clearences and bus us to the appropriate aircraft. We have at last landed all now quite tired and anxious to say the least, off we get and there they are the ground staff, collecting us they raced us through all the appropriate checks etc. and in the process advised that boarding passes would not be required to board Lufthanza to Budapest. Onto the bus out to the plane which is quite a distance from the terminal. The plane is still there we are ok. Wrong after all assurances we are now told we need boarding passes to board. Our furious objections do little to change there minds and we are now bussed back to the terminal to arrange same.
We are all furious at this stage and let it be known but we can get no satisfaction the plane leaves for Budapest without us. The end result is that Singapore Airlines book us on other flights much later in the day which are not direct as we are routed through Dusseldorf where we must then catch a plane which takes us to Budapest. We arrive Budapest seven hours late, tired and after 48 hours in much need of sleep.
closing now I must say that staff on the planes were great to us and the food was excellant. Till next time Crackers the Eagle.
Picked the Tels up 10am all very excited, Merry Megsy and Pete were there to see us off. We then proceeded to my very special Aunt Vals at lalor arriving 11:20 to enjoy a cuppa and specially baked fruit cake.
Left the car with her and employed Turkish Taxi driver Sidic to take us to Tullarmarine. He left us around 1pm and said he would pick us up on 1st June.
After the usual booking in at gate we checked out Duty Free and boarded singapore Ailines flight No. SQ228 Airbus A380 leaving on time for Singapore. The aircraft was packed to the gills however this plane is so large the numbers were hardly noticable. After 7 hours and smooth flight we arrived Singapore quite fresh still very excited and after a 2 hour stop eager to set off for Frankfurt. This is going to be easy don't you think?
We are off again, out to the runway we taxi with a fresh crew its around midnight and the weather is good however the Captain now advises us of a small technical problem, which means that we must return to the gate so that engineers can fix the problem. Thats ok an hour to fix and we'll be off again, but no it will now take half an hour to top up with fuel, eventually we get off 1.1/2 hrs late. Its now 1:30 am Melbourne time Monday 23rd April.
Flight to frankfurt is smooth but we got little to no sleep on this 13 hour flight, checked out the movies and games all good, however we need to make up time as we only have about 2.1/2 hrs at frankfurt to meet our next flight to Budapest, normally there would have been plenty of time but the loss of 1.1/2 hours with the "technical problem" has left us only 40mins to clear customs, registrations and boarding. The thought that we may have made up time was at the least a pipe dream as most of the way heavy head winds were the experience. No matter after much lobbying of the crew we were informed that as there were a number of passengers on the plane needing to meet this conection to Budapest there would be airport ground staff to meet us, expediate our clearences and bus us to the appropriate aircraft. We have at last landed all now quite tired and anxious to say the least, off we get and there they are the ground staff, collecting us they raced us through all the appropriate checks etc. and in the process advised that boarding passes would not be required to board Lufthanza to Budapest. Onto the bus out to the plane which is quite a distance from the terminal. The plane is still there we are ok. Wrong after all assurances we are now told we need boarding passes to board. Our furious objections do little to change there minds and we are now bussed back to the terminal to arrange same.
We are all furious at this stage and let it be known but we can get no satisfaction the plane leaves for Budapest without us. The end result is that Singapore Airlines book us on other flights much later in the day which are not direct as we are routed through Dusseldorf where we must then catch a plane which takes us to Budapest. We arrive Budapest seven hours late, tired and after 48 hours in much need of sleep.
closing now I must say that staff on the planes were great to us and the food was excellant. Till next time Crackers the Eagle.
The Traveling Hartels: The Traveling Hartels: TimTams at 3 AM
The Traveling Hartels: The Traveling Hartels: TimTams at 3 AM: The Traveling Hartels: TimTams at 3 AM : With all the excitement after an early night we awoke at 3 AM and couldn't get back to sleep, so th...
The Traveling Hartels: TimTams at 3 AM
The Traveling Hartels: TimTams at 3 AM: With all the excitement after an early night we awoke at 3 AM and couldn't get back to sleep, so there we were making a cuppa and eating Tim...
Saturday, 21 April 2012
TimTams at 3 AM
With all the excitement after an early night we awoke at 3 AM and couldn't get back to sleep, so there we were making a cuppa and eating Tim Tams at 3 in the morning . Eventually got back to sleep.
Out of bed at 6.45 showered shaved and shampooed eat the last two eggs on toast cereal for Lyn . The fridge is empty,
Last minute items to be packed final check of the security system , nothing to do now till the Hars get here to chauffeur us to the airport.
We will blog as we go.
Out of bed at 6.45 showered shaved and shampooed eat the last two eggs on toast cereal for Lyn . The fridge is empty,
Last minute items to be packed final check of the security system , nothing to do now till the Hars get here to chauffeur us to the airport.
We will blog as we go.
5.30am. 22nd April, its that day at last. Can't sleep may as well get up, her in doors is still snoring her head off whats new! my heads spinning like a top thinking about what I haven't or have to do before we leave. Oh this coffee is good really helping clear the head of the remains of last nights red, that reminds me breakfast, nothing in the fridge except 3 eggs, 4 slices of bread and a cup of milk.
Oh well, poached eggs on toast, her indoors will have cereal and need the milk
Still some minor packing changes to be made, shower shave and !!!!!, get dressed, turn off all that needs to be turned off, make sure the house is locked, bags in car, have we got everything, better go back inside and check, no thats it off we go on our big adventure, next stop pick up the TELS. part of the headline, heaps to talk about on the way. Park the car at the Aunts, Taxi to the Airport. and up up and away. Great Scott I hope its been worth waiting for as I'm sure its will and has been. Till we meet our friends and relatives in the UK have a good day.
Oh well, poached eggs on toast, her indoors will have cereal and need the milk
Still some minor packing changes to be made, shower shave and !!!!!, get dressed, turn off all that needs to be turned off, make sure the house is locked, bags in car, have we got everything, better go back inside and check, no thats it off we go on our big adventure, next stop pick up the TELS. part of the headline, heaps to talk about on the way. Park the car at the Aunts, Taxi to the Airport. and up up and away. Great Scott I hope its been worth waiting for as I'm sure its will and has been. Till we meet our friends and relatives in the UK have a good day.
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Anniversary
Today is a milestone day for Lyn and I we celebrate 44 years of married bliss. No special plans for today but we
intend to celebrate quite a bit while on the trip.
We have had a busy morning with a trip to the shops for a few last minute items. Lyn has just finished bathing Molly the dog and a brush will be in order when she dries off after our daily walk.
We will pop in and see a few friends to ask them to keep an eye on the house and letterbox.The garden has had a spruce up with the lawns mowed and roses trimmed.It will be interesting to see how it looks after nearly six weeks away.
We have set a timer for the watering of the few pot plants we have so they should survive as it isn't so hot anymore.
intend to celebrate quite a bit while on the trip.
We have had a busy morning with a trip to the shops for a few last minute items. Lyn has just finished bathing Molly the dog and a brush will be in order when she dries off after our daily walk.
We will pop in and see a few friends to ask them to keep an eye on the house and letterbox.The garden has had a spruce up with the lawns mowed and roses trimmed.It will be interesting to see how it looks after nearly six weeks away.
Friday 20th, April 7.30 am. two sleeps till we take off, all bills paid, some in advance to allay the overdue notice. Packing all done and outside chores will be completed by take-off to avoid a mess on return. Shane's winging it back from USA at this moment after a 3 week holiday, he lands in Sydney shortly.
Brett's returned to good health and can now go fishing without me being there to launch the boat and pull up the anchor.
I'm finding it hard to sleep as my mind is racing, continually on the pedal thinking of all the things still to be done. Val's cleaning house today, wants to have it clean in case the Kids come and stay while we are away, but she's not up yet, she has no problem sleeping.
I,m getting out for a couple of hours to chill down, off to the Barwon River, see if I can catch a Redfin or two, I'll try out some plastics I've purchased recently.
Cheers till we meet again.
Brett's returned to good health and can now go fishing without me being there to launch the boat and pull up the anchor.
I'm finding it hard to sleep as my mind is racing, continually on the pedal thinking of all the things still to be done. Val's cleaning house today, wants to have it clean in case the Kids come and stay while we are away, but she's not up yet, she has no problem sleeping.
I,m getting out for a couple of hours to chill down, off to the Barwon River, see if I can catch a Redfin or two, I'll try out some plastics I've purchased recently.
Cheers till we meet again.
Saturday, 14 April 2012
15th April2012
Today is an important day for Val & and I, for we have both packed and weighed our bags and find that we are both within the 20 kg limit. Myself by .25 kg. Val by 3kg. pleasing to say the least. We have also made arrangements with Stuart & Judith, who we met on the Radiance last December, they live near Manchester as do some of Vals relatives, to meet for lunch at Sutton Hall ( the ancestral home of the Lords of Lucan) on the 13th. May, this ancient building is over 400 years old and now operates as an up market hotel restaurant. Judith is arranging the booking and we are hoping that four of Vals cousins who she has not seen in 46 years are able to attend.
We have received so many forward reports on the weather we can expect ranging from 2 Deg.below to 20 Deg. above that it made it quite hard to pack the range of clothes necessary to cover all situations.
Cheers for now.
One week to takeoff
With only one week left all the planning is starting to come to fruition. The cases are slowing filling in the spare room and on the billiard table with last minute changes to the clothing list that seems to be growing in size.
All the paper work has been sorted and forms filled out in readiness for the flight.
Friday the thirteenth proved a lucky day for Peter & Pieter as they had a day out fishing with quite some success fresh fish for dinner that night.
On Sat evening Pieter & Lyn had their family out in Geelong for a Bon Voyage and a good night was had by all.
Friends and family are sharing our excitement.
All the paper work has been sorted and forms filled out in readiness for the flight.
Friday the thirteenth proved a lucky day for Peter & Pieter as they had a day out fishing with quite some success fresh fish for dinner that night.
On Sat evening Pieter & Lyn had their family out in Geelong for a Bon Voyage and a good night was had by all.
Friends and family are sharing our excitement.
Sunday, 8 April 2012
Two weeks to go
This time in two weeks we should be winging our way toward Singapore on the first leg of the flight to Budapest.
We have received the documents from the T/A tickets, itinerary,boarding instructions etc.some luggage tags that will prove useful.
Also included are the optional tours that are available to be done on the cruise the prices don't seem to over the top.
Alls good .
We have received the documents from the T/A tickets, itinerary,boarding instructions etc.some luggage tags that will prove useful.
Also included are the optional tours that are available to be done on the cruise the prices don't seem to over the top.
Alls good .
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