Hereandthereclaire.com

On Friday we had tickets to go to The Uffizi so we headed that way pretty early as I wanted to sit in the Piazza De Signoria and write my blog. Al left me at a fabulous little Cafe and she went for a wander. It’s great sitting there early watching the Piazza start to get busy, cafes and shops opening, tourists arriving, people heading to work. I had a lovely chilled time.

The Galleria degli Uffizi houses the greatest collection of Renaissance art in the world. It’s a large Gallery with room after room of breathtaking works. Al and I saw all of it over 4hrs. We ended our visit up on the rooftop terrace with a well earned Coffee Creme; technically a coffee ice cream milkshake!! It was exactly what I needed, a sugar/caffeine boost.

After this we had another yummy al fresco lunch at the apartment, more Tomatoes, mozzarella, salad 😋My feet were pretty achy today so in the early evening we just went for a slow stroll to the Piazza nearby, which then turned into a slightly longer stroll through the streets enjoying the vibe! We ended up back at the Duomo where we stopped for our Aperol Spritz, which on this occasion came with some nibbles! The colours of the Duomo during sunset are superb, my phots don’t do it justice, the pinks suddenly become very clear and it looks warm and beautiful.

We also had dinner near the Duomo. I had another gorgeous Pizza, with Porcini mushrooms, washed down with quite a few glasses of Pinot, Chianti and Limoncellos 😀it was wonderful sitting chatting watching the world go by listening to an old man playing the violin. It’s fair to say we might have been a little merry when we left, evidenced by Al’s desire to find another bar and go clubbing!! (We didn’t, I had a sensible head on for a change, must unlike me!)

Today has been Interesting. We started the morning walking to find the bus stop Al needs to get her bus to the airport. We had already found the Tram stop we thought she needed, but then Al realised she is flying home from Bologna airport not Florence 🤦‍♀️😂The stop was not easy to find, hidden away behind the train station, we asked several people, some were helpful, some not so much, lots of shrugging and puzzled looks (this is from the officials at another bus station!) we eventually found it and it is a pretty long walk from the apartment, Al had planned to walk in the morning, but she’s leaving at 5.30am and I’m not sure it’s a great idea to be walking that far in the dark, on her own. So she has now decided to go by taxi! 👍After this, and then paying €1 to have a pee in bloody MacDonalds! We found a beautiful Piazza, Piazza della Repubblica. It’s surrounded by lots of designer shops and top hotels. We sat and I had another delicious Coffee Creme, Al had a Rice milk Latte and they had the best free nibbles we’ve seen in Florence! 😂😂

After this we visited the Museum at the Palazzo Vecchio, which is built on the ruins of an ancient Roman amphitheater. The Palazzo Vecchio was wonderful, lots of steps and there would have been even more steps, 450 more if we have decided to climb the tower, I had already said I wouldn’t be doing it, Al thought she might, but in the end decided not to. I’m sure it would have provided a spectacular view of Florence, but I’m not sure my knees would have been pleased, especially as I have another week of sightseeing and walking to go!

We have been averaging approximately 15,000 steps a day.

After this we stopped at a little side street cafe as I spotted someone drinking a beer and suddenly had a craving, we sat at a table and when the waitress took our order of precisely 1 small beer, she did not look best pleased! Especially when I tried to explain that I wanted some lemonade in it! The beer was great, with no lemonade!

We are now back at the apartment chilling and for the first time this entire trip I have been bitten by a pesky mossie or fly on my feet! So irritating.

It’s our last night here in Florence and Al’s last night in Italy.

Tomorrow Al is heading home and I’m off to Verona for 3 days. (Let’s hope I’ve picked the correct station this time!)

Florence and our Airbnb have been brilliant, it’s also been fantastic sharing this part of my adventure with Al.

Ciao for now from Florence. ❤️❤️

We had a fabulous last night in Rome, we had a meal in Campo De ‘ Fiori again! But we went to a different restaurant on the opposite side of the square, how very daring of us! We both had a Pizza and mine was delicious, tomato, mozzarella and mushroom, it had lots of mushrooms finely chopped under the cheese! 😋The food in the restaurants in Campo De ‘ Fiori is all of a really high standard and not hugely expensive, possibly as it’s not a tourist hot spot and seemed to have lots of Romans eating and drinking there.

We left Rome on Wednesday morning. We took a taxi to the Train station, thank god! As google maps said it was a 30 min walk and Al was happy to walk, I wasn’t so happy, and it was actually a lot further away than a 30 min walk, especially over cobbles, dragging a 20kg Case, a backpack and a handbag!

The Termini is huge, with at least 23 platforms, obviously our platform was the furthest away in the bloody back and beyond! We eventually found our train, boarded and we were sitting with a lovely English guy called Stephen, who lives and works in Rome. He was a great traveling companion, nice, chatty and informative. He departed the train in the wine region on Oritiga? The journey is wonderful watching the Italian countryside pass by with hills, hilltop villages, castles, huge fields of Sunflowers, vineyards. It all looks stunning.

We arrived at our designated station (as stated on our tickets) disembarked only to discover that I had booked the tickets to the wrong station!! Who knew there are at least 3 stations in Florence, we were 1 station short of the main centre. After walking around the platforms for a bit trying to find the exit, we managed to escape and order a taxi with the help of some American tourists who had made the same mistake as us. (So I’m not the only numpty!)

Our taxi driver was great, he spoke very good English and chatted to us about the history of Florence and gave us some fab tips. The taxi cost was also OK!

Our Airbnb in Florence is absolutely bloody awesome! Right in the heart of Florence, with a view of the Duomo (Cathedral) from the front door. It also has a wonderful courtyard garden, which is cool and quiet, it feels like you are a million miles from the centre of a bustling city. Riccardo the host was very welcoming and gave us maps and more great advice and information.

We went out for a walk and I have to say that the sight of the Duomo up close is staggering and far, far bigger and more beautiful than I had imagined. There are, as always, long queues to enter. Al and I walked about and oriented ourselves. We went into a church across a Piazza from the apartment, where I smiled at the elderly gentleman who was putting out the candles, this prompted him to start talking at me in fast Italian and then offered me a couple of prayer cards…for a price! 😍I think I might have over paid and he chatted to me some more about Calenders or some such 😳

In the evening Al and I went to have a drink at the Restaurant just across from the apartment. We sat next to a table of 4 Italian Nonna’s who were visiting Florence, they were brilliant! All drinking wine, smoking, chatting very animatedly. The service in Florence is unlike Rome. In Rome everyone is trying to get your custom here it’s like, Whatever! So we sat for ages waiting to be served, the Nonna’s were laughing and telling us to go and poke the waiter! Their food arrived and they were not impressed! Pulling faces and gesticulating! I bloody loved these ladies, we all managed to have a laugh and share and experience without a word being spoken! Fabulous.

After the Nonna’s food experience we went to eat elsewhere!

Al and I were up early to try and get into the Duomo, however when we arrived at 8.30 there was already a queue and the Duomo didn’t actually open for another 2hrs! Also you have to pay. We decided we didn’t want to stand in a queue for most of the morning, so headed off to explore.

Florence is breathtaking. We walked through the Piazza Della Signoria, a historic meeting place for Florentine’s. Then past the Uffizi Gallery and down to the river. We crossed the amazing Ponte Vecchio an amazing bridge that has shops and building on, the shops had the most ornate wooden shutters. The light on the buildings is magical. We wandered for a while and came back across the river into the posh part of Florence with all the designer shops. We stopped and had a cup of tea in a lovely Piazza and people watched for a while. I also got to speak to Grantley, who had arrived at University for his first day! Thank you to the wonderful Curly Steve who delivered all his belongings and helped him settle in, Curly, you are a fantastic!

Thank you also to Laura for sorting out a potential problem for me, you are a Star. 😘

Al and I had the most gorgeous lunch in our garden, I had Mozzarella, Tomato and basil, fresh bread with balsamic and olive oil!! The best!!

In the afternoon we visited Accademia Gallery, the home of Michelangelo’s David. The Gallery is not huge but Wow! We saw several of the Medici families musical instruments including several Stradivarius Violins, Viancellos. Lots of stunning religious paintings and Icons, but the David is awe inspiring. The level of detail, the veins on his arms and hands, the look on his face, the musculature is beyond beautiful. You also don’t get a perspective on the size until you see it in real life. Stunning. There are also other sculptures by Michelangelo, the Unfinished Slaves were wonderful as you could see the tool marks made by him as he carved. 

After this we spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring some more, we visited the Piazza Santa Maria Novella, which is a beautiful Piazza, quiet and tranquil. We enjoyed the peace sitting with a refreshing Aperol Spritz. 😍

So far Florence has been a revelation. I feel I needed to learn more before my visit, the history is long and complex. The city feels very accessible and I will most certainly come back, there are 100s of Museums and Palazzos to see and just not enough time to see them all. Once again I have run out of superlatives! I need Stephen Fry to edit my blog! 😂

That’s all for now.

Ciao Bellas ❤️❤️❤️

We have had a fantastic few days in Rome. Al and I have walked our little legs off! Although I’m sure Al could have walked a lot quicker if she wasn’t with me! I like to amble 😀

We have tried to make sure we are up and about early, the latest we’ve left has been 9am, this way we miss the worst of the crowds, and the heat.

On Sunday we went to the Forum, I have already been round inside so we just walked there and around without the full tour. We also didn’t go inside the Colosseum, again I’ve been in before and the queues for tickets was over 2hrs, and Al said she could do it next time. We had a lovely walk back through an area I haven’t seen before. I find that just by wandering you stumble upon places and things you haven’t seen before. Like the brilliant little Cat Sanctuary set amongst some ruins right in the heart of the city!

We came back to the apartment for lunch and sat out on our beautiful terrace eating gorgeous food looking at the rooftops of Rome! Bliss. Al and I were both in danger of falling asleep so I suggested a little stroll to the Campo De’fiori just outside the apartment, but we ended up walking across the river and exploring Trastevere! Which was wonderful. As it was a Sunday it was very busy with lots of locals out and about enjoying the sites and the sunshine! It’s lovely walking along by the Tiber under the shade of the trees and with the breeze coming off the river. We stopped on the way back at our usual spot in Campo De ‘ Fiori for an Aperol Spritz and some wonderful free nibbles.

On Monday we wanted to be out early to visit the Vatican, the queues get insane! We arrived at 8.30ish but still had to queue for about 40mins just to go through the security checkpoint. St Peters Basilica is simply breathtaking. The sculpture, the art, the architecture everything is stunning. It does however make you think about the obvious and conspicuous wealth of the Catholic Church. Al climbed up into the cupola, I have done this before and didn’t fancy doing all those steps again even if the view is spectacular. I had a mooch about watched the changing of the very fancy Swiss Guard then sent some postcards from the Vatican’s very own post office. After Al returned we walked to the Castel Sant Angelo and through a lovely shady park before walking back to the apartment along the River again, We had a quick stop in Piazza Navona where I had a delicious Vanilla Coffee, served by a very handsome waiter and paid €11 for the privilege! 😳It was yummy though! We had another lovely lunch on the terrace, I’d bought myself an Arancini Ball, which was unfortunately not great, but we had plenty of ripe juicy tomatoes, fresh basil, avocado, rice cakes and crisps!

In the afternoon we went in search of a nail shop (my nails needed doing, what can I say!) we found it, booked and appointment for Tuesday then found ourselves walking back via the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon.

We had a lovely stop at a restaurant just off the Campo De ‘ Fiori for cocktails and nibbles! It’s great sitting sipping your drink, mine was an Iced Italian Tea, eating free nibbles and people watching! Heaven.

We returned to our usual spot for dinner, I had a gorgeous bowl of fresh pasta with pesto, some wine and quite a few Limoncellos!! Al had a salad and also enjoyed a Limoncello, but was a bit more sensible than me! 😍😍A fun end to a fantastic day.

Today we wanted to try and get to the Trevi Fountain before the hordes descended! We got there by 8.30 but it was already busy. I have to say Al and I had the best time watching everyone. It is hysterical, I have never seen anything like it! So many girls and women arrived, dressed up to the nines, I’m talking cocktail dresses, high heels even some fishnet tights!! They then stand there posing, oh and what poses they Are 😳as if their on a fashion shoot taking 10000s of photos, they barely look at the bloody huge, stunning, work of art they are posing in front off. Honest to god it was like we’d stumbled onto the set of America’s next top Model only with people who had been rejected! It was hugely entertaining, especially if they sat on the Fountain and got whistled at by the police and guards!

After this we walked up to Quirinale and Via Veneto. I wanted to look in the Quirinale Gardens, well we thing we found them….it was very strange. There was a sign outside saying that the gardens were a gift for Rome and the World and there would be severe penalties for standing on flowers, littering etc. So we had high expectations, then we walked into a garden full of overgrown grass, litter, dead rose bushes and the only other flowers were on the weeds growing amongst the grass! Bizarre!

I have had my nails done now! They are very lovely.

Tonight is our last night here in Rome. Tomorrow we are heading to Florence.

Rome is most certainly one of my favourite places in the world, I could happily come here every year! There is just so much to see and experience. This is my 3rd visit and I feel I have only scratched the surface.

Ciao Bellas

Xxxx

I had a good if long flight back to the UK, the first leg to Singapore was fine as it was only 5hrs I then had a 2hr stop over. This went really quickly as Singapore Airport is lovely and comfy with lots to do and see. My final leg was OK, I  sat next to a lovely couple who were traveling from Bangladesh to London, the husband was going to be working at Queens Hospital in London training to be a Heart Surgeon, he was very sweet and asked me lots of questions about London and the uk, he also spent ages asking me questions about me and my life, my travels. He was a love.y man, who I have no doubt will make an excellent surgeon. 13 1/2 hrs is such a long time, I managed to get a few hours sleep, but I arrived in Heathrow at feeling a little tired and grumpy!

I have to say that having traveled through lots of airports, Heathrow really isn’t great! I disembarked from my plane, at terminal 2 and had to get to my hotel which was in Terminal 5. This involved walking about 20 miles, collecting your luggage from the barge hall, which smelt like a sewer, the bags from our flight where all over the floor in piles, and also going round on the belt, which you could barely get to due to all the bags on the floor, it was then another 20 mile trek to find the free train terminal transfer, up and down in totally overcrowded lifts, the signage, directions and information are practically non existent. I eventually arrived at my hotel 2hrs after landing!!! Crazy!!

My hotel was lovely, as I said it’s located in Terminal 5 to make my life easier the following morning, which it did. I managed to get some sleep, then was up early 5am! with a million things running through my head, none of which we particularly interesting or urgent!

I got myself sorted, booked a few galleries, Museums etc on line for Italy then it was time to go.

The experience on Heathrow Terminal 5 was much better than yesterday’s! Easy bag drop, easy security, a nice simple process, the plane was on time and it was a simple 2hr flight to Rome, just enough time to have Sneaky JD and coke then we were landing in Rome!! 😍

I was off the plane and through security in no time and there was Alison (Al) waiting for me! So so lovely to see her. We jumped into a taxi and off we went straight to the centre of Gorgeous Rome! Our Airbnb is right next to Campo Di Fiori and is absolutely fabulous, with a wonderful outside terrace overlooking the rooftops. We dumped our bags, checked into the WiFi, had a wee and off we went. We had an Aperol Spritz and some free tapas on Campo Di Fiori, Yum! Then we did a bit of food shopping before having a walk around the Jewish Quarter and Trastevere, there seems to be lots going on, live music, beat boxing, people out and about enjoying their Friday night. We wandered back to the apartment and sat out in the terrace having a catch up then as we were both knackered we went off to bed.

I am so happy to be back in Rome, one of my absolute favourite places.

Today, Saturday, we were up and out by 9am. I think early morning is the best time to see the city, as it starts to wake up and before it gets crazy busy! Al and I have walked our socks off! We have seen so much already, it fantastic. We’ve seen the Pantheon, (my favourite)the Trevi Fountain (also my Favourite!) the Spanish Steps, from the top of which has a stunning view. We then walked up and through the beautiful and peaceful Borghese Gardens which seems to be a particularly popular place for families and their dogs. It is one of the largest open spaces in Rome covering 200 acres. It was wonderful just ambling through listening to some acoustic guitar, people watching and enjoying the sunshine. We walked back down into Piazza Del Popolo and just as we found somewhere to sit and have a drink it started to rain, luckily it didn’t last long and we continued on our way.

We stopped to have some lunch, got slightly done on the cost of a plate of vegetables and the water, I asked for Tap water, we got a bottle of water (which I’m pretty sure came out of the tap) and were charged 4 euros! Hey ho, you live and learn.

We did pop into a lovely little shop that was offering free tastings of Limoncello!! Another favourite😍

A fabulous start to this part of the adventure!

Ciao Xxx

After the bus fiasco I was thankful to have the truck to drive on Tuesday, although I spent most of the day at the hairdressers! The salon is lovely, I had my hair done here last year and they did a beautiful job on the colour, so I showed them the photos, they also had my details on file, so absolutely no reason why The colour shouldn’t have been the same, except that it isn’t!! It’s close but not close enough, it looks a little lack lustre to me, darker  I wanted and the cuts a little ‘fluffy’ but what can you do? Suck it up, smile, pay then go home and have a little cry.

After Rebecca and Chris got home from work, Rebecca and I went out for a lovely Mum and daughter drink by the beach. It was fabulous to have a few hours just chatting and being together. We wanted to watch the sunset but the weather had other ideas, more rain, strong winds and clouds, but being the typical English people we are, we still sat outside (under an awning) being dropped on watching the storm! We then went home had a lovely family meal and watched the last of our Lord of the Rings films, well myself  Georgia & Grantley did, Rebecca and Chris had to ditch it halfway through to get some sleep! It’s aloud long film 😳

Today is my last day in Bunbury and so I decided to give the Whales one last chance themselves! There is a fantastic Whale lookout down at Cape Natraliste, there where lots of Whales spotted on Sunday, so I was pretty hopeful. Georgia & Grantley came with me and we set of for the 90 minute drive at 8.30. The weather was looking good when we set off but got slightly less pleasant as we approached the Cape. We were pretty lucky  and the rain held off while we walked to the Lookout point and for the nearly 2hrs we stood there looking out at the vast, apparently Whale free Ocean!! Nothing, nada, not a bloody thing! I swear the Whales have conspired against me. I had visions of them all going past us deep under water giving me the finger!! It was not to be I leave Australasia Whaleless. 😢

Apart from the  lack of Whales it has been fantastic here. I’ve loved being with my Gorgeous Family, having adventures, relaxing and just being together! I’m so proud of them all. The life that Rebecca and Chris have made for themselves here is amazing, they work so hard and have achieved so much and their journey continues. Georgia has had an up and down year but has bounced back, made changes and is doing brilliantly. Grantley has also worked hard this year and is about to embark on his next chapter, University, studying a subject that he loves and that he excels in, he is going to smash it!

Im now sitting at Perth Airport waiting to board my flight to Singapore, then on to London before starting my next adventure in Italy! I’ll be sharing this part with the fabulous Alison and the wonderful Hayley. Can’t wait for the Italian sunshine!

For now I’m going to drink my Jack Daniels and try to enjoy my 18hrs of flying!! 😬😳

See you on the other Side!!

xx

Apologies for the long delay in writing my blog!! I’ve been busy chilling and having relaxing time.

So, let’s catch up!

It’s been a week since my last blog. During that time we have done and seen lots as well as relaxing.

We had an epic dinner on Monday made by Georgia, a yummy vegetarian Pie with Mash and Veg, georgia did an amazing job! It is now her Go To dish.

I have had a couple of nice short bike rides, just around the local area and to the shops, the weather hasn’t been great.

On Wednesday when Rebecca and Chris finished work we all headed brown to the beach inlet, called Kobana, where they have brilliant outdoor public gas BBQ’s to use free of charge! It’s a great idea, they are right on the beach with public toilets (Clean) and children’s play park, also a rather handy Bar! (Which we didn’t go in! Surprise Surprise) We had a fabulous time cooking up our meal watching the sun set and just enjoying being together and being outside.

Rebecca and I helped out Rebecca’s friend Lorraine by Baby Sitting one evening.

It was wonderful to see Lorraine again. Lorraine’s parents  used to live next door to us when I was growing up in Stevenage. Chris & Norman and their children Stuart & Lorraine lived next door for the whole time we were at Leslie Close. As happens people gradually move away but we saw Chris and Norman  occasionally and Lorraine ended up living next door to my sister Kathleen for a little while. I hadn’t seen Chris & Norman for a long while when i bumped into Norman in of all places ‘Farmfoods’ 😬we chatted and I said that my Rebecca was emigrating to Australia, Bunbury in WA and he said that Lorraine and her husband lived there!!! How totally random and pretty coincidental! We put them in touch with each other and Lorraine and her Husband Jason have been friends of Rebecca and Chris ever since! What a bloody small world.

On Friday after work we all headed down to a lovely bar by the port, called Mash, we had a few drinks before popping to the Fish & Chip Shop! But this is no ordinary Fish & Chip Shop, oh no! This one is bloody amazing! The fish I had was Golden Snapper, which was delicious. They are licensed, which was a bonus! It really is a fab place. It must be mobbed in the summer! As it was we were out of there and on our way home by 8.30! Such Party Animals! 😂on our way home there was a storm out at sea so we parked up and watched the lighting, huge flashes and forks going right across the horizon it was awesome! When we were home and all tucked up in bed, the storm must have reached us because there were to of the loudest Thunder claps I’ve ever heard!! Loud enough and scary enough to make me get out of bed and climb in with Georgia for a minute or 2! 😳Epic.

On Saturday we all drove down the coast to Cape Naturaliste  and a place called Bunker Bay. It is a spectacular bay, in fact the whole area is stunning! We had an unbelievable meal at the Bunker Bay Cafe on the beach, stunning food, great wine, cocktails, Perfect.

Our Sunday was spent doing lovely normal things like laundry, cleaning, DIY, film watching followed by a proper Roast Dinner! What makes it so special is being able to do this all together! The perfect Sunday!

Today, Monday, Chris needed the truck so as I had a few things to do in town I decided to get the bus, the bike was out as it was heavy rain showers every 5 mins! So I checked the bus times, the stop is at the end of the road. I walked to the bus stop with 10 mins to spare, the bus was due at 11.18. I sat in the bus shelter and at 11.20 a bus sailed past me on the other side of the road, I tried to wave it down but it just kept going. I looked around and up and down the road, I couldn’t see a bus stop on the opposite side, so I continued to wait, then after 15mins another bus sailed past on the opposite side, and had the bloody audacity to wave at me! By now I’ve been at the bus stop for 35 mins. 10 mins later a bus stopped at my stop, Yeah!! Unfortunately he wasn’t going to the town (no shit!) at this point I wanted to cry, I explained what was happening and the driver, a lovely South African offered to drive me free of charge to a bus stop that would actually take me to the town. This he did, I then had to wait a further 35 mins for the next bus (FFS) the bus arrived on time and the driver informed everyone, yes, he was going to the town but via every single bloody street in South Bunbury! 🤦‍♀️I asked for a Return and jumped on, finally arriving in Town 2hrs after leaving the house (for some perspective, it takes 6mins to drive from the house to town!) The driver also informed me and indeed pointed out the ‘Bus Stop’ opposite to where I had been waiting, now when I say ‘Bus Stop what I actually mean is a tiny 2ft high pole that is almost invisible to the fucking naked eye!! I’ll be honest I did have a little bit of the hump, not then helped in the nail shop where I sat for 30 mins with my feet in a rapidly cooling foot spa while the staff chatted and generally moved about like sloths! Then proceeded to do my pedicure at the speed of fucking light!! I swear I saw sparks flying from the nail file! 😳

After this I was ready to go home, I debated getting a taxi but decided to brave the buses once again. I was greeted at the bus station by a lady waving her shoes around, screaming at everyone! The bus arrived, on time again! I got on showed my return ticket only to be told that it had expired 30 mins ago….WTAF!! I asked, politely, how that could be possible and was told that the return last 2hrs, I pointed out that the bus only runs every hour at which the driver said, yep, you gotta be quick! I sighed, loudly (a little passive aggressive, but better than the alternative which was to scream and stamp my feet!) the driver, bless him, another lovely South African said, hey no worries sit yourself down,  then proceeded to make some very funny quips at my expense to all the people who got on after me! Suffice to say Bunbury Buses, you need to sort your shit out, but your drivers are bloody awesome!

I am now writing this, making a Dahl, having a glass of wine, smiling because I’ll have the truck tomorrow, so no more buses for me!!!

That’s all for now guys.

Xxxxxxx

Our Flight to Bunbury from Adelaide was fine, only 31/2 hrs, we were fed and watered! And arrived  in Perth around 5.15.  It was wonderful to see Georgia and Chris who had come to pick u all up.  So good to be all together again.

We have had a great few days, catching up, doing normal life things, like food shopping. I feel it will be good for me to be in the same place for more than 2 nights!!  It will give me a little bit of time to catch my breath and relax.

Rebecca and Chris have been working extremely hard in their home, they have had a new kitchen, bathroom and done other jobs, it’s looking fabulous but there is still more things to get done, so still a work in progress, but looking amazing.

Rebecca loves her garden and it shows, lots of fabulous succulent plants, cacti, shrubs and best of all a very popular Bird Feeder which attracts the Lorikeets, a native brightly coloured parrot trope bird. It’s fun to just sit in the garden watching them. Yesterday morning I heard a Honking noise and there was an Ibis on the TV Ariel!!

Over the weekend we went to see ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’ which was really good and provoked a great deal of discussion….😀

We also visited a fantastic Cafe/Winery/Pizza Place called  ‘Ferguson Falls Cafe’ We had been there last year and the Pizzas are delicious. It was my treat for Rebecca, Georgia and Grantley’s Birthdays, which I missed. So I drove us all home. Rebecca and Chris have really embraced the whole Aussie Lifestyle and are now the proud owners of a proper Aussie UTE!!! It’s large and long, but I managed to drive it without a problem…go me!! 👍

So far today, I’ve had a little lie in! Then Georgia and I walked to the hairdressers to make a hair appointment for me, then I had a little cycle around on Rebecca’s bike. Now I’m chilling at the house, watching and listening to the birds, reading my book and writing this blog. The plan for the coming week will be more of the same. Perhaps a longer bike ride, and a day at the beach, scanning the horizon for Whales (they are often spotted just off the beach) I’m hoping my luck with Whales this trip is going to change and I’ll finally see one!!

Have a great day. Xxx

After another snuggly warm nights sleep in Whoop Whoop it was up and out to drive to Mount Gambier in Southern Australia.

We had a few places to stop along the way. It is our longest section so far.

The weather wasn’t great but brighter and less windy than yesterday, we made stops at London Bridge, The Arch and The Bay of Islands. All of which are amazing free standing sandstone rock pillars, that have been formed over time by the sea, wind and rain. They are stunning, it’s quite eerie standing on the Sandstone Rock looking at the power of nature and realising that where you’re standing won’t even be here in years to come. Although the weather was better when your standing by the Ocean the wind was fearsome!! 💨🥶

We then stopped at Logan’s Beach. A great spot for seeing the Southern Wright Whales with their young. We stayed as long as possible being battered by the wind and saw bloody nothing!! The whales are really eluding me on this trip…😢

We continued on our way to our next stop; Port Fairy. This was a really quaint old coastal town, that looked super cute. After our now obligatory look in all the Op & Book Shops we grabbed a coffee and cake from ‘Rebecca’s Cafe’ 😍Then made our way to Griffiths Island, with a lighthouse and a breeding found for Shearwater seabirds. The island is just at the end of the river in Port Fairy.

We took a walk around the island, which takes approx 1hr, it was so stunning, the sea was such spectacular colours especially against the rocks and greenery. Luckily there is a breakwater around parts of the island otherwise the sea would have made it to rough to walk around.

It was a beautiful walk. And good to stretch our legs before the long drive to Mount Gambier. Before heading off Rebecca had found a great place to have some lunch, The Time and Tide Cafe, which was right in the Ocean. OMG! It was so gorgeous, like a little bit of France in the middle of Australia, the decor was beautiful and they had this amazing cake display that was all made from crocheting! The food was also fab! 

The drive was fine, along a large highway with a few big trucks, but to be honest you have the road to yourself most of the time, which is weird!

This is the road that takes you into South Australia from Victoria and we had to stop and get rid of some apples and a banana we had in the car!!! (I accidentally smuggled a contraband Tomato across state lines!! 😳😬) also the time changes and goes 30 mins forward, another weird thing.

We arrived at our accommodation around 5ish, this was a large villa, chalet, with goodies, well breakfast stuff, cereal, bread, jam etc, but welcome all the same.

We read the welcome pack and discovered there was a restaurant 600 meters down the road so decided not to make the pasta we had but instead trek down a dark, cold, snake infested track to get some steak. It was yummy, the wine was also yummy. Our return walk seemed much shorter and much more fun! And no one got lost or bitten😂😂

We had a more leisurely morning and set of towards Mount Gambier itself to have a look at The Blue Lake and a large Sinkhole Garden. The garden was interesting, planted and designed in the 1900s inside a huge natural sinkhole. The Blue Lake is not huge but it’s inside a crater made by volcanic activity. It was quite blue, but apparently around September it turns vivid turquoise blue, and nobody really knows why!

We then left Mount Gambier and headed towards Robe, then Kingston a pretty straight drive which takes you inland and away from the Ocean. We grabbed a coffee and a photo in Robe then on the way to Kingston, who’s claim to fame is a huge statue of a Lobster 🦞Random.. we had lunch , fish and Grantley had Flake, a kind of fish which was delicious, we later learnt this is gummy shark, who knew!

From Kingston the route takes you through the Coorong National Park, you drive for miles and miles through Bush with the Ocean on the left obscured by the sand dunes, you have to be vigilant for Kangaroos and also Wombats (we saw neither, although we did see a fox) Once again there is little or no traffic, just the Bush, the road and you. Our next stop was in Meningie, a tiny little one street town by a huge lake. We were staying just outside in a stunning Chalet Airbnb, which was gorgeous, the owners had left us homemade bread and wine, milk, tea etc, the log burner was going and they had WiFi total luxury. It was a wonderful place next to another large lake, which we walked along and spotted some Pelicans and a few Kangaroos 😍

This is our last night of the road trip, so to celebrate we all stayed up till at least 9.30 😂😂we played Triminoes, which is like Dominoes but harder and more triangular!! 😂It involves some strategic thinking apparently, so Grantley won!!

This morning we had a great drive up to Adelaide, with quite changeable scenery, flat, then rolling hills, then huge hills!!

I am now sitting at the airport waiting for our flight to Perth. I finally get to see my Gorgeous Georgia and the lovely Chris, so excited 😍😍

This road trip has been completely fantastic, so many stunning things to see, we have driven over 1000ks and had lots of laughs, eaten some great food, seen a multitude of native Australian birds, animals and flora and Fauna. I have loved it, loved spending time with my best Big Big Girl and my Best Boy. Rebecca did an awesome job planning and organising it. Thank you my darling.

That’s it from the Great Ocean Road. See you in WA! 😘😘

A good nights sleep despite the wind and rain, the bedding was lovely and warm, unlike the chalet! Which to be fair warms up quickly once the fire is on. We had a pretty leisurely start to the morning, having. Wander and making breakfast. We were joined for Breakfast by several Cockatoos and some Australian Crow/magpies, who were pretty friendly and allowed us to hand them some food, they seemed quite fond of the cheese twist not so much the crusts of bread, fussy!

The weather looked a little mixed, with some blue skies and also clouds.

We headed off in the direction of Lorne and to check out Erskine Falls. On the way we stopped at Teddy’s Lookout to get a fantastic vista of the forest and the Ocean.

Erskine Falls were beautiful, falling from quite a height through the forest. There was a walkway and steps down, and I decided to go approx 3/4s of the way down, it was very steep, wet and slippy!

We then stopped in Lorne for a coffee and to get some WiFi (no wifi for over 12hrs and we were getting twitchy!!)  Great little Coffee Shop, with a very Cute Barista!! We stayed long enough to update all of our social media, let people know we were still alive, then we set off again on The Great Ocean Road towards Apollo Bay. The drive was absolutely gorgeous! The Ocean was much wilder than the day before and the colours were stunning, we passed alongside rugged cliffs and then lush green fields. Apollo Bay is a beautiful town, right on the Ocean, with beaches and a lovely selection of shops and cafes. We had an obligatory rifle through the Opp Shop, Grantley found a very cool Diesel Jacket and 2 shirts for $17 Bargin….he was extremely chuffed. We picked up some provisions from the supermarket and set off again. The Great Ocean Road takes you inland at this point, through the Great Otway National Park, it’s very scenic but quite windy and twisty. I had offered to drive, which was fine until we got stuck behind some complete moron, who’s driving was atrocious. He was all over the place then breaking for no reason, slowing down, then speeding up at any overtaking spots…arse. I eventually managed to overtake approx 2ks before we arrived at our destination 😃😃

Our Accommodation for the next 2 nights is the cutest little Cottage, called ‘Whoop Whoop’ it has a stunning view across the valley and down to the sea. It’s also had a lovely little flock of sheep and lambs, some wonderful birds and an amazing starry sky.

We made dinner, sausages, tomatoes, avocado and bread! Played a couple of games of Snakes and Ladders then we all got a very early night.

Rebecca and I had set an alarm so that we could be up in time to,see the sunrise (7.06) unfortunately due to the low cloud and rain we saw naff all!! It did mean that we got to have a fab chilled morning, chatting and drinking tea. 😍

Our plan for today was to go and see the 12 Apostles, a series of large Sandstone and Limestone Cliffs  that have been eroded over time by the wind, rain and the sea, to create these towering rock stacks. Then we were going on an Artisan Food Tour.

The 12 Apostles are magnificent, the colours in them are beautiful, the sea was pretty wild today as well which was great in one way not so good for us, as it meant, rain, strong winds and coldness. We are hoping to go back tomorrow first thing when the weather is better (fingers crossed)

After our damp visit we drove to Port Campbell for coffee and to warm up. Then we were off on our Artisan Food Tour, first stop a Cheesery!! Yes! It was great, some interesting cheeses, with a German origin (not a bit of cheddar to be seen! 😬) From here we drove to a small town called Timboon and their fabulous Timboon Railway Shed Distillery. Wow, fabulous. A Whiskey Distillery, so Grantley was very happy! I didn’t try the Whiskey, but instead I had some Lemoncella, Strawberry Schnapps, and a Coffee Cream..Yum! We then had a gorgeous lunch here, lots of sharing nibbles, which were delicious, my favourite were the Arancini Balls! After this, because clearly we needed more to eat! We stopped and had some local Ice Cream, Maple and Cinnamon for me, Raspberry & White Chocolate for Becca and Whiskey Cream (no surprise there) for Grantley. After this we got a little lost on our way to the next stop and drove 30ks to find our way back! Was it worth it?? Well it was a Fudge Shop, so I’d say Yes. 😂😂Our last stop was another Cheesery, some real crackers here, we bought a Garlic Havarti and a kind of Camembert. So tonight’s dinner is sorted.

We are now back in the cottage, watching the rain and listening to the wind howling round the cottage.

We have another early start tomorrow as our next accommodation is a fair drive away and we have stops to make, pictures to take, walks to walk and views to admire.

That’s all for now.

Xxxx

Another early start for us after a busy and fun time in Melbourne.

We were up and out by 8.30 and on our way to collect the car from Melbourne Airport.

Rebecca has organised the car, which turned out to be bigger than I expected, but lovely and comfy.

We loaded up and our Road Trip officially started!!

t doesn’t take long before the landscape changes, from flat and open to Ocean and cliffs!!

It’s so great to be able to spot different species of birds along the way, Cockatoos, Parrots and other lovely colourful ones. Our first stop was at Torquay. We followed the signs to the beach and ended up stopping at the best Dog Friendly  Beach Cafe; ‘The Salty Dog’ I have never seen so many gorgeous fluffy friendly dogs in a cafe! It was so cute. We had a drink, spent a fair while petting the various dogs 😍Then walked for a while on the beach. The weather was gorgeous, blue skies and sunshine.

On our itinerary was a short coast walk from Bird Rock lookout to Bells Beach. This was a stunning coast walk, through the Bush by the side of the Southern Ocean! The colour of the sea was stunning, greens, blues and aqua marine. The path was pretty busy, lots of walkers, surfers, joggers and mountain bikers….they’re a fit lot here!! 😍the weather over the Ocean was great but not so good coming from inland, we managed to make it back to the car just before the heavens opened.

From here we drove along the coast road towards Lorne, which is where our first stay is. We stopped at a few more places along the way. A memorial Arch commemorating the building of The Great Ocean Road and some other look out spots. The views are gorgeous, hills and greenery on one side and the beautiful Ocean on the other. We even managed to see a couple of rainbows 🌈

Our camp for the night is ‘Cumberland River Park ‘ as we pulled in I saw my first Kangaroos of the trip!! A small family of 3 with a little Joey. I also saw my first Kookaburra!! I bloody love Kookaburras, so this was fantastic!! Our site is gorgeous, tucked in a river gorge, with cliffs, forest and a babbling river….idyllic.

We have absolutely not WiFi or phone signal, so I’m writing this in my notes, in the hopes that I can copy and paste tomorrow at some point!

Tonight we are cooking dinner, chicken,  potatoes and salad, planning our day tomorrow and playing cards.

It’s been a fantastic start to our Road Trip, the weather has been kind, the road has been winding but true and the company awesome.

G’day mates.

❤️❤️❤️

PS the copy and paste worked! Currently sitting in a cute Coffee Shop, with an even Cuter Barista!! 😃 X