Shelley Beach once more

Never tire of early morning walks through the park to Shelley beach. Watching the surfers as they do their morning run, eager to catch the waves as the sun comes up!

Fab to be able to recognise the flowers and know their names!

Walked up through Shelley and over the top to North Head with Caleb. Watched the dolphins play climbed through the secret wall on up to the rock pools, where the frogs croaked contentedly in their new pool.

Birthday gals nail it!

Loved being able to celebrate Diana's birthday... what a great cook she is!

Rediscovered Manly Wine Bar.... Martinis and Manicures - now that is a fab idea!

Back to the Opera

Seems like all the orchestras have guest conductors at the moment. Benjamin Schmid did a great job both conducting and on the violin. Missed Richard Tognetti.

Good program.

BACH Concerto for two violins, BWV1043
SCHUBERT Rondo in A, D438
KORNGOLD Lento religioso (from Symphonic Serenade)
HK GRUBER Violin Concerto, “Nebelsteinmusik” (Australian Premiere)
LANNER Waltzes: Die Werber & Die Romantiker
BREINSCHMID Jazz: Musette pour Elisabeth & Wien Bleibt Krk (Australian Premiere)

Helena Rathbone Violin

Oh my goodness Caleb!

While we were cheerfully going to composting courses, upgrading our computer skills and playing golf, Caleb was going through an amazing life experience. An aneurysm of the brain. What a scare for us all. One minute everything is fine and then it is off in the ambulance to Neurosurgery and intensive care.

All looking well. Bravo Caleb we are so proud of you.

Eco fun

We know how to have fun......went to the tip, to do a course in composting and all that kind of stuff. Now have a very successful compost, worm farm and veggie garden.

September in Manly

So back to Manly. Great being back, spent a day doing the things we love. Walking on the beach at daybreak, breakfast on the verandah... and getting our birthday presents... for Roger "potty putter" from Caleb

Yeah finished 2011 travel blog!

Hey... This is an all time first. I managed to finish my travel blog!

We returned from Thailand to Manly..... ready to relax but of course you all know the story from there.

So now to the future .........we have just booked our trip for 2012 and it looks VERY exciting!

We have booked with Royal Jordanian airlines so we can go to Petra and Amman. Can't wait to float in the Dead Sea.

Then onto France to pick up our home exchange. They sound a really lovely family.

We then go to Cuba before heading back to our Derbyshire cottage.

Usual mad rush for Christmas, weather is warming up so all is well.

Temples glorious temples

No trip to Bankok is complete without a temple visit. We ducked through stormy squalls to visit one of the most famous temples. Absolutely stupendous. At first we didn't know what the tinkling sound was... and then realised. Hundreds of coins being dropped into metal dishes lining the temple!

Everything to order

What do you want? It's all there in Thailand. Mail order bride? Original oil painting where you are the centrepiece of a Renoir, Goya or even a Picasso.

Sadly we were just boring and chose the tailoring option... new trousers and shirts!

Mmmm not a bad choice!

Bangkok

From the austerity of Dachau to the colour and luxury of Bangkok. My how it has changed over the years. We were staying in a new hotel (hence the internet super price!). Totally luxurious with all the care to detail and attention ... typically Thai!

The weather was hot and stormy, watched the clouds gathering from the balcony in our room.

Dachau

Our trip to Munich took us past Dachau and so although we only had a short time, Roger decided to visit. A chilling experience walking across the bridge and through the infamous gates with the ironic phrase "work sets you free"

The systematic brutality of the people held there shook my belief in humanity. There was an ironic sign "never again" but brutality seems to be breeding around the world.

Amazing what you can do in 5 weeks!

We felt quite sad to be leaving Augsburg. It was such a good exchange and we were hoping that Wolf, Elke, Naomi and Lucy enjoyed Oz as much as we had Germany.

The Inter-rail pass was brilliant and even though we are exchanging cars next year I'm sure we will give it a go again.

We picked up a car from the station ready leave early the next day to drive up to Munich to catch our plane to Bangkok.

Wonder if we will ever visit Augsburg again.

Ulm

Crazy town renowned for having the tallest church tower and crookedest street. We loved it for its beautiful canals, picturesque houses and fab street art.

We were getting itchy feet though to travel on. Not that we didn't love Germany but Thailand and home and were calling!

The Fuggers of Augsburg

Back once more to our lovely apartment in Augsburg. ... as we only had a few days left we thought we really should explore the town!

We discovered the Fuggers, an enormously wealthy family in 1500's who created the first social settlement in the world. Basically they provided (and still do) housing for the poor. All the poor had to do was pray three times a day for their benefactors!

During the war the place was destroyed but has now been rebuilt.

Also discovered amazing confectionery and bakery, plus lots of street art. Funny how you explore the closest place last!

Fussen

We were so lucky with the weather ... dry and sunny while we explored the castles but then the weather changed once more to cool and rainy days. Fussen was the home of carving and the shops were crammed with thousands of them ... from tiny trinkets to HUGE religious carvings.

Neuschwanstein

Wow couldn't believe this place.........totally unliveable, whereas strangely Hohensschwangau had a homey feel! Ludwig built the place as a tribute to Wagner.........in summer over 6000 people per day go through..glad we missed the high season.

Mad King Ludwig

Of course no trip to Germany would be complete without a visit to Mad King Ludwig's fantasy castles. Maybe he wasn't so mad after all as these are Germany's biggest earners of tourist dollars. Lazily we got the horse drawn carriage up the mountain road to the first castle. Loved the view of Neuschwanstein perched on its hill and surrounded by clouds.

The castles kind of put Grand Designs into perspective don't they?

Salzburg

Had a wonderful time in Salzburg. Loved the mountains, colour and music. Did everything Mozart... even a concert in the Palace. Music a bit pedestrian but loved the atmosphere.

Even bought a Mozart pencil to mark my music score... sad but true!

Hildesheim

Fantastic evening in the old city square. Started off in the hot sun, sudden flurry of wind and rain and then as night fell the square came to life with music and fire dancers.

Truly amazing how the Germans have rebuilt and recreated their towns and cities! So hard to imagine the devastation that was there at the end of the war.

Hannover

Had a fab time in Hannover. Tanja and Kai stayed with us in the B & B in 2005. Kai was doing his Phd for a year at the Hydraulics Lab at Manly Dam. We really enjoyed their company. They came back to visit us in 2007 and we finally made it to visit them in 2011!

Since their visit Hannah Leja has arrived and what a bundle of fun she is. We had such a great time with them, walking through Hannover, yummy meals and of course we got to meet their family.

Go Berlin!

Such an amazing city.. art works, jazz, bars...stunning memorials, rap dancers and of course BEER! Loved the beer cycles. Not sure how some people would have coped after a few of those VERY large beers!

Walking the Wall

Did an incredible 4hr walk around Berlin with a great guide. Really brought the whole place alive.......so different to hearing about it on the news. Incomprehensible really... especially when you stand astride the path that was the wall that separated families.

Remember you can click on pictures to see them more clearly.

Flying bed.

Oh ho ho! Found this amazing hotel...About 37 rooms all with a different theme. We nearly booked the upside down room but ended up in the Flying Bed room!

Loved it... Great people. Breakfast in the 'rainforest' was fantastic. Gave everone the once over and tried to work out which room they had chosen!

Check it out. We had number 11. Wonder which one you would choose!

Reichstag moments

Had no idea how wonderful this building was. Incredible to walk up the sides of the building seeing the views outside and the incredible reflected images inside. Did I say that I LOVE Berlin!

Berlin

Loved the quirkiness and artworks of Berlin. Strange juxtoposition of communist and capitalist have led to an individualism... really LOVE this city.

Walked into an artists commune, full of graffiti, stoned people, beautiful architecture reduced to paint and pee!