Rugby in Rome

Match day arrived and after a rainy start the weather decided to behave. We started the day by meeting H & P and dragging them to one of my favourite things in Rome, the garden fresco from the villa of Livia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_of_Livia. Then it was off to see the rugby. 

We shared a tram to the Olympic Stadium with all the mad characters you expect with an England game. There were Morris men, Knights, a King Richard or two and a few "damsels" . The atmosphere was fantastic. The Italians were in good voice and we were also treated to a song or two on our way to the match. 

When we got into the stadium we were met with a very good Queen tribute band which soon had us all dancing. There was a fly past by a couple of large helicopters, some very fancy marching and gun waving by the army, the anthems and then we were off! 

Any rugby fan will know how the game went. I was sorry Italy didn't get a try, they deserved it. The fans were amazing and the brass band that suddenly sprang to life behind us kept us all amused. 

All in all it was a great day, and I would happily come here again for a rugby match. 

Heading south.

On the whole the train trip experiment has gone very well. We arrived in Rome on time and the Italian trains were excellent. The only leg of the journey I would not be in a hurry to repeat was the SNCF sleeper from Cologne to Zurich. First of all it was almost an hour late arriving in Cologne. We gave up standing on a very cold platform and went looking for warmth in the very large station complex. This was OK except that all the seats had been taken up by the local homeless population who were bedding down for the night! Then, for reasons unknown, we were woken up at 5:30, 6:30 and 7 am to be told we would not be arriving in Zuric at 8 am, but would be an hour late. On the upside the bed was very comfortable, but we were exhausted when we got to Zurich. 

So from the overpriced, least satisfactory part of the journey, to the cheapest and by far the best value leg. Zuric to Milan was lovely. The train was bang on time and the scenery was stunning. Milan to Rome was amazing. The train averaged 250 km/hr, and at one point hit 299km/hr (188 miles/hr) we traveled further than London to Edinburgh in 3 hours. Put that in your pipe and smoke it Network rail! 

Roamin' to Rome

For reasons too boring to go into, I had the bright idea that rather than fly to Rome like any normal couple, we would go by train. The objective of the trip is to watch Italy play England in the 6 Nations. It so happens it is also Valentine's Day on Sunday but to be honest I didn't realise this when I booked the trip.
So at 7:30 this morning we set off on our epic trip. Virgin trains took us to London in just over 2 hours. A short stroll to St Pancras and we boarded the train to Brussels.  Another 2 hours and we had zipped though northern France and we were in Belgium.  Honestly Londoners have no idea how lucky they are. The continent is a mere hop, skip and a jump away!
A quick change in Brussels and another two and a bit hours and we arrived in Colone, or should I say Köln, at 16:15. The plan was to break our trip here.
As you walk out of the station the first thing you see is the Cathedral. It is an impressive building but could do with a bit of a clean. I think it is a work in progress as a little bit has been done and it is a beautiful white stone. The Old Town well, isn't that old as far as I can see. Perhaps most was destroyed in the war ( must Google that later ) . The street plan looks old but not the buildings. The main street is a shoppers paradise. A lot of the shops were familiar and one old friend C&A; I almost went in for old times sake. They have a different take on street life here, a homeless lady with a pig and a busker with a grand piano! 
We wandered down to have a look at the Rhine and the had a wonderful hot chocolate at a cafe called Fassbender.  It is a very elegant circular building inside.
Somehow I managed to keep my lentan promise and said no to the cakes. Boy was that hard. After another wander we found the 4711 building where the Eau de Cologne comes from; who'd have guessed. It is a smell that reminds me of my Nanna.
We had dinner in what I suppose is the German equivalent of a local pub. Certainly the clientele were local and known to the staff. The food was filling and not expensive. I had potato rosti with salmon and hubby had beef with red cabbage and potatoe dumplings, which looked very suggestive with a red jam type stuff on top. I shall leave that one to your imagination. 
So now we are sitting in Starbucks at the station,using their wifi while we wait to board the sleeper to Zurich.  Night all.

Sounds of Venice

One of the things I have noticed in our travels, is that everywhere has its own smell. That is also true of Venice.  It smells of garlic and sea. Something else I have noticed is that it sounds different.  Some things you would expect, lapping water and church bells. Instead of traffic  noise there is the blare of the vaporetto 's horns and the reversing of their engines as they dock. The sound that is somewhat unexpected is the click click click of luggage wheels on the pavement.  It is only at airports I have seen so many people with wheelie luggage!

Venice a water wonderland.

VENICE

Last time we were in Venice was on our honeymoon, over 20 years ago. I thought it nice at the time but preferred Florence. It is wonderful to be back and this time we love the city. Where else can you get off a plane, then travel to you apartment by boat? We are staying in the Cannaregio. This is the northernmost area of the city and it has a very "local" feel to it. Yes there are areas thick with tourists, but turn a corner and the crowds just melt away.

Our apartment is on the Canal di Cannaregio. It seems to be a main route into the city. Everything is shipped in and out by boat. There are lots of water buses, boats with cargo, boats to pick up the rubbish. Today we saw a mail boat, funeral boat and one which was an ambulance.

For a place with no roads, you do a great deal of walking. We did one of my favourite things to do in a new city, the local free walking tour. This lasted almost 3 hours and took us around the Cannaregio, and across the Grand Canal to San Polo and Santa Croche. We haven't even made it as far as St Marc's yet! One of the problems crossing the Grand Canal is that there are not that many bridges. No problem, use a gondola. €2 for a 30 second hair raising ride. Well worth it!.

 Before you get one, some help may be a good idea.

Wet, in Bruges

The next morning the heavens opened. We had come prepared as we had checked the weather before we left home. Never mind, first stop The Historium .  It was a little creepy I thought. The sleeping animatronic bishop certainly frightened a small child in the group. It was an interesting snapshot of medieval Bruges and you could get a wonderful panoramic view of the Grote Markt

 Next stop was Choco Story. It was actually an interesting museum with free samples and a demonstration on how to make pralines. Did you know that it is OK to store your chocolate in the fridge, in an air tight box. But when you want to eat it, leave it in the box for an hour before you tuck in...some chance! I also liked the story of the Spanish ladies who were stopped from drinking their cacoa during mass by the bishop. He was poisoned! 

After lunch we joined a free walking tour. I love these tours. Simon is a local with excellent English  ( everyone we met spoke about 4 languages ) We spent 2 hours dodging rain showers and learning about this beautiful city, from a little village besieged regularly by Vikings, to a very rich medieval port, to its final downfall into obscurity in the 15th century. The start of its decline was when they imprisioned the Emporer Maximiilan and executed his friend Lanchlas. Max was not at all happy and as his mate's name is very like the Flemish for long neck, he decreed the city must always have swans on the canals, oh and yes he moved the commercial centre to Antwerp. He did us all a favour because as the city fell into decline, there was no money for new building. So we have a beautiful medieval city to visit today. After such an interesting day, we went to dry out and sample another beer or three. 

My abiding memories of Bruges will be the smell of waffles and the sound of bells. The bells of the town hall even played " It's a long way to Tipperary " amongst other tunes, at random times. And while we call it Bruges, to the locals its Brugge. 

A weekend in Belgium

–We are having a new kitchen so cooking is impossible, so why not pop over to Brugge for the weekend? The flight to Brussels is only an hour and Bruges is 1 1/2 hours on the train, a doddle then. Er so why did it take 7 hours door to door? I booked in online, then we headed for the airport. Manchester security is a nightmare. Every time we go it is something different. This time my ziplock with the fluid stuff in was too big, and Phil had solids and liquids in his, a no no; oh and only one bag per person. Aagh! Ok made it through, calm down and have a coffee. The flight was then delayed.

We just missed a train, so had to wait 45 mins for the next. Nothing major, so why did the trip take so long? I really don't know. But we got to Bruges safely, and checked into our hotel, the Hotel Jan Brito. It is lovely. http://www.janbrito.com it is a 16th century building. We were in a room at the back with a clever lift in the courtyard, so it doesn't spoil the lovely old building. 

The sun was shining so we quickly went off to explore. A boat trip along the canals, was a lovely way of introducing ourself to the city. We then went for a walk and came across a group dancing in the Fish Market. It seems there is dancing there during the summer, folk on Friday, salsa on Saturday and Argentine tango on Sunday. It was brilliant to watch. Even a downpour was not able to stop them. I was so tempted to join in, but they all looked like they knew what they were doing. So we had a beer!