Bobandcarmen

The last few days have been interesting, after returning from Zermatt we have spent time mushroom picking in the forest, done an exclusive visit to one of Switzerland's Nuclear Power plants, spent a day walking around in the biggest city here, Zurich, visited the largest waterfall in Europe the Rhine Falls and this afternoon visited a most unusual celebration of the Pumpkin at a farm which puts on this market with heaps of displays that follow a theme. This years was dinosaurs so I got heaps of photos for the boys, there's pumpkins of every shape and size for sale. People buy them by the wheelbarrow, must have lots of cows to feed I guess. There's a plenty food for sale and even cider! Very interesting, one of those occasions when I find myself a little ... read more

Zermatt We have now returned from the last big adventure, its winding down now. Last entry we were on the way to St Moritz, we got into there about 3.30 Had a good walk around in the daylight, up the hill above town and around the lake. It's a picture perfect town but a bit too ritzy for me. Apart from the cold and the scenery, the first thing you notice around these parts in the prices.  Must be one of the most expensive places in Europe. We leave early in the morning on the Glacier Express, billed as the worlds slowest express train, for 8hours it winds it's way through mountains, valleys, tunnels and across very impressive bridges to the town of Zermatt, at the foot of the famous Matterhorn. The train has a ... read more

Today we arrived back in Zurich and our now staying back with friends in Bad Zurack. The train ride was spectacular, winding through mountains in and out of tunnels, with snow Capped mountain, lakes, valleys, waterfalls, mountain rivers, truly wonderful. Tomorrow the plan is to go into the Black Forest where Carmen tells me she may leave me with the Witch from Hansel and Gretel fame, if I'm a bad boy that is! ... read more

Third day in Venice, we leave tomorrow and with stay in someplace called Como, near the Italian Swiss border. It's on a big lake and is somewhere Carmens been before, there is nothing about it in the Lonely planet. Which does mean much because we only have the guide for western Europe, a big brick of a book short on detail. We have spent much time walking this canal city built on all these some 170 little islands, we visited some of the things to see round here and Had a interesting time. The lonely planet says " Stroll late at night to feel an eerie atmosphere, redolent of dark passions and dark secrets " Well we did that well and truly last night, it's strange to make your way through this maze of a place ... read more

Verona We have just spent the last two days in Verona, it was a bit of a quieter time than what we have been up to lately. We took and extra day in Verona, caught  Up on washing and saw the sights of the city. I was attracted to Verona as a destination first for the Roman history here, The 3rd largest Roman amphitheatre is here it's a massive structure that holds 20000 the evening we arrived Peter Gabriel was doing his thing and the Arena as the amphitheater as it is known was the venue and about 100 meters from our hotel. We walked the streets, bridges, saw more churches, the Roman theater on the other side of the river and of course Juilets house. For those who don't know the Shakespeare play Romeo and ... read more

Marseille We traveled from Paris across France to Marseille Frances 2nd largest city, also a seaside port city like Hamburg in these two regards however except for there being heaps of seafood and fish they couldn't be more different. Marseille is an ancient port city, for a 1000 years ships have docked here, but it's on the Mediterranean sea and Marseille is a melting pot of cultures. There's a strong north African influence, the markets back up the hill from Vieux port are described as souk like, were incredible. I walked around the area in the Belsunce quarter a few times.  What made Marseille different from anywhere else we have been outside of Switzerland is here we caught up with an Internet friend Annie who I knew through our common music obsessions. Annie runs a web ... read more

Well we had a fine time in Paris, we got to most of the places we wanted to and ate and drank our way around the city. We stayed in the Latin Quarter in a hotel we found after trying about 20 I think, it's a good idea to book ahead kids if your trying to stay here in September. We found a place that was good any way, it only had 1 night to start but it became 3 with a cancelation. We saw Paris from the Eiffel tower at sunset, we picnicked on the lawn at Sacre -coeur, climbed to the top of the Notre dame Cathedral, walked under the arc triomphe, ate our way around the Latin quarter, walked through the Paris Catacombs And so much more. We leave early in the morning ... read more

We arrived in Paris late,9.30 on Monday night and have found a hotel near the train station we arrived at. It's a fair way from where we want to be but by the time we got out of the station it was 10 at night and we will relocate in the morning now. Hamburg was great, saw many great things and it was very different from anywhere else we had been. The side trip to Elmshorn was very interesting and the whole experience has enlighten me to where some of my ancestors came from and what a huge change Australia would have been. Time for some sleep! ... read more

Our 2nd full day in Berlin was a follow the wall day, starting in Potsdamer place we walked to the former site of the SS and Gestapo headquarters where the Topographie Des Terrors is, a open air display of photos and text Detailing the rise and fall of the Nazi's. Built on the ruins of the former headquarters and beside a section of the wall. Next we continued the trail to the Famous Checkpoint Charlie, an incredible orgy of tourism, with tour groups and busses, shops and museums. We continued to follow the wall which is mostly only a trail of bricks side by side in the ground now, marking where it once stood, dividing the city , families, loved ones for such a long time.passed houses which were used a bases to dig tunnels to ... read more

Big day seeing the Berlin sights, we took the train to Potsdamer place were we saw the Glass domed Sony centre, then took the fastest lift in Europe to the top of the100m high panorama observation deck , for views 360 around the city. We did a tourist west east border crossing complete with all the stamps and visas. We walked then to the former site of hitlers bunker, where he committed suicide.Then round the corner to The holocaust memorial a remarkable place, 2711 concrete pillars of different heights set over a 19000 sq meter expanse, grey and somber. We walked back up to the Bandenburg gate and there found a bloke who took horse drawn buggy rides through old Berlin. So we fulfilled a long held ambition of Carmen's to do that for a 1/2hr ... read more