http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/ThePalmers/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from ThePalmers en-us Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:19:22 BST Fri, 29 Aug 2008 19:19:22 BST We're backManaged a couple of naps on the several flights we needed to get home but figured out we slept about 6 hours out of 64 from when we got out of bed Wednesday morning in DubaiIt was great to see the folks waiting for us at the airport and we reckon you really need to get away from Australia for a bit just to appreciate what a great place it really is.We had an awesome 7 and a half we http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/blog-287166.html WellLast day of the honeymoon today. Not counting the one and a half days of constant travel we have just startedWe went to the 'Old' Gold Souk today which was pretty cool. There must have been several hundred jewelry shops that we saw with some serious bling in every single one of them.After that we went back the 'The Mall of the Emirates' to have a go at 'Ski Dubai'.We just couldn't get o http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/United-Arab-Emirates/Dubai/blog-286287.html Dubai wersquove decided is a must see destination.The amount of construction going on here is beyond description. By the time they finish what they have set out to do here in about 10 years it would be safe to say they will have built more buildings and infrastructure in 20 years than Melbourne Greater Melbourne has built in 150 years.In 1983 they had 20000 tourists pass through last yea http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/United-Arab-Emirates/Dubai/blog-285875.html Finally got some wireless access now we're back in London. Hopefully I'll get all the pics and Vids up that I want got 1.5 hours to upload 100Mb of stuffBe home in 6 days. Looking forward to Dubai but also looking forward to going to the best place on earth Australia. http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/United-Kingdom/England/Greater-London/Heathrow-Airport/blog-284964.html Last day in ItalyGot to the Borghese a few minutes late lsquocos we thought we didnrsquot need an alarm Ha. This was definitely the best of the museums we went to thanks again Chris and Rochelle for giving us the tips 61514Berlinnirsquos sculptures are sublime and I particularly remembered from Archi days and loved the paintings by Carravagio. Just a really great mix of Painti http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-284963.html This morning we went first off to the Colosseum. Itrsquos changed a little bit since I was last here they were doing conservation and renovation work last time I was here and they still are. They have put in a part of the timber floor again in the same style as it was originally I assume and are working on some of the upper walls etc. Perhaps they are going to put up the awnings etc as the http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-284961.html Today we got up packed our now 5 bags and got on the road for Rome. The Tom Tom did itrsquos job and got us to the Peugeot joint right on time. We said goodbye to our little Peugeot 207 and got a ride to the airport where we jumped on an express woohoo train to Rome. Our hostel is about 300m from the Termini main station so that was easy. Now Kerryn is having a nap to try and kick a http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-284960.html Had to post a bunch of stuff in one hit as we havenrsquot had wireless for ages. Did it in chronological order thoughYesterday we went to Positano for the day well half day in the end.The Italians seem to have a phobia towards signs. There just arenrsquot many and the ones there are are tiny or graffitirsquod or wrong or all three It ends up causing a lot of wasted time. We got to the http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Campania/Positano/blog-284959.html So after spending a day in the playground of the rich and famous Capri we had a day today seeing the sights in Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius.Pompeii itself is pretty shabby. The property has no value and canrsquot be sold because of the volcano and as an outer suburb of Naples these days itrsquos pretty rough.We jumped straight on the bus to go up the volcano from the train station. What a r http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Campania/Mount-Vesuvius/blog-284957.html Howdy.Still no wireless so still no pics etc. sorry.Spent a frustrating 5 hours yesterday trying to get onto some wireless yesterday around Rome they're a bit hopeless around here.Had a good morning though checking out the Colosseum Spanish steps etc. Then after wasting the afternoon we went to the Trevi fountain and Pantheon just on dark which was cool.I have a few entries I've written on http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Rome/blog-284636.html HowdyBack on webmail again so no photo's etc. at the moment.On the home stretch now. Met up with Chris and Rochelle on the way down to Sorrento yesterday which was fantastic. Staying in a caravan park at the end of town which is a bit of a change but OK.Went to the Island of Capri today and had a great time. The food is a bit of a problem at the moment it's too goodI have had the best 3 m http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Campania/Sorrento/blog-283034.html Florence home of the Renaissance.As mentioned had a bugger of a time with finding a place but ended up in a fantastic hostel in town. Is part of the 'PLUS' chain of which I know Trent and Em stayed at the caravan parkresort here a few years ago.Have had a couple of really cruisy days here. Managed to get to the Duomo yesterday which was wet and rainy but went up the dome nevertheless. Spen http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/blog-282237.html Hi AllHad an awesome time in Venice. It is a really unique place.We had heard from several people to beware of dodgy types from the carpark near the island onwards but for the 3 days we were there we didn't have a single problem. Maybe just lucky Or they've cleaned things up a bit.Got an awesome apartment near the Grand Canal halfway between the Rialto Bridge and the Piazza San Marco. Did all http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Veneto/Venice/blog-281189.html Well had an interesting day.Got the train to Monaco then spent over a hour trying to get to the ticket office then the 'Rocher' area which is the only 'non grandstand' viewing area at the race.Itwas pretty much a disgrace with the only viewing being on top of some duck boards running up the side of the hill near the palace.The closest place to the track which had people there who had been http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Monaco/Monte-Carlo/blog-280040.html The weather looked a bit rough so we grabbed the car and drove 120km down to Pisa. Checked out the tower etc. Decided it wasnrsquot worth A50 to go to the top then had some Pizza and browse of the market stalls and drove back to Monterosso by mid afternoon.By this stage the weather was great in Monterosso so we put on the bathers got a lsquoticketrsquo for our hotels section http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Tuscany/Pisa/blog-279738.html Hi allFeels like long time no seeJust had 4 or 5 fantastic days in and around the Cinque Terre Coast.Didnrsquot have any internet at the hotel or wireless in town so only had a couple of quick goes at an internet caf.The Cinque Terre is primarily made up of 5 small coastal towns all within about 10km of each other. We started in Monterosso staying at the same hotel I stayed at last time I http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Liguria/Cinque-Terre/blog-279726.html Hi allJust in the Cinque terre and without internet on the laptop at the moment. So we'll be back in action on SaturdaySunday with more pics etc. Just at an internet cafe at the momentCheersScott and Kerryn http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Italy/Liguria/Cinque-Terre/blog-279080.html Well it had to end some time but we left Lauterbrunnen on Sunday.Feels like we were there for two weeks not 2 and a half days.On our way to Lucerne we stopped at a tourist spot Ballenberg which was basically a Swiss version of Sovereign Hill. The main diffeerence being it wasn't based around gold mining but simply Swiss living and housing through the ages and areas of Switzerland. It was re http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/North-West/Lucerne/blog-278213.html Wow the Jungfrau. What an amazing placeWe went up to the top of the Jungfrau Railway yesterday very cool. It was built in the early 1900's and goes through two of the mountains ending up inside the peak of one of the mountains in a cave.There were three restaurants in there a scientific staion exits to dog sledding across the glacier plateau lookouts etc. and even an 'Ice Palace' wher http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/South-West/Lauterbrunnen/blog-277216.html Well ended up doing a couple of bigger days of diving than we had plannedhelliphellipHad a late start out of Paris and copped Peak hour traffic on the freeways at 430 but were able to sit on 130kmh on one of their excellent toll freeways for about 2 hrs to get to a town called Breune where we stayed for the night.Spent today just going lsquodo you want to stop here Nah letrsquo http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Switzerland/South-West/Lauterbrunnen/blog-276696.html