mickandjoc

Activities * Stanley Markets * The Peak * Kowloon * Temple Street Night Markets Highlight(s) * Breathtaking view back on the city from The Peak * View of Hong Kong Island from Tsim Sha Tsui - the lights are spectacular Odd Spot(s) * Rode the Peak Tram for the descent back down the hill during which the tram felt as though it was all but free falling. * Many of the householders in Hong Kong employ either Nannies or House Keepers. New Years Day (Friday) was a public holiday which meant that most people were at home for the day with no requirement for their Nanny or Housekeeper. Most of the house staff are from outside of Hong Kong, on low wages and it doesn't make sense for them to travel back to their homes ... read more

Activities * Sleep * Sleep more * Orientation stroll and dinner Highlight(s) * Enjoying the luxury of the Hotel * Room service dessert Odd Spot(s) * Couldn't help but feel a little strange when we took our seats in the Hotel shuttle bus fom the airport and realised we were the only 2 passengers in the giant vehicle. * After spending the last few weeks starting the day with a coffee and croissant, we surprised ourselves by being a little overwhelmed at the vast exent of the Hotel buffet breakfast. *Gelati count = 3 * Joc's shoe purchase count = 5 pairs Weather Some showers, min 15 / max 18 degrees ... read more

Activities * Walking laps of Rome * Birthday shopping for family back home Highlight(s) * Fantastic last night in Europe dinner at "Target". * Freeing up suitcase space by shipping jackets, jumpers and some shoes home. * Wishing Joc's Dad a Happy Birthday from Roma. Odd Spot(s) * After being informed that the Hotel breakfast buffet would cost $40EU we walked next door to the American Cafe for a $6EU breakfast which consisted of: coffee, juice, toast and a croissant. * At dinner we enjoyed an Italian lesson from the American next to us who asked for the bill as follows, "Per favore, il Checko?". * We asked the waiter if the Pineapples in the dessert were grown in Italy. He proudly replied, "We grow everything in Italy! But these particular ones are imported from ... read more

Activities * Roaming Pitigliano * Local art exhibition at the Pitigliano Galley * Cousin Rosana's Bar/Pizzeria/Restaurant for dinner Highlight(s) * Taking in the sites around town with no rain in the morning * Lunch at a local trattoria Odd Spot(s) * Dinner at cousin Rosana's consisted of several communal conversations occurring across the room simultaneously. We were seated in the middle of the room and people from all of the other tables proceeded to engage in conversations across and around us - catching up on local gossip, discussing our trip, debating the best route for us to head to Rome the next day. It was truly a communal experience. *Gelati count = 0 Weather Rain, rain, cold min 6 / max 8 degrees ... read more

Activities * Day trip to Grosseto Highlight(s) * Lunch at the Number Nine Restaurant in Grosseto * Joc did an amazing job driving in the rain and in the dark on the way home Odd Spot(s) * When we arrived in Grosseto there was a massive market where we parked the car - around 11:30am. We planned to check it out after a walk around town. When we arrived back after lunch at 2:30pm there was not a sign of the market - it was like it was never there. *Gelati count = 0 Weather Rain, rain, rain, min 14 / max 16 degrees ... read more