Normandy – history and the horrors of war

by | Dec 8, 2012 | Europe

Heading back to the UK we were bracing ourselves for the cold and we were not disappointed. The closer to Calais and the train back to London the colder it got.       On the way we stopped at Nantes.  The centre piece of the town is the magnificent...

Zaragoza and Pamplona – enjoying more of Spain

by | Dec 7, 2012 | Europe

      We’d seen a photo of the Basilica del Pilar in Zaragoza and decided to head there after our short sojourn at Oliva. Like so many places in this world, photos don’t do it justice. Our first glimpse of the majestic building was at night.  ...

Barcelona – a striking city and a general strike

by | Nov 23, 2012 | Europe

  We arrived in Barcelona on the eve of the November 14 general strike – a part of a European wide action against the austerity measures. Our hotel advised us not to go out but we were not going to be deterred. The city was certainly quiet with most of the...

Paris – the city of light delights

by | Nov 20, 2012 | Europe

      Paris has always been one of our favourite cities in Europe and it never disappoints us. Despite being very cold (single figures most days) and often grey skies it is never dull.  Our hotel is just near the Eifel Tower. There are only a few sights...

Frankfurt – Good friends in an often overlooked city

by | Nov 18, 2012 | Europe

    The reason we are heading to Frankfurt is to visit our old friends Andre Haermeyer and his wife, Tonya Stevens. We’ve known Tonya since the good old days of the Fitzroy Football Club and got to know Andre well when he was police minister in our home...