Photos from around the Somme battlefields where the Australian Imperial Force fought during WWI:
What to do and see Bruges, Belgium.
Posted on July 10, 2007 ·
Bruges, 17th century splendor trapped in time for 21st century travellers, relaxes your soul and if you drink to much Belgian beer softens your brain.
Accommodation
After train fumbling our way to Bruges, fate delivered us into the creaky floor ambience of Koen & Annemie Dieltiens’ Bed and Breakfast. Well located near the town square, and decorated with their eclectic art collection Koen and Annemie created the perfect base for your visit to Bruges. Just be sure to leave the candy alone at the foot of the spiral staircase. My daughter is convinced the large wooden figure holding the candy follows any takers to their room with murderous intent.
Bruges Vibe
All the sights, shopping and restaurants lie within the one and half square mile old city, and you could blitz through Bruges in a long day. Improve your experience with a two day visit and experience Bruges instead of just seeing the city. Grab a beer (choose from 300+ varieties) and watch the world roll by between museums.
Food and Drink
A scrumptious continental breakfast served with old world charm fuelled our bodies and soul as fellow travellers shared their tips and experiences. During the day, we grazed on Vlaamse frites (Flemish fries), Belgian waffles, fruit and the occasional beer.
Many visitors to Bruges dine at the many market square restaurants but we opted for two back street local favourites, L’Estaminet and Pili Pili. Both served great pasta and a fine selection of Beigium’s best beers but the local buzz at L’Estaminet drew us back for a second night.
Belgian beer, art and history in a bottle, forced me to recant years of beer denial. Each beer is served in specific glass emblazoned with its name (expect an apology if they run out and serve yours in a different one) to enhance your beverage experience. Fruity lambics, distinctly Belgian and interesting, get a lot of press but the Trappist beers turn wine connoisseurs into beer barrel polka dancers, and deserve your full attention.
Sights and Museums
Grand stain glass windows filter light into the small chapel containing Bruges Holiest relic, a small crystal purported to contain the blood of Christ. Both the faithful and curious appreciate the opulence of the reliquary whose grandeur befits the relic of this stature.
In the Church of Our Lady, Michelangelo’s petite sculpture of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus is serene, masterful but lacks the power of his David or the Piety in Rome. Expect to be shooshed by an attendant if your voice is raised above an ear twisting whisper.
Tour Bruges only brewery for some fun beer facts, a quick glance at the brewing process and a great town view from the balcony (weather permitting). The tour finishes with the only beer brewed in town, Brugse Zot, and a fine brew it is.
Related link: Travel Photographs – Bruges, Belgium
What should I do in London, England?
Posted on July 4, 2007 ·
London is the most cosmopolitan city in the world, and the air is filled with the languages of the world as you wander its many great buildings and museums. It is the one city we all list as a must visit whenever we venture to Europe, and the kids feel at home returning to their old haunts. Why do we love it? Here is a few reasons from this trip:
Food
Soho Spice is a fantastic Indian restaurant in central London, and meals come complete with daal, naan bread and rice (extra in many restaurants here). (Average meal price – £12)
A couple of doors down the street is Busaba Eat Thai, share a communal table with fellow Thai food lovers and enjoy good curries and noodles. (Average meal price – £7)
Bagel Street, across the street from our hotel, provided a filling breakfast and nice cup of tea for only £2.10.
A quiet ale and cottage pie at The Lord Moon in the Mall pub near Whitehall, nothing fancy but a good friendly atmosphere.
Traveller Hint: Water is only free from the tap, ask for tap water or you will receive bottled water.
Big Events
The girls always take in a West End show, and this year went to the Dominion for We will Rock You. They always come home happy and ears filled by the tunes, eyes wide from the spectacle. Buy your tickets from TKTS in Leicester Square on the day; unless you must see the latest smash hit the good shows are all available.
Thumping drumlines, screaming guitars and strong rock vocals blasted from the stage as the boys sat amazed at the stamina of Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend relived their success with The Who. Keith Moon and John Entwhistle departed this earth but their spirit evoked memories from the stage. Performing for their home crowd, The Who (Duet) becomes one with their fans, everyone singing in unison with their greatest hits.
The crowd gathered at the gate full of well wishes while across the street loathing vilification of the old and new leaders as Tony Blair handed Prime Ministerial power to his Labour rival Gordon Brown. We stood near the well-wishers to watch the new Prime Minister arrive from Buckingham Palace to greet the press move into Number 10. History does not always happen when you are in London but when it does you have to take a peek.
Traveller Hint: Historic moments can quickly become tragic, stay on the fringe of the crowd and never come between the protagonists. Follow all police instructions, and leave before tensions turn to violence.
Sights and Museums
A lobster phone, supervised cartoon frames and melting clocks defining visions from the Tate Modern collection, and a must see for any visitor to London. Stroll down the South Bank; visit the Tate Modern before crossing the Millennium Bridge to St. Paul’s Cathedral for an afternoon of fun and education.
The Wallace Collection includes paintings by Rubens, Rembrandt and Van der Velde; armour and arms of the finest quality (more accessible than those at the Tower of London) and many more fine art examples. Free entry and three pounds for a good audio guide but the artifacts are also well marked if your budget is tight.
Star Wars: The Exhibition is a pricey (16 pounds for adults) but contains a wide variety of items from this iconic movie series. Original costumes, full size vehicles (a Naboo N-1 starfighter, most impressive) and concept drawings and models filled the rooms. Check out the Jedi School and watch young Padiwons fight evil for the first time.
Traveller Hint: Many of the best museums are free in London making the informative audio guides good value to improve your experience.
Accomodation
At Premier Travel Inn – London County Hall you can get a central London address (across the Thames from Westminster) for £99, and only a short walk to Waterloo Station. Two children under 16 stay free in a family room.
Traveller Hint: A Bed and Breakfast is probably better value for a couple, check your guidebook.
Moving Overseas – Why Move to Another Country
Posted on May 28, 2007 ·
In this series, Moving Overseas, I will share my experiences living and working overseas, sharing the lessons I’ve learnt to make your move less stressful.
Moving your family to a new home is a stressful experience but relocate to a new country and you release enough stress into your kin to put weak hearts at risk. So, why should you risk heart failure to live in another country?
Cultural Exchange.
By understanding other cultures and accepting that our differences enrich our lives, we can begin to walk the road towards global peace. OK, a lofty ideal but the stereotypes we assign each other are usually wrong and the differences are fascinating up close.
The Thaipusam festival is a frightening vision when you look at the images of men pierced by multiple hooks and spikes walking through the streets to cleanse their sins. In 1984, my friend Phil and I followed the festivities all day, watching the devotees prepare their minds and bodies before carrying their kavadi to the Sivan Temple at Dato Keramat Road, Penang. It is a lasting memory from my years in Malaysia, and gave me an opportunity to understand why this bodily abuse is an important part of Hindu society.
Living in the United States opened my mind to the nuances between Australian and American language, often with humorous results as we misinterpreted each other in meetings and social gatherings. For the record, rooting for her team is not something I’d let my daughter do in Australia. Two societies separated by a common language.
Find New Solutions to your Problems.
People face the same problems in every corner of this tiny planet of ours but have found unique solutions because each nation has a unique perspective on life. For example, when I lived in Malaysia my local car repair shop would weld a patch over the hole in a muffler rather than replace it. A cost effective solution, unlikely to be adopted in consumerist societies but I guarantee you will bring home new solutions that amaze your friends with their simplicity.
Reduce the clutter in your life.
Moving is an expensive process and the easiest way to reduce those costs is to take less with you. Walk through your home now and peer deep into your cupboards to see what is hiding in the dark. When did you last use those items? Look at the dozen pairs of shoes in your wardrobe, how many of them do you wear at least twice a month? The mass consumption economic model has filled our lives with so much choice that we feel compelled to own at least two of everything.
It took one hard working young lady four hours to pack the contents of our kitchen, and we have vowed to start culling the excess when we reach our new home (fortunately, my employer pays for the removal). In his book The 4-Hour Workweek, Tim Ferriss advocates selling everything, packing a small bag and heading for your new locale but I think this is a little extreme for most people. However, we have reduced our footprint to less than 80 cu.ft of stuff plus the rented furniture and have maintained a comfortable lifestyle.
In the nest installment, I will discuss how to select the right country for your move overseas.
Five Travel Dreams for 2007
Posted on May 9, 2007 ·
Over at the Rambling Traveler blog, Stacy shared her top five travel
dreams and I offered my top five in the comments list. This morning I
wondered what travel dreams I will fulfil this year, and came up with
this list:
The Who at Wembley. My son and I have tickets to see the The Who in
concert at Wembley next month. A classic British rock band in their
natural environment, very cool.
Assen Tourist Trophy. Assen is one of great motorcycle Grand Prix
events, look for me and my son at the final turn this year.
Le Hamel. I wrote a history paper for my Master’s degree on the
Australian Armed Forces’ battle success in 1918 that concentrated on the battle at Le Hamel. This year I’m going to walk the same ground and
visit the Australian Memorials in the region.
Relax on the Italian Riveria. Every trip should include time to relax,
and Vernazza is great place for relaxation. It is also the only place
both my kids wanted on the itinerary.
Christmas with Family. After living overseas for seven years, we are
headed back to Oz and a big family Christmas.