Back O ' Bourke

The road to Walgett

Made it to Bourke

Back down the highway we went to Walgett. The road was lined with that yellow weed making a spectacular show. Nothing had changed in Walgett, no reason to stop other than a coffee at the little gift shop, so we turned right and headed for Bourke, where we expected to find a town, well, much the same as Walgett! For so many years there has been so much Aboriginal strife in Bourke, including a riot back in the '70's, when the cops were barricaded in their Police Station waiting for reinforcements to arrive!! Since starting our travels, we had read some good reports from caravanners about Bourke, so it was time to see for ourselves.

Lovely Kidman's Camp

The Old Bourke Bridge

We decided to stay a little out of Bourke, around 5kms north, at a place called Kidman's Camp. It gets excellent reviews from all who stay, and we can understand why. It is situated on the Darling River, which is just a short walk away. We were allocated a huge grassy site, and quickly settled in. We are pretty quick at it these days! Every night, the caravan park would fill up, mostly with travellers on their way south after their winter migration. We studied all of the tourist information we were given on checking in, and were just amazed at how much history there was in the region, and how much there was to do. Our three day stay was looking like five!! We headed into town to pick up a few supplies at the IGA Supermarket. The security guard inside the door, indicated that all still may not be rosy with the local indigenous folks, who were sitting around in the car park and streets in large numbers. With security roaming the aisles, we ventured into the Liquor Store section of the shop, where security went to a whole new level!! All the stock was laid out as normal, but between you and the stock was a floor to ceiling wall of glass!! At one end of the wall is a two way trap door through which the purchases are passed when the money has changed hands!!! Never seen anything like it!!

Pelicans on the Darling River

Crossley Steam Engine

On our first full day we walked down to the Darling River to take a cruise on the PV Jandra, a replica paddle boat, built by a local, several years ago. There is an incredible amount of Paddle Steamer history in Bourke. Back in the late 1800's they plied there trade, carrying mostly wool, down the river to the Murray & beyond. The Darling is a muddy old river but is flowing at present. Hard to imagine this is Bourke's water supply!! The weir at Bourke, and the adjoining Lock, were the first to be built on any Australian inland River. I was amazed to learn, that at their peak, there were over 300 Paddle Steamers working on the Darling & Murray rivers. We spent a lazy hour & a half cruising down a section of the river, with two real characters as Captain & First Mate. There were only 6 of us on the morning cruise, so we got very personalised treatment. Lined by huge Red River gums full of dead branches from past floods, we were surprised to see how many pelicans were on the river, with the Captain remarking that only a couple of weeks earlier there had been hundreds!

Little Birdy Cafe

The PV Jandra

After the cruise we headed into town to see the Wharf Precinct, and to sample a coffee at Little Birdy, the cafe that the crew had told us was the best coffee in town. It was excellent, as were the cakes and cookies they made. We also noted a sign advising that they were having their first Tapas night of the season, with live music, the next night. We decided to give it a go, and put our names on the list. After coffee, we were in time to watch the daily starting of the Crossley Steam Engines, that happens every day at noon, down at the town wharf. There are two engines, magnificently restored and converted to diesel. There was quite a crowd, as many of the male Grey Nomad brigade are into mechanical things. Our Captain & First Mate had changed uniforms and were now in overalls ready to fire up the engines! Both these attractions are run by the Bourke Council. With a huge puff of black smoke, the engines were up & running. Before choosing an outside table at Little Birdy, it would pay to check the wind direction!! Fascinating that these engines started life in the Sydney Power House generating electricity, before heading up the coast to Coffs Harbour to work at the Allowrie Butter Factory, before their final working life was pumping water at a Narromine farm. It is great to see such heritage preserved by passionate people.

John Murray's tribute to Bourke

The Old Post Office

We wandered around town, marvelling at the old buildings, some of which are very grand indeed. The Courthouse, the Post Office and old Police Station are really good examples of Colonial architecture. We drove out to the site of the weir and first lock on the Darling River. The river is running quite well, and there were a few fishermen, at the bottom of the weir trying their luck for Yellow Belly. The locals rave about it, but I reckon that's because they haven't tasted real fish from the ocean. To me, it doesn't matter how you clean it or catch it, it just tastes muddy!! Given that the Darling is brown, little wonder why!!

Fred Hollows Grave

Old riverside buildings

It may surprise you to learn, that the great man Fred Hollows, has his final resting place in Bourke Cemetery. We all know of his incredible work, restoring sight to hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged people world wide. His work started with the Australian Aboriginal people, and he fell in love with the Outback and its people. He was a special man, and requested Bourke to be his final home. So here, under the shade of a Coolibah Tree, in the middle of Bourke Cemetery, is Fred's grave. The monument is a huge granite boulder carved to reflect his work. It is very well done.

Tapas at Little Birdy Cafe

The Darling River

Our Tapas Night rolled around. We bumped into another couple we had enjoyed morning coffee with at the Hebel General Store, a week or so earlier. Ian & Robyn are a lovely couple, and like us, enjoyed the night immensely. The food was very good. Simple, tasty food that was delicious. The venue, candlelit out under the stars, under the warm glow of heaters that kept the chill at bay, was very romantic. The couple who provided the music were extremely good, singing a style of slow country blues that was just perfect for the occasion. The guy, who played acoustic guitar, had a withered arm with tiny fingers that plucked the guitar with amazing effect, and the girl had a haunting voice you could listen to for hours, and we did! It is incredible how many talented people are out there. They go by the name of Tangle Weeds.

The Outback Show

Talking Horses

The Back O' Bourke Exhibition Centre, which also houses the Visitor Centre is excellent, and every day except Monday, they put on an Outback Show. It is very well done. The guy who does the show is a bush larrikin of the highest order. He arrives riding a camel, with another young camel in tow. He recounts the history of the camel in Australia, and the persecution the early Afghan Cameleers received. It is a serious message done in a light hearted way, with him talking to his camel!! I kid you not, this camel talked in his ear and the guy answered every question the camel asked!!! While all this was happening, the young camel was playing soccer with  huge ball, and then painted a painting holding the brush in his mouth! We got a display of sheep dog handling with a couple of beautifully trained kelpies. There was a lot of audience participation, especially with his horse, that could do almost anything. The prize was a year's supply of "Back O 'Bourke Baked Beans Bubble Bath"!! To finish the show, he hooked up a real Bullock Team comprising six bullocks, and had them load a log onto an old dray. It was a fantastic show. This passionate young man wants to keep the history of the Bourke region alive, and his unique show is a great way to do it.

Camels that paint

Camels that talk

We didn't get to do the Poetry On a Plate Show, that happens at Kidman's Camp, but this was a personal choice. We understand it is an excellent show, but we have done a number of such shows throughout our Outback Travels. We didn't travel far from town, and based on the information we received, there is a lot to see in the surrounding region, so we will have to keep Bourke on our radar for a future visit.

Emus everywhere.

Not a lot at Eulo!

Next morning, we headed north towards Cunnamulla. About halfway, we crossed the border into Southern Queensland. It wasn't a pleasant drive, as we experienced some of the worst road kill we have ever encountered. The road was littered with dead kangaroos, emus and pigs. We were constantly weaving a path around them, and the smell coming through the vents was horrible. The old crows and hawks were so fat they could hardly fly! This section of road is flat open plains, and the animals have been feasting, following better than average winter rains. We were seeing lots of live kangaroos & emus as well. Thankfully, the closer we got to Cunnamulla the less we saw. We stopped in Cunnamulla for lunch. It was a pleasant surprise to us, being a nicely kept town. The main attraction in town is The Cunnamulla Fella. This is a famous country song, written by Stan Coster & sung by Slim Dusty (and others). It is about a typical Australian bushman. There is a wonderful Bronze statue in the middle of town depicting the Cunnamulla Fella.

Giant Prehistoric Wombat

Never argue with a Road Train!

We continued on about 70 kms to the tiny Outback Town of Eulo, population 50 people & 1500 Lizards, where you can camp out the back, and enjoy the hospitality of this old bush pub, with the grand name of The Eulo Queen Hotel. We found a spot and even got power and water, which surprised us. It was Saturday night and the Footy Finals were on. We decided to watch the games at the pub, as dinner tonight was BBQ. We had a great night with a small crowd watching the footy. Almost every local in town came in for the BBQ, but went home to watch the footy. We found another couple of blokes from Kogarah, and almost got the Dragons home, but alas another season is over. We drowned our sorrows watching the Broncos V Cowboys, and enjoying our BBQ dinner. There isn't much else to do in Eulo. We had missed the Lizard Races. It is an opal mining town, but then after Lightning Ridge it is quite a let down! They have found quite a lot of fossils around the area, and we took a photo of the giant wombat like creature that roamed the bush millions of years ago, and then it was time to hit the road.

Pub Without a Town

Outback humour!

We were headed for Quilpie, another small outback town. The road was one of the developmental roads with a single lane of bitumen. Thankfully we only met one road train along the way. We stopped to offer assistance to a fellow caravanner who had a flat tyre on his 4WD, but they were OK, so on we went, reaching our lunch spot of Toompine. Now this is an interesting stop. Toompine is known as "The Pub Without a Town", as that is all that is now left!! It had been a town, but when the railway line was extended to Quilpie, a new town was built at Quilpie, and everyone left!! The pub though, has continued to operate, and is currently under new ownership! Good luck to them!! We had a good Aussie Hamburger and a beer and continued on our way. There was a lot of history and a lot of characters who had made it to Toompine over the years, and we added our names to the visitor book.

We eventually made it into Quilpie. I think along the way in 250 kilometres, we passed one road train, two cars, a truck towing a hot dog stand trailer to God knows where, and saw dozens of emus, kangaroos, goats and a few cattle & sheep. This really is the Outback. You see signs to properties that are 40, 50 or even 100's of kilometres along a dusty road. It is red earth, white earth and Mulga scrub, and incredibly dry, yet some people call it home and make a living from this unforgiving land.

Lightning Ridge

Don't really know why we haven't been here before. It was on our list from the beginning, but for various reasons we never quite made it. But this time, we are on our way! In Gulargambone we hooked up in steady rain, and icy winds and were quickly heading north to Walgett then on to Lightning Ridge. The wind was howling & hitting us front on, so the old girl was struggling a bit (the car not Carol!). It is incredible what a strong headwind can do to 6.5 tonnes of rolling car & caravan. So we pottered along, and slowly the rain stopped & the sky ahead on the horizon was turning blue. About halfway to Walgett, a couple in a Ute carrying a slide on camper, started to overtake us, and as they drew alongside were frantically gesticulating for us to pull over. This usually means something is amiss with your caravan. We stopped, as did they, and we immediately saw our problem. The wind was still blowing a gale, and somehow, it had popped the clip that holds the awning to the side of the van when travelling, & gotten into the end of our awning and was starting to unravel it. It was too high up for me to see in the side mirror, but if it had gone on much longer we definitely would have heard and felt it, rip the awning off the side of our caravan! The wind was too strong for us to work on the awning, so I turned the caravan around so the awning was on the protected side, and we managed to release the awning and pull it all the way out, inspect it to see there was no tear in the fabric, and roll it back into position, and resecure it properly. We were so thankful to this couple, and didn't even get their names. They were on their way to Clermont in Queensland to go gold prospecting, and we hope they strike it rich!!

We made it into Walgett, and by now the wind had gone & the sun was shining. We were seeing Walgett at its best, which is an ugly sight indeed. This is a town that caravanners avoid. The main street is lined with abandoned shops and rubbish. There are so many security screens and shutters, it is almost impossible to tell if a shop is open or not!! There were young Aboriginal kids everywhere, eating junk food and soft drinks. We were going to have lunch, but one look at the only cafe we could find was enough to have us rethink. At the end of the street, we found a small gift shop, that just looked like it had opened in town, and was serving coffee and some snacks. The young girl running the shop was lovely, and she made us a surprisingly good coffee with a couple of slices of quiche, so it all turned out OK. We hope she makes a go of it. She had some nice things in the shop. Just not sure who would be buying them.

It was only another 77 kms up the road to Lightning Ridge. Most of the way, the road was lined with yellow bush that resembles canola. It makes a real show, and sometimes stretches into the trees as far as you can see. We arrived and were immediately taken by how green it was. The other opal mining areas we had visited in South Australia, namely Cooper Pedy & Andamooka, were like the surface of the moon with mile after mile of mounds of white dirt & dust. There wasn't a tree or green grass in sight at either place. Here, was completely the opposite. The town itself was larger than we had expected and had a good variety of shops and services. More on that later. We found our caravan park, aptly named The Opal Caravan Park, and checked in. The girl on reception told me that if I didn't have a booking we would have been turned away! There are four caravan parks in town, and this one has the best reputation. It is quite new, and the facilities are excellent. There are trees, but no grass. All the sites are gravel and very large. We found our site, unpacked and settled in to go through the pile of tourist information given to us at check in.

First off the rank was the famous Car Door Tours. These are self drive tours that take you all over Lightning Ridge and are the perfect introduction to town. You get to see everything of note, and can choose which paid exhibits you think will be worthwhile  to see in more detail. They are called the car door tours, because the guide posts for each tour are old car doors painted and numbered for each attraction! Quite ingenious really. There are four tours, Red, Blue, Green & Yellow. You call in at the Visitor Information Centre, hand over $1, and get your Car Door Tour Fact Sheet, Your Lightning Ridge Mud Map, and off you go!! As you start the drive, you really get into the quirky nature of "The Ridge". God knows how many misfits, dropouts & fugitives live in this town. We were told that everyone uses an assumed name, and you don't ask questions about their past! The majority of the towns people still live in camps on their opal fields, so the homes are shanty's, built from old caravans, corrugated iron, old drums, bottles, cans and anything else they can find! We did all four tours, seeing such wonderful sights as Amigo's Castle, a replica castle built by a homesick Italian miner so he could be reminded of home! Then there was the Astronomer's Monument a weird concrete monument, where when we stopped to take a photo, some old crone stuck her head out the door, yelling at us that we had to pay to take photos. We gave her the middle finger wave and moved on to door no.6! From Lunatic Hill we could view the open cut mine from which they took millions of dollars in opal, and at 3-Mile was the giant excavation where an amazing new Opal & Fossil Centre is to be built. Based on the model we saw it will be an incredible thing. We also came across an old church building made of corrugated iron. Turned out to be quite new, having been built for some C Grade movie set we have never heard of! We thoroughly enjoyed all the Car Door Tours.

Town itself was interesting, with many Opal shops selling the local Black Opal. We think the Black Opal is by far the most beautiful, with the rich & intense colours. Prices range enormously, with the most expensive thing we saw valued at a whopping $42,000!! It was a lovely piece with fiery red flashes in it, which was the reason for its value. Apparently the red is very rare. Artist John Murray has a great gallery. This guy does quirky, almost caricature like paintings of the Aussie Outback, often using those cheeky creatures like galahs & emus, as subjects, as well as topical themes like caravanners! We added a small piece to our collection of caravan art. There is also a hot artesian bath in town, which is just outside our caravan park. It is open 24 hours a day and entry is free. The water is around 36 - 38 degrees. An early morning visit is interesting, as you will hear many languages spoken, such is the multi cultural nature of the local population. The other huge thing in town is the swimming centre. It boasts a full size, Indoor, Olympic Diving Pool, as well as an Olympic 50m Pool and water park for the kids. The dive centre is one of only nine in NSW, and you have to wonder why????? The Variety Store is like a shopping centre!! You name it, they sell it! It is floor to ceiling stock, where you can find a Barbie Doll alongside a shovel and the engine oil!! There is a large Bowling Club, which we didn't attend, as so many travellers had warned us off the restaurant. Instead, we had a cold drink & a feed at three of the craziest pubs in the outback! Read on........

About 60 kms west of town is the Grawin Opal Fields. The drive out was through wide open farm land where we saw the biggest herd of goats we have ever seen. It is incredible how much goat meat we export from Australia. Grawin is a bit like inter marrying the casts of Deliverance & The Beverley Hillbillies!!! You can only begin to imagine the desperadoes that call this place home. Our first stop in Grawin was at "The Club in the Scrub". Being a legitimate Club with its own 18 hole golf course, we duly signed the book and stepped back a hundred years. It is a ramshackle old place made up of a collection of tin sheds, and wooden posts and beams holding up corrugated iron. It is a working club, and the members play golf every Wednesday & Sunday. The memorabilia hanging from the roof & on the walls is fantastic. The drinks come in cans or bottles to save water & washing up. Ladies drink through a straw! We enjoyed a cold beer & some interesting banter from the locals who all seem to have a beard 2 feet long!

From the club, we took a short drive up to "The Sheepyard". On the way up, we passed three beat up old cars, none of which had number plates! At the roundabout near the entrance to the pub, the sign said "Cars with Brakes Give Way!!!!!!". Now this place has undergone a major renovation, with new corrugated iron roof & walls, as well as a train carriage which serves as the kitchen and dining room. It is also a bit of a general store. Out the back is the "Bra Tree", displaying a few of its namesakes. Judging by what was on display, the Sheepyard is home to some big breasted women!!! We declined a beer at The Sheepyard, and resumed our pub crawl to stop number three.

"The Glengarry Hilton" is quite a famous Outback Pub. It is also a collection of corrugated iron sheds held up by iron bark posts. The kitchen, which has been churning out good tucker for years, is a 40ft Shipping container!! There was a good crowd in for lunch, and it appeared there was a staff shortage, as Grumpy & Grumpyher were cooking, serving & doing everything else as well. We shared a Works Burger & Chips, which took almost an hour to come, but was worth the wait. The dialogue among the patrons made the time fly. To the credit of the staff, they produced good meals for everyone, and no one went thirsty!! We had a great day visiting these iconic pubs & clubs of the Australian Outback.

When we got back to Lightning Ridge mid afternoon, we headed out to "The Chambers of the Black Hand". Forget the comic book name, this is an incredible place. It is one of those moments when just as you think you've seen it all, something very special comes along. This is a mine that is 100 years old and no longer producing opal. Seventeen years ago, the owner decided to do a few sculptures in the walls of the mine. Today, you get kitted out with a hard hat, and descend 100 steps into the mine, to view hundreds of sculptures from giant Buddhas to dinosaurs, to lions, animals from all continents, mythical creatures, Chinese Warriors and so much more. You find super heroes and local characters, politicians and princes & queens, movie stars & Elvis. We walked around for quite a while admiring the skill of the work. It was a most amazing experience. Down in the mine, is Lightning Ridges only underground opal shop as well.

Back at the caravan park, Happy Hour was around the campfire, as entertainment was being provided by way of a local couple who went by the names of Willie (not Nelson) & Joey. Willie, wearing his big black cowboy hat, confessed to being 73, and played great guitar, told some good yarns and lots of jokes & one liners. His wife Joey accompanied him, & sang some songs as well. It was a great couple of hours. Half way through they took a break & Willie came over for chat. He is a real live Aussie bush boy, with skin like leather and a larrikin sense of humour. There were lots of notes sung off key, but not one person cared, as Willie & Joey were having a go, and we were being entertained big time, around the campfire under a huge outback sky just full of stars.

On our last day, we took in the early morning markets at the Visitor Centre. It was a better market than we had expected, and we picked up some delicious home cooked goodies. We then headed up the road around 80kms to the Queensland border and the tiny village of Hebel. Today, the town has only a couple of things of note. The first is the Hebel Hotel, which started life as a Cobb & Co Stage Coach House. It is incredible to think that at its peak, Cobb & Co was using 6,000 horses a day moving people around the Australian outback. It is a quaint old building, still serving cold beer and good food. Across the road is the Hebel General Store, where the current owners have made a reputation that ensures everyone passing by, stops for a coffee & cake or a meal. We did coffee & cake, and the Blackberry Meringue Tarts, were fantastic. The owner does all her own cooking, and she is very good at it!! We sat at a long table with a number of fellow caravan travellers comparing trips and schedules, all the while gathering information for future trips. It was then back to Lightning Ridge for an afternoon of cleaning. The caravan has a carwash bay, and cleaning of cars & caravans is allowed, and boy do ours need it after the rain, the dust and a billion bugs!

We have enjoyed our time in Lightning Ridge. It was very different to what we had expected!

Back in the Land of Oz

Hard to believe that a month has passed since we got back home. My sister Jen & hubby Dave met us at the airport, and took us out to Menai to be reacquainted with the caravan, which had acted as a large garden ornament out front of Wayne & Debbie's for the past 13 weeks! We had used a caravan cover to keep the elements at bay, and as we removed the cover, we realised it had worked a treat. Still, we weren't taking any chances, so we unleashed a bug bomb and shut the door for a couple of hours, to make sure there were no unwanted creepy crawly guests, lurking in the corners. We used the time to visit mum, who had had a couple of turns while we had been away. Nothing serious, just the pains of ageing, and her memory not being what it used to be. She looked well, and we shared stories from our blog, which she read over and over again whilst we were away. It is my greatest joy in keeping the blog, now in its 5th year, going. Mum loves it, and regularly visits old posts of our travels.

We can't thank Wayne & Debbie enough for the use of their property to store our car & caravan. We spent the next week sharing our stories with them and catching up with family news. With Mel & Ben at home, they have a full family again, and we had many fun nights sharing great tucker which the girls took turns cooking, and great wine which Wayne & I took turns opening! After a week, during which time we sorted out the caravan, caught up with mum a couple more times, caught up with family & friends, made some routine doctor's visits, had a lovely lunch with Robyn, and fitted in a game of golf at my home club, it was time to let Wayne & Debbie get back to normal!! One last real treat, was a Saturday night catch up with old friends Mark & Gloria. I had seen Mark a couple of times, but we hadn't caught up with Gloria for way too long. The six of us had a fantastic night at Josephine's Restaurant at the Riverwood Hotel. They say that with true friends, when you get together after a long break, it is as if time stood still. This is so true! It was a great night with lots of laughs & stories from times past.

On Monday morning, we hooked up the caravan, double checking everything to make sure we remembered how, and headed down to Shellharbour for a short stay. Everyone knows it is a favourite haunt when we are around Sydney. Catching up with Bev & Fred took a little longer, as Carolyn had picked up a bad cold with the change in climate. It was a real shock getting back to a cold winter! We did catch up later in the week, and did our usual round of Girls Bingo, dining out and even managed a couple of fishing trips between the bouts of cold & wet weather. Fred & I did have one memorable day. Not only did we catch a lot of good fish to stock up the freezer, but we were treated to a nature show to blow your socks off! We had whales frolicking about breaching and slapping their tails and fins. We had dozens of Dolphins, with one pod chasing us across the bay, diving through the boat's wake. The sea was full of bait fish and hundreds of birds, mostly gulls, terns & gannets, were smashing into the schools of fish from a great height. Just wonderful to watch, and to top it all off on the way back to the harbour, an old seal came by for a look! Quite a day on the water!! On shore, we celebrated their daughter Katrina's birthday, at our favourite Shellharbour Restaurant, "Relish". It was lovely to catch up with Katrina & Malek again. With Bev & Fred, we enjoyed a farewell night of Pizza at the club and even managed to win a couple of meat trays in the raffles! 

Next stop wasn't far. Just one hour away at Camden, another favourite and a chance to catch up with Cheryl, Chris, and family and friends. If we thought it had been cold since we got home, it saved its best for Camden!! It was freezing!! We were wearing everything warm we owned, and our heater and electric blanket were in overdrive! Camden really is a nice town. It has managed to keep its country charm despite thousands of new homes being built in the surrounding area. Lovely cafes and restaurants, and very reasonable. The time flew by as usual. We dined on good Thai food with quite a crowd on the Friday night. There was Cheryl & Chris, brother Gary & Pam, friends Bobbie & Alf, and sister Deb & Wayne. The food & company is always good. Gary invited me for a game of golf the next day, with a group of his mates from Campbelltown Golf Club, who were playing away from home at Gerringong due to a club event. I was really glad I took up the offer, and had a great day out. Meanwhile, home at the caravan, Carolyn was locked out of the caravan with her keys, phone, purse & all worldly possessions inside the caravan! It is a long story, but thankfully, Cheryl arrived and saved the day, and the girls had a lovely day out on borrowed money, until John got home with the spare key!!!!!!! 

Sunday was a big family day. My little brother Ian was turning 50. Talk about making you feel old!!! to make things worse, his youngest son, Nathan is turning 18! How the years fly by! School Captain in his final year at High School, and starting to make his mark at his cricket at St.George District Cricket Club, following in the footsteps of his Grandpa, Brian Booth, he makes the whole family proud. It was great catching up with all the family from mum at 91 down to her great grandson Marcus, soon to turn two. It is quite a crowd when the Andersons and Booths all get together. Ian had the spit going, and with lots of salads followed by goodies the girls had baked, not to mention the fancy birthday cake, we all waddled out.

On the Monday & Tuesday we had huge downpours. The caravan looked like a castle surrounded by a moat! On these nights we took sanctuary at Cheryl & Chris' place, and Cheryl looked after the dinner. Yummy as usual. On our last Tuesday afternoon, we had a real surprise, bumping into Nancy & Keith's old neighbours, Anton & Marg, who now own a property out at Oak Flats. They have always worked on the breeding side of the horse racing industry, and their son manages a large breeding concern nearby. We used to see quite a bit of them during the Horse Racing part of our life, before retirement! It was a lovely surprise to catch up. On our last day, John took on the elements for one last game of golf at Moore Park, whilst Carolyn had a lovely day out with Robyn, before finishing up by taking mum out to the local Chinese for dinner.

We decided to head north and escape the cold. We didn't have enough time to get way up north to the real warmth, and still be back in time for Christmas, so instead of heading back up the coast road, we mapped out an inland route that would see us take in some places & events, we have had on the radar for some time. So, off we headed, up and over the Blue Mountains. We got to Blackheath in time for lunch, and as the temperature gauge was only showing a single number, Carolyn decided it was soup weather. We found a little joint on the corner of The Highway & Govett's Leap Rd. called "Anonymous". I don't think it will be anonymous for long! Carolyn had her soup, Celery Soup, and it was good, but I trumped her with my sandwich, which was their take on a Reuben. It was seriously good!!!! Nourished, we got back behind the wheel, and as it says on the bumper sticker, set course for, "Somewhere Over the Ranges - Mudgee".

Mudgee is a real old favourite. Our friend's Lynne & Paul lived here for 16 years, and we made countless visits, even contemplated living there and once owned a block of land. In our unbiased opinion, it is one of NSW's best inland towns. It has heaps to offer, so we decided to spend a few days. We set up at the Riverside Caravan Park, as we could walk into town. As the name suggests, it is right on the river, which has had a fortune spent on it, building walking/bike paths, bridges & landscaping. The caravan park has been a big winner from the work, and we were given what the manager described as the best site in the park, right down in the back corner by the river, with a gate out onto the trail into town. It was lovely. Now, Lynne & Paul said one of their main reasons for leaving Mudgee was the cold winters, and we were getting a first hand reminder. I hate it when there is a minus sign in front of the number!!!! The day's proved lovely and sunny, and as long as the wind didn't blow it was delightful. But, one bit of breeze or a cloud and it was frost bite!!! 

The town looks beautiful at present. The white blossoms are in full bloom, and the streets are lined with them. When the wind blows, it looks like snow!! We took ourselves to all the old haunts. Some have new faces, but many of the old ones remain. The Butcher Shop Cafe still does great coffee, and Elton's, which has had a change of owner, still maintains a high standard. We also liked a new addition called "Outside the Square", which was casual and did good things. We kept expecting to see Lynne & Paul!! But alas not. Not even a walk through Lawson Park, where we all used to walk our dogs, could make them appear. We took a drive out to Gulgong, which hasn't changed much. We did notice more guys and girls in flouro work gear, which would indicate an increase in mining activity. A drive through the vineyards is quite depressing at this time of the year, as they are all barren and dead looking. Winter just doesn't seem the right time to taste. Our last night, we took ourselves down to The Lawson Park Hotel, which was a favourite haunt, offering great food. It was a Monday, and "Two for One Steak Night". The place was packed, and we were lucky to find a table. You cook your own steak on the huge BBQ's. The steaks match the BBQ's, HUGE!!!!! I saw two guys carrying a T Bone to the BBQ!!!! Anyway, the standard is still excellent, and provided a fitting finish to our Mudgee visit.

Next morning we were out onto the Castlereagh Hwy, headed North West. We passed by Gulgong, then on to Dunedoo and its famous old pub, before stopping for lunch at Gilgandra. The countryside is a picture at present, lush & green from good winter rain. Winter grain crops are sown in vast fields of green, and the cattle and sheep look fat & contented. Good to see our farmers having a good season in these parts. With the temperature hovering around 10, Carolyn was craving soup again. We found a little cafe that advertised home cooked Country everything, and when the answer to the soup question was yes, we took a table. I first became suspicious when the soup choice was so large! My suspicions were confirmed when we heard the rattling of cans! When it came to taking the lid off a can or the top off a jar, old country Maggi could cook anything!!!! I Luv Chicken Tonight!!!!! Still, it was hot & hearty (got that off the label!), and the toast was cooked fresh! After lunch, we walked the main street of Gilgandra. There was a new statue in the park of a Digger shouting the famous Aussie Cooee. I was fascinated to read the story of The Cooee March back in 1915. Apparently, after the disaster at Gallipoli and the stories coming back from Europe, recruitment numbers had fallen dramatically. Twenty Five local boys from Gilgandra, took it on themselves to march to Sydney giving a cooee at each house in town. Eventually 35 marched into Sydney, and the Cooee March is remembered each year in Gilgandra. A local who saw us reading all about, came over and told us the history, and that the Brits paid to have a new church built in Gilgandra after the war, as this tiny town had provided the the most recruits per head of population in all of Australia! So many stories in these little towns!!!!!

About 40 minutes later, we pulled into the Gulargumbone Caravan Park. I had read so many good reports about the hospitality at this tiny caravan park, we just had to stay here. The owners are Dave & Bernadette, two of the most down to earth Aussies you will ever meet. They originally came from Dubbo, not far down the road, and bought the caravan park two years ago. They spent a lot of their life working all over Australia, mostly in the outback, and a lot of the time in remote Aboriginal communities such as Arnhem Land. Every night they have Happy Hour around the campfire in front of the new Camp Kitchen. They bake damper in the coals of the fire every day, and on Wednesdays and Sunday's do an authentic camp oven cooked roast dinner for which we have paid up already!! Tonight we joined the crowd around the campfire for Happy Hour, and true to form, out came the damper. Tonight's was made on ginger beer, and was delicious. We sat and chatted with fellow travellers, sharing stories of our travels. It is such a nice time of the day. As soon as the sun went down though, the crowd either huddled in closer to the fire or headed for home! Another freezing night ahead!

The little town of Gulargumbone is pretty run down, but the 400 or so locals are trying hard not to let the town die. Forty percent of the population is indigenous, but there are no signs of drunkenness or unruly behaviour. Next morning we headed into the main street for our free coffee at the Gallery/Café called "2828" (the local post code!). It is staffed by volunteers and they provide training for a number of the young local Aboriginals, in hospitality. From the way we were served and the quality of the coffee & delicious home made lemon friands, we can confirm that the training is paying off!!! With a full belly, we took a drive out to the famous Warrumbungles National Park. The drive through mile after mile of yellow canola crops was spectacular. The poor old Warrumbungles are still showing the signs of the disastrous bushfires that devastated the park some three years ago. The world renowned Siding Springs Observatory would have been lost but for the dedication of a band of local volunteer rural fire service guys, who spent an entire day & night pouring water onto the building. They are still replacing signage & buildings all over the park, and thousands of charred dead trees are evident. In a strange twist, the sparse vegetation means the incredible rock formations are very visible.

We headed back to Gulargambone to relax and do some reading & blogging before our campfire roast dinner. All afternoon the caravans kept filing in. Seems the grapevine has worked really well, and lots know about the dinner. That night, Bernadette & Dave had 42 of us for dinner, and they didn't disappoint. We sat around the campfire smelling all those great food smells, every time a lid was lifted to check the cooking progress in a host of camp ovens. The dinner was great, lovely tender beef, with roast potato, pumpkin, carrots & sweet potato, plus broccoli & peas, and lots of gravy. And of course, lots of herb flavoured damper to soak up the gravy. Washed down with a glass of red, you would be hard pressed to have a better meal anywhere!!! After dinner, one traveller got out his guitar and sang some songs, and when he took a break, another guy pulled out a keyboard and played some great old favourites. The wine was flowing, the stories were getting bigger, as was the campfire. It was a night we will long remember.

Next morning the caravan park really emptied out, us included, in light steady rain. We were very glad to have made a stop at Gulargambone, especially on Roast Night!

Italian Odyssey - 15.

Our cruise left Venice on July 15. With three long blasts on the horn we pulled away from our berth at the Venice Cruise Terminal. Venice might be one of the world's great destinations, but getting around with luggage is a nightmare! The trip from the station to the cruise terminal had sounded so simple. Turn right, cross the new bridge, hop on the new people mover, and you will be there! The reality is, you drag your bag over 150 steps of the new bridge (why on earth would you include steps where people are dragging baggage!!), take your life in your hands crossing the bus station lanes, take the people mover, and drag your bag the final hundreds of metres to the pier! We were exhausted in the 34 degree heat! When finally on board, we met up with our niece Jillian, who has joined us for the last part of our holiday. She has been in Italy for around ten days doing her own tour. It is so nice to meet up with family when so far from home.

All that was forgotten, as at 4.00pm, with a cold drink in hand, we stood at the rail on deck 9, and watched Venice unfold in front of us as we slowly cruised the entire length of the canal, down past San Marco Square. It was just wonderful seeing all the famous buildings from our high vantage point. We could get a true perspective of Venice. What a way to start the cruise. Everyone is in a festive mood, and the atmosphere is just amazing. From here we have a full day & two nights of cruising, to get to know our ship, before arriving at our first port of call. We are sailing on the Holland America line's Nieuw Amsterdam, 86,000 tonnes of luxury. We have a veranda suite on deck 8. With a late booking, Jill is on deck 1, in an ocean view suite. Both are spacious & luxurious. One thing that is a given on any cruise, is the fact that you will eat too much! Lunch was being served when we boarded, and snacks were being handed out as we sailed away! That night, we decided to eat casually at the buffet, where we were given a multitude of choices. After dinner, we took in the show. It was extremely good, featuring the singers, dancers & band of the ship.

To give you an idea of the food options on board. On deck 8 is the Lido Buffet, where breakfast,  lunch & dinner is served every day. The main dinner option is on Decks 2 & 3, and is the Manhatten Dining  Room, where a full a la carte dinner is served every night. You can also be served sit down breakfast here, and on some days, lunch is also served. Around the two pools you can get burgers & pizzas. If that isn't sufficient, there are three Fine Dining options, where for a small extra fee, you can enjoy specialty themed restaurants. The Pinnacle is the signature restaurant serving steaks & seafood. There is Tamarind, high on deck 11, serving Asian food, and Canaletto serving traditional Italian food. We have all agreed to try all of the dining options during the cruise!

Our first port of call is Katakolon in Greece, where the main attraction is Olympia where the ancient Olympic Games began. At each port of call there are a number of shore excursions on offer from the ship. If you have an endless budget, your shore excursions can cost more than your cruise! From talking to friends, we have decided not to do the tour to Olympia, as the temple is now just ruins, and there is only a little to see. The four hour tours, start at US$75.00 per person. Our decision was vindicated by many we spoke to, who said it was pretty underwhelming & extremely hot. Instead, we wandered the streets of Katakolon, with its dozens of restaurants & shops. The shops are of a surprisingly high standard, with lots of jewellery & fashion on offer, as well as heaps of souvenirs. We had a nice lazy time, purchased some nice little items, and enjoyed a cool drink & free wifi, down by the harbour. That night, we decided to do one of the optional dining venues, and dined on delicious Asian dishes at Tamarind. The food was outstanding. We shared, but the menu was really more designed as individual meals. The flavours, and the presentation, were just wonderful, and the pace of service was just right. 

Next morning we arrived in Santorini. This was a change from our original itinerary. The captain had switched our stops at Santorini & Athens. Apparently the Captain had ascertained that our original itinerary would put us in Santorini with seven other ships! That would mean an extra 10 to 15,000 people. Thank God we changed, as we were there with only one other small cruise ship that arrived well after us. Santorini is the Greek Island everyone knows, with its white washed buildings & blue tiled roofs. There isn't a lot at Santorini, other than hotels, restaurants & shops, so we again opted not to do a ship's excursion. We anchored offshore and were tendered into the port of Fira. There are only two real towns on Santorini, Fira & Oia. In both cases, the town is perched high on the cliff above a harbour. In the case of Fira, there are three options to get to the top. The cable car, walk, or the donkey ride. We all decided on the cable car for the up journey. I did consider the donkey ride, but as I approached, they all started rushing to the back of the corral! I took pity & headed for the cable car. At the top, there is laneway after laneway, of shops & cafes. We wandered in and out of some lovely shops, before the girls spied the Fish Foot Spa. Next thing, we were sitting with our feet in tanks full of fish munching on the dead skin of our feet! I was fearful that the famous Anderson foot, may kill off the entire contents of my fish tank, but that wasn't to be! They survived, but looked pretty groggy! We floated out on rejuvenated feet, and decided to take the local bus over to Oia. At €1.60 each way, it was a bargain, and a great ride, getting to see a lot of the Island. We were told it was a 20 minute ride, but with traffic it took around 45 minutes. When we arrived, a quick look at the watch & the crowd waiting for a bus, made up our minds for us! Stay on the bus or risk missing the boat! 

Back in Fira we did a little more wandering and shopping, and Carolyn & I decided to do the donkey ride back down the hill. Jill was giving us the no way head shake, and headed for the cable car. We found the donkey guys, a bunch of mostly elderly Greeks who spoke little or no English. One took our money and walked along his line of donkeys, and soon we were mounted and heading down the track. It is very steep, and as you can imagine with hundreds of donkeys a day, the odour is quite pungent, and as Carolyn soon found out, it isn't easy to hold your nose and the reins at the same time! It was great fun, and we made it to the bottom, where my donkey kicked up his heels in thanks! We found Jill, and headed for the dock to be met by our wonderful crew with ice cold towels & ice cold water. Back on board, we set sail out of the bay, with fantastic views of Fira & Oia. This was a great stop. We loved Santorini.

Our next stop was Istanbul. The change of itinerary meant we would be in Istanbul later than originally planned. We were overnight here. It would be 7.00pm arrival, rather than the original 4.00pm. This was a bit of a pain, as we had booked an evening tour with a private guide, and this had to be cancelled due to our late arrival. The ship had hastily arranged a Bosphorus Cruise, to replace the many tours of their own that also had to be cancelled. This was a lovely cruise. Istanbul is a huge and vibrant city. We arrived at the end of the Ramadan feast, so the place was packed with locals eating out and enjoying the waterfront. There are an estimated 18 million people in this place, and I think we saw most of them! The city is the only one in the world that spans two continents, Asia & Europe. The cruise took us along both sides of the Bosphorus past many palaces and mosques and some very grand old buildings. There is so much history here, dating back to Alexander the Great & beyond. The huge bridges that span the Bosphorus are illuminated and constantly change colour, and as night falls, many of the buildings are beautifully lit. Turkey has a surprisingly strong economy, with car manufacture high on the list. Most of the world's major car manufacturers have big plants in Turkey. The waterway is incredibly busy, being the gateway to the Black Sea and Russia's way out to the Mediterranean. There are freighters & tankers galore, not to mention the four Cruise Ships now in port. Next morning we were up bright and early and off the ship to meet our guide for our private tour. Our friends Wayne & Debbie were here last year on a cruise, and had passed on their knowledge & contacts. We were using the same company. To give you an idea of price difference, the ship's tour on a coach with 50 other people, was US$215 per person. Our private tour of three with our own guide and air conditioned mini van and driver was US$350 for the three of us!!! We met our guide who said call me Oz! Very appropriate indeed! She had us inside the Hippodrome, the ancient square where so much history took place dating back to Roman times, & the Blue Mosque before the buses had left the dock! The Blue Mosque is quite amazing with all its blue tiles. From there, we headed into the Suktan's Topkapi Palace, full of rich history & some incredible relics, some dating back to 500BC. The palace is set over a huge area and was just wonderful, all perched high on a hill to catch the breezes and beautiful vistas of the Bosphorus. 

From here Oz took us underground into the Bianca Cistern. It is amazing to think that these ancient civilisations had the forethought to build huge underground cisterns to hold water in case of a long siege! They were secret as well, to avoid someone poisoning the supply! Now there is only a little water, and we can walk on platforms through this labiryth of columns, where the catfish swim. The columns used came from all over the world, including some ornately carved with Medusa's head to ward off evil! Back above ground, we headed into the huge St.Sophia church. This incredible building has been a church, a mosque & a palace throughout history. Today it is a museum, and quite an impressive one at that, with its mixture of Christian & Muslim artefacts. Something I did not know, was that the Koran forbids religious pictures, so the ornamentation in mosques is by way of ornate tiles and inscriptions. From here it was time for lunch, and Oz took us to a lovely outdoor restaurant, where she guided us through some delicious local food which we shared. A kind of pizza, some breaded creations that looked like arancini but were stuffed with delicious lamb mince, a Turkish pide and of course we finished off with baklava! 

After lunch our driver took us to the shops. First stop was a Persian Carpet shop, where we were given a demonstration of the weaving process by a master weaver. Fascinating, as carpets are made from wool, cotton or silk. The demonstration was with silk, the slowest and most expensive. All are made by hand, and a typical silk carpet will take almost two years to complete! After the demonstration we were served traditional apple tea and Turkish coffee, and shown dozens of carpets. There was no compulsion to buy, but I had the feeling the display was going to continue until we did! Anyway it ended in a good hearted way, and we were transported into shopping heaven, Istanbul's Grand Bazaar! Frank Louw eat your heart out! This is the world's biggest shopping centre with 6400 shops, both indoor and outdoor. It is amazing! The noise is deafening from spruikers selling carpets, leather goods, jewellery, Turkish Delight, clothes and more. To save time and our money, Oz asked what we would like to buy, and then took us to shopkeepers she knew & trusted. She also helped with our bargaining, admonishing the shopkeeper if she thought he was being less than generous. It was a wonderful experience, and the end to a memorable day in Istanbul.

We sailed away from Istanbul and set course for the Greek Island of Lesvos and its port of Mytilene. Here even the ships tours were sparse! We just wandered the streets around the harbour and sampled the local food. The girls shopped while John tried to find WiFi that worked! We walked up to the old fort, which is quite ancient, and like many such buildings now a venue for music concerts. It was incredible hot with the temperature in the high 30's, so the best place to be was in an air conditioned shop or back on the ship! That decision became much easier when at 1.30pm the shops started to close for lunch & siesta! No wonder there is a Greek Crisis! Hello, here is a captive audience that departs at 4.00pm! can we delay siesta for today? No way Aristotle!!!!! We sailed away without much of a send off as the Mytilinians were all asleep!!!

Next stop Kusadasi, back on the Turkish mainland. This is a lovely town, that has grown through tourism, brought to the area by the discovery only 120 years ago, of the amazing Roman Ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus. We have again arranged a private tour using Wayne & Debbie's contact. We met our guide, the lovely Pashir, and were whisked away in our luxury Mercedes minivan, to Ephesus about 30 minutes drive away. Again we beat the crowds by some time, so when we arrived it was not crowded at all. The ruins here were found by accident, and the excavation has revealed a complete Roman City, buried by an earthquake. The ruins are in much better condition than Pompeii, as the area was never looted. The marble is all still here. The streets are all marble, the buildings are still marble as are the columns and statues. It is quite incredible. This was a large city, and no bodies have been found, so it appears all the inhabitants escaped. The Library building and the arena are the real standouts. Pashir explained the history in much detail and it was fascinating to listen to. Ephesus had been a port city, but now the sea is some kilometres away. I cannot emphasise enough, how extraordinary this place was to see. An interesting aside is the number of cats and kittens that now inhabit the site! They are everywhere! All in good condition and fed by the workers who are still excavating the sight. 

From Ephesus we were asked if we would like to see a leather outlet store. The girls of course jumped at the idea, and I was out voted. This was no ordinary leather shop like you find in the outlet stores of Alexandria! This was high end stuff. The softest leather you can imagine, but only better. We were ushered into a room and given traditional Apple tea, then the show began. A full catwalk fashion parade, with half a dozen models professionally strutting their stuff to loud music and flashing lights! From there it was into the showroom to view the 2500 different designs! Personally I am not big on leather. I look a lot like a Russian Mafia Bodyguard from a B grade movie, but my girl is a big fan, and was soon surrounded by leather, revelling in the attention of the owner who was dressing her and preening her as his eyes kept rolling, waiting for the numbers to align! It only took about 70 coats to find the perfect one! My MasterCard was stretchered out to the car!

Back in the black Mercedes van with the heavy tint windows, I was momentarily lamenting the fact I hadn't bought a black leather jacket. It all seemed to fit! We headed up the mountain to the small village of Sirince. Remember back in 2011, when the Mayan calendar predicted the end of the earth? Well there were only two places on earth that were to be safe, and Sirince was one of them. The original 200 inhabitants must not have been able to believe their luck! How would the Mayans know about Sirince? All a bit spooky for me. Anyway, now it is a vibrant little rural village full of shops and cafes, winding up and down the valleys and hills. Pashir took us to a lovely little restaurant to sample the local food. She and her husband regularly come here on weekends for breakfast. Somewhere in the translation, we ordered enough food for twenty, at a price to feed two! The food was delicious. Half a dozen plates of food were strewn around the table, and we all hoed in, then a big plate of shish kebabs arrived, followed by another and another and another! Man did we waddle out of there!  Still, we had room for Ice Cream! The Turkish Ice Cream is quite different. It has a texture like bubble gum! This is partly because of the ritual that takes place in serving it. The vendors are dressed almost like clowns. The scoop is on a long metal pole, and the guy plays games touching you up with the long scoop, using multiple cones so he can take the ice cream back. It goes on and on and is tremendous fun. The kids think it is hilarious, as do most of the adults. It is a bit too much for some of the serious Germans!!!! As the temperature was again in the high 30's, the ice cream was a hit. We wandered the shops for a while longer, then it was back in the van and back to Kusadasi. We had enjoyed another fantastic day ashore. 

Next day, we had another big day planned, as the port of call was Piraeus, the port city of Athens. We had again booked a private tour. The ship was offering the tours by coach at US$215 per person. We did ours for the same, but the price was for the three of us with a private guide and an air conditioned Mercedes!  We quickly found our guide Fotis, and we were on our way. Fotis is the most lovely guy. A real family man, hell bent on making sure we have a great day. Our first stop was the world's famous Acropolis. It is already crowded, as there are four other cruise ships in port, and ours was the last to dock, due to the change in schedule. It is incredible standing at a place you have seen all your life, and is such a part of world history. The Parthenon is constantly under repair, and today was no exception, with the current work likely to last for some years. From the Acropolis, Fotis whisked us down to the Temple of Zeus, where only a few columns still stand, then over to the stadium built to host the first modern Olympics. From here it was into the city to see the famous changing of the guards at the parliament. This was great with those poor guys dressed in heavy clothes in the stifling heat, putting on a show full of high stepping and arm waving. The girls got a photo with a guard. You are not allowed to touch the guard, if you do, he bangs his rifle butt on the ground to scare the crap out of you! Back in the car, Fotis did a drive around town pointing out countless buildings and statues, then a run through the old city of Plaka, which is really just a collection of souvenir shops and cafes. We took a walk through the Ancient Agora, which is a lot like the Roman Forum, then we were off to lunch. Fotis took us to a lovely part of Athens, where the streets were tree lined and cool. The restaurant he had chosen was a family favourite, and we were given a table right under the air conditioner, which I took as a sign that Fotis was important. Fotis explained the food and helped us order, but declined to join us saying he needed to attend to the car, as parking was a problem around here. We really enjoyed lunch, of stuffed zucchini, lemon flavoured meatballs, yeeros, and the best Greek salad I've ever eaten!

After lunch it was up to the top of the highest hill in Athens for photos and a panoramic view of the city and surrounds. This was a real highlight, being able to see all the famous places from such a vantage point. After that Fotis dropped us off at the new (5 years old), Acropolis Museum, which is itself, and archeological dig sight. As you enter, you are on a glass floor so you can see the work going on below. It is a striking museum. The building is a fabulous design and it sits in the shadow of the Acropolis. There are three floors stuffed with artefacts and reconstructions from the Acropolis site. There is a very informative 15 minute video that runs alternatively in Greek & English, that tells the story of the Acropolis. After that, it is just display cabinet after display cabinet. We only had an hour, but you could easily spend a day. This was our last stop on a busy day. Fotis gave us all a big hug, and I mean all of us, as we said goodbye, and thanked him for a wonderful day. The day had been one where we had spent it with a friend rather than a guide. The port was bedlam, with all four cruise ships getting ready to depart amidst the dozens of inter island ferries. It was quite a spectacle. That night, we enjoyed a real dining treat, as we had booked a table in the Pinnacle fine dining restaurant for a one off evening celebrating the famous Le Cirque Restaurant in New York. We dined on lobster, escargot, Chateaubriand, and soufflé. It was an excellent meal indeed.

We only had one more stop before returning to Venice, and this was at the Greek Island of Cephalonia & the port of Argostoli. This town had been completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1953, so we sailed into a new & modern town. We didn't do a tour, simply walked into town, which was right beside where we docked. It was a scorching day, and there wasn't much shade. They had one of the little trains doing tours around the town, so we jumped on board. It was crowded, and in a brand new town there wasn't much to see really! When we got off, we did a quick look in some shops, enjoyed a drink whilst trying to connect to hopeless WiFi, then wandered back to the ship for cold towels and ice water! We retired to the air conditioned comfort of the Crows Nest Bar, for happy hour and to watch us sail out of Cephalonia.

From here we had a leisurely day at sea where we sat around on the deck on sun lounges, reading our books and snoozing. We had had some very busy days in a row. In between all our tours we had time for Team Trivia, where we failed miserably most nights, and the girls shared Bingo Cards, winning one Bingo of $220! Couldn't crack the big jackpot prize though, but then neither did anyone else! We enjoyed many shows in the Showroom. The Cruise Director on this ship, Mario, is the best we have ever seen. An African American, he had a wonderful singing voice, a fantastic sense of humour, and one of those voices you just wanted to listen to. He seemed to be everywhere! For our second last night we tried the Italian Restaurant, which was OK, but that was probably because we have had so much Italian food recently!

The end of this cruise was interesting, as we arrived back in Venice at around 1.00pm, and had the afternoon and night before disembarking. There we tour options, but most people seemed to just hang around the ship, having done their Venice sightseeing before the cruise. We fell into that group, and just enjoyed a lazy afternoon. For our last night we were back in The Pinnace Restaurant for one last delicious fine dining meal, and it was good. This is a real American Steakhouse, so we dined on Jumbo Shrimp Cocktails and Fillet Mignon, Bombe Alaska & Soufflé. A perfect end to a great cruise. Next morning we were saying our goodbyes. Jill was staying one more night in Venice, and we were starting our homeward journey, with a flight to London, an overnight stay at Heathrow, followed by a flight to Singapore, where we again meet up with Jill for a few nights.

Cruising sure is a lot of fun, and you get to see a lot in a short time, and we sure have seen and done a lot over the past twelve days and nights!!!