Hannover 96 has qualified for European Football!

AUF NACH EUROPA!!!!!!!

Since we have been together I adopted the home soccer (football) side from where Anja is from being Hannover 96 (Die Roten).

It really is a match made in heaven as they are a side that has struggled so very similar to my Rugby League side the Parramatta Eels. This season though they have surpassed any expectations and finished fourth in the Bundesliga (best ever result) and as a result will next season play in the Europa League which is just below the Champions League, a terrific feat!

A regular occurence during the season has been an overnight text being sent from Hans giving a full update of all results which has been great. We always worried when no results were received as that seemed to mean that Hannover had lost!

Hannover of course (and this one resident in Adelaide) is in celebratory mode and this video we thought well worth sharing!

Auf Nach Europa

So next season can't come quick enough!

Kangaroo Island...Psst it's a Secret!

It was about time that two travellers like us explored a bit more of what SA offers so after special consideration (budgetary and timely) we ventured to Kangaroo Island which is something not very well known to most people but that's good.

Six days and nights we had set out to explore in halves the West end and then the East end of this vast island and we started our adventure nice and early on a Sunday morning. Without fail Jason managed to bump his head on the mantle and give himself a nice cut on his head but not enough to delay the trip to Cape Jervis about 100 kilometres from home to catch the ferry to KI. It was a weird morning as we drove closer to encounter fog in the surrounding hills near Cape Jervis but slowly we arrived at the terminal nice and too early so we grabbed a coffee.
To our confusion upon receiving our coffee someone from the ferry grabbed us and due having a smaller car we managed to get onto to the earlier ferry but it was with gratitude Jason accepted the help of a staff member to back up the car into the limited space left, the ferry can hold up to 50 cars and there are 8 services a day.

So in slightly dark but dry conditions we started the 45 minute ride off the mainland to our home for the next six days. Being last on meant we were first off so after arriving in Penneshaw we headed to the information centre to grab an island pass and find out some local info. We armed ourselves with some brochures and with our passes we started to cross the Island towards the accommodation for the first three nights on the western end. We passed Prospect Hill and couldn't help but take the challenge to walk up the hill to survey the surrounds. As we made our way to the top there were signs detailing wildlife marks in the sand and animals they belong to, the one of most note was the Tiger Snake.

See Wikipedia "While antivenom is effective, mortality rate for this species is around 60% if not treated^."

The view at the top was well worth it but then we continued on towards the western side and had some lunch at a Gallery before we finally arrived.

Our log cabin "Sunset Lodge" at the caravan park was immaculate and really surpassed our expectations so we busily unloaded our fully loaded small car before we took advantage of the sun coming out and headed to Flinders Chase National Park which is home to the Remarkable Rocks and Admiral's Arch.
This was our first chance to use our pass as we visited the information centre at the park and then made the 16 kilometres drive to these adjoining attractions. As we drove the road towards the Remarkable Rocks there was an ideal lookout that showed this truly exceptional rock formation from a distance. After we made the mandatory stop there we made our way to them where it was of course crowded but more than a few photos were taken! We dragged ourselves away to go and visit Admiral's Arch and stopped at Cape Du Couedic Lighthouse and made the short walk unlike many of the other sightseers to discover a mass of New Zealand Fur Seals draped all over the coast line.
The actual Admiral's Arch is a great spot but the fact it is populated by so many New Zealand Fur Seals is an added bonus and we watched for a long time these curious creatures and made a promise to come back before we left to go to the east end.

We enjoyed our first night on the island by having a glass of champagne on our cabin porch after going for a twilight walk near a close by lagoon getting up close and personal with some Tamar Wallabies. Both of us enjoyed sitting and relaxing on the porch on this first night.
Monday morning and we again again took advantage of our location and sat and had breakfast quietly and slowly whilst savouring our immediate environment. Finally we headed to nearby Hansons Bay which was our first encounter of KI's unmade roads but the view was well worth it! We passed by the very exclusive Eco lodge which sadly is gated so no chance of paying a visit!

This magnificent spot was deserted upon arrival but the small car behind us arrived and only took enough time for some brief photos before they departed as quickly as they arrived. We made the most of this spot and slowly strolled along the beach soaking up how wonderful and remote we felt.
Begrudgingly the trek back was taken to our accommodation to grab some lunch and after consulting our KI map it was decided we would visit Cape Borda Lighthouse for one of their tours... we thought we had plenty of time!!
Turning right past the entrance to the Flinders Chase National Park the smooth road directed us towards the turnoff to Cape Borda and after our experience in the morning our belief was that the unmade road said twenty eight kilometres to our destination but surely that couldn't be as bad as Hanson Bay... it was far worse. Later after consulting with a local we came across the term "corrugated" road which typified this long slow road which the further we got the less chance of finalising our trip!
At the end we can't really say how far we got before we turned around but sufficient to say we saw long winding roads still ahead and with a heavy heart we headed back slowly but safely firmly with an idea to return with a bigger vehicle. Still as we made our way back we spotted a pretty big goanna crossing this dirt unmade road and further along the familiar sight of roadkill was being looked at by a huge bird of prey who was not happy to be disturbed.

Back to Flinders Chase National Park and off to a Platypus Lagoon located near the visitor centre, we waited quietly and patiently but left this area also empty handed but still upon walking back we came across some Tamar Wallabies. Back to our lodge for the evening and within our campground was an idyllic lagoon we took a twilight walk through and again came in close contact with some wildlife including one angry looking Kangaroo. Nearby our lodge there was a Koala mum and baby sleeping snugly and as we sat in the evening on our deck another mother this time a possum visited with her baby as we obviously had their spot! Also that evening we awoke to a strange noise in our bedroom to discover somehow a small bat had made it's way in!!
Tuesday or as the Germans call it Dienstag (I think named after me!) arrived and we wanted to head to the south coast of KI towards Seal Bay but as we got closer we passed Raptor Domain and they were due for their daily show so there was no argument about making a stop there. The show was great and Jason got up close and personal with a Kookaburra and we had a nurse each of a Barn Owl. The people running this place were very passionate and this showed during the show with the way the keeper spoke.

Soon we headed to Seal Bay as we had included in our passes a guided tour which we were so lucky to get on as there was only four of us. Our guide Peter was extremely knowledgeable as we pestered him with questions and got up really close and personal with the sea lions. There was a mixture of them sleeping and some boisterous behaviour and you truly could have stayed hours watching them. After our tour we went to a boardwalk to view and as it was windy people seemed to come and go frequently as we stood and watched in awe.

It was there we witnessed a sad scene of a pup thinking it's mother was returning from three days at sea gathering food but alas it was a case of mistaken identity. We could have stayed for hours but made a promise to return so we left to go and enjoy Jason's birthday present from Anja... quad biking!
Along the way we stopped at another beautiful place called Vivonne Bay. Again this was deserted to our pleasure as we slowly strolled barefoot along the shore however we soon enough changed into some jeans to head to the scene of our twilight quad biking.
Fortunately the overcast weather cleared in time for our arrival at the Kangaroo Island Outdoor Action centre and after being joined by three backpackers we received some training before we hit the trail.
At first we were both hesitant as we drove off through the curvy and bumpy terrain but once we hit the flat open spaces it was fair to say both of us loved it!! Both of us were at the back of the pack but we managed to keep up as you sometimes forgot how great the scenery was and caught the eye of the bemused kangaroos as we scooted over a few properties. Even we found a thrill as we descended up a hill to view from the peak the island from this unique perspective.
Our time was soon over and it was about thirty two kilometres back to our caravan park but we did not pass one vehicle!

PETROL ADVICE ON THE ISLAND:

It is noted throughout all brochures that purchasing petrol is something that depending on where you are on the island. All the time we were there we always referred to our fuel gauge and some of the roads we took were very remote! However it isn't cheap as you can imagine but obviously with the island so large a necessity. Our first chance to fill up the car came at the lodge we didn't stay at and after numerous attempts to fill up it was discovered that they had gone through four hundred litres in four days! On our first successful attempt we did our usual mode of thinking of a dollar amount and when we actually had someone pump the petrol it was to our amusement how quick it went!
Suffice to say we spent some money into the local economy when it came to petrol but we are blessed with a small car!

Wednesday morning and it was time to leave the Western End but we took advantage of our pass and went back nice and early and visited the Remarkables and Admiral's Arch  again with the sun shining down and far less crowds! The two of us just sat and watched the fur seals without anyone else for what seemed like an eternity as we laughed at the younger ones playing whilst the rest slept.
There was also no way we were going to drive pass Seal Bay without also taking another tour, although this one was much more crowded it still was great to view the Sea Lions for another time so close.

We were staying the last three nights at Penneshaw where the ferry lands and as we made our way there we came across a Lavender Farm with a cafe.
It was mid afternoon but the owner welcomed us with open arms but made sure he let us know the kitchen would be closing soon so we ordered some lavender scones and coffee. Out on the balcony the owner rattled off with a lot of enthusiasm all the varieties they add and encouraged us to go for a walk.

Upon sitting down to savour the cream and jam with the scones the owner came and sat down and had a chat, he revealed his reasons for moving from Victoria in great detail and showed genuine interest in our story. He then seemed to mentioned every attraction and nice spot on the eastern end and we couldn't get over how friendly he was! Soon enough we jumped back into the car and arrived at our so called four star accommodation but the pub just up the road was going to be our first port of call.
It was obvious who the locals where and who wasn't but the view was priceless as we enjoyed our schnitzels washed down with a beer before walking off our meal nearby. The buses were frantically going past to the Ferry for the tourists who obviously thought just a day was enough on KI... definitely not!

Next morning and it was down to the bistro to have the supplied Continental breakfast which was very simple but at least Jason didn't have to do the dishes! The main town on KI is Kingscote so we knew we had to have a visit there and also at the gallery we visited on Sunday it mentioned a gallery we could buy some jewellery at. Kingscote is fairly small and after we managed to walk up and down the main street we decided to ask about the gallery but alas had no luck. Funnily in one gallery we came across our guide from our first visit to Seal Bay, it seems that the locals have no dramas to work two jobs but we were very jealous.

The bakery at Kingscote was the highlight but we also visited Reeve's Point which is the place of first settlement in South Australia so a key historic site. During Thursday we stopped in a few spots, especially after some advice from our eager Lavender Farm owner. Some Pelicans in American River weren't too happy we didn't have food and Pennington Bay looked great but the day was extremely windy.
Emu Bay however was a great little spot to go for a nice long walk and even though it was March we both were rugged up and Anja had a beanie on. Still to our amazement we saw some people set up on the beach using their vehicle as a wind break as they sat in t-shirt and shorts reading and letting the world go by.

Part of our accommodation package included a Penguin tour that night (however it became obvious there that EVERYONE had a voucher) so at 8.30pm we met out local guide with our large group. After getting some interesting background info of how comfortable the penguins were living on the island a short walk took us to some man made burrows. As is always the case with animals we made some brief sightings but it was also funny the people in the group given torches having no idea where to point them!

Friday and sadly our last full day on the Island and after consulting with the same Information Centre staff member we met on Sunday she assured us our smaller car would be able to get to Cape Willoughby (again on the pass). Also it was recommended to visit Chapman River Cellar Door for lunch as they would be open. Fortunately this drive was so much easier and we even had time to look at Antechamber bay on the way there. As we approached we could see also the Cellar Door was off the beaten track so we made a promise to go back for lunch.

Driving down the last bit before we arrived at Cape Willoughby and it was such a wonderful sight. There were some old houses there and one contained all the info of the history of this old lighthouse which kept watch over the notorious Backstairs Passage which had claimed it's fair share of ships in it's time.
We had a tour and scaled the heights of the lighthouse which was cool and when we explored the grounds we came across a very big kangaroo just laying back!

Upon turning off to the Cellar Door we saw a plane parked which we thought odd and then later found out two men had flown from Murray Bridge just for lunch! It was a quaint little shed and we were greeted by a little dog Jason fell in love with. They had a platter we selected and also after some tasting a glass of wine was selected. The wind was chilly but we were determined to sit outside and savour our surrounds but even the dog went inside!
The platter was amazing and well worth the trip there, Bruce - the owner - also came out and chatted to these two crazy visitors braving the cold and we could have sat for hours. It was then we heard the plane take off and Bruce informed us it was common for many planes to be there at any time.

Back to Penneshaw and one last visit to the pub where we found out if you order a hamburger it will have steak and not mince!

Saturday and it was sadly time to leave and head for the ferry which was literally metres from our hotel and luck again had it we were one of the first vehicles on. It was a beautiful morning but when we were grabbing a coffee a staff member informed us that it had been rough coming over and sit at the back. Initially we sat near the front but it soon became obvious that she was right as we made the quick dash to the back. However it wasn't a proud moment when we BOTH fell very seasick.
Still the forty five minute journey was over as we reached Cape Jervis both relieved to be back on firm ground one more time. A nice drive back to Adelaide with a stop in Yankalilla at again another great country bakery before we reached home with the extra traffic evident from the Clipsal V8's in town.
Even more so as we sat in our backyard relaxing but we could still hear the engines very clearly and then the ensuing concert that night... we were back in civilisation!

Overall we both loved KI and that will certainly not be our only visit there. Both of us were so tired as there is so much to do on such a big island, there is still the North Coast to explore and for that we will need a bigger car. Touch wood and we may have a certain visitor (Jan???) next time join who we know would also love what KI provides. The west end was amazing and our favourite as it was so untouched and felt very remove.

Certainly would encourage people to visit but hang on........Psst it's a secret!!!!!

You can access more photos here:  Kangaroo Island

Holidays!!! - Part 5 - Time to go home

Well we ventured one more time back into Germany to spend the precious remaining time with family and re-count our stories from our belated honeymoon.
It was in the final days we were fortunate enough to have a chance encounter with some other travellers we hadn't crossed paths with for quite a long time.

Firstly on our second last day we were fortunate enough to have Anja's godson Mika and her best friend Antje visit us in Wennigsen and we had a great afternoon in the yard playing with this ever happy boy who gave us both so much joy. On this day we were hopeful to meet up with friends from Canada Walter and Sonja and their first child Emily but alas there travel plans had been delayed.
Still we had a great afternoon with Mika and Antje and there was a sad moment as we waved them goodbye at the train station as they went back to Hannover.

It was our final day in Germany the next day and we sat with Hans and Christa enjoying a great lunch and as we were finishing we looked out the front window and to our shock walking up to the door was Sonja! They had taken the off chance we may have been there so this was indeed a great moment of happiness and joy as they are the reason Anja and I met.

Anja was in Canada visiting Sonja and Walter for their upcoming nuptials in 2005 when we met by chance in a backpackers bar in Toronto. It was through their generosity they allowed an Australian stranger to stay with them in Quebec when they lived there shortly after.
We also had the unexpected pleasure of crossing paths in Sydney when we discovered Sonja was pregnant with little Emily but by and large all of our communications had been electronically.
So in shock we spent the last couple of hours meeting Emily for the first time and enjoying the company of these special friends.

However it was soon enough we needed to board a train down to Frankfurt to make that long flight one more time.
Hans and Christa drove with us to the main train station and we were surprised to also have Christina meet us so there was a few tears shed as we waved goodbye but with a promise to see each other sooner than later.....we are going back in December this year to have Christmas in Germany!!

We both had an amazing time away again which was long overdue for us both. Many destinations were visited and lots of local cuisine sampled by these two travellers. Once we arrived back down under Jetlag hit in but we both carry special memories of being able to meet once again with family and friends whilst being able to celebrate our marriage with them all. Maybe next trip we won't go to as many destinations and soak up time with family and friends but for us both that is how we really like best to travel.

Speaking of....next blog will detail our recent trip to Kangaroo Island! A very well kept secret destination Anja and I fell in love with!

Holidays!!! - Part 4

Here we were on a train into London and the first thing we noticed was the strange English family adjacent to us talking in their thick accents making us crack up. It may have been in English but we knew we weren't in Australia any more! Jason had to have some English crisps for the train ride that reminded us how far we were out of London.
Once we arrived at the busy Liverpool St train station we enquired the best way to get to our motel but once we made it out of there a budget meeting was held and since it was a honeymoon we decided to catch a famous London Cab. With trepidation the cabbie was asked roughly how much it would cost and the answer was to our liking so we jumped in. It was only a short journey to the motel but enough time for us to feel really comfortable with the local driver who remarked how tired we both looked. It was a scorcher in London that day and thankfully we got into our room so we could change and adjust to the weather.

Jason was like a schoolkid bristling with energy so we attacked London by foot and headed out into the masses and walked along the Thames as we were intending to find a "public viewing" spot for the football game between Germany and England to be played that afternoon. Navigation proved no problems and before we knew it we were in Covent Garden a very popular area for shopping. This was proven as we found Birkenstocks much cheaper here than back in Australia even allowing for the exchange rate so Anja was able to grab a nice pair as we continued our search to find a large screen.
This allowed us to head through Leicester Square and back down to Trafalgar Square where our desperation led us to ask a English bobby (police officer) but we were beaten by some lads dressed in their English kit so it was off to Hyde Park as game time drew nearer and nearer. Sadly as we made our way following this group we made a wrong turn and after asking some more locals a decision was made to get to the nearest pub. Nearby was Westminster Abbey and we thought being in London finding a pub wasn't going to be a problem but the best we could do was a small one with a front bar of about thirty people hovering in front of a TV.
Being thirsty we needed some cold beers to quench our thirsts while we watched this game but again we forgot we were in London so we sweated as we drank the warm English lager but to our collective joy Germany scored first! By the time Germany led 3-1 and then finished 4-1 winners it was quite funny how apologetic the English supporters were!
 
So it was indeed a very different experience but very fun so we made our way back out into the sun and to walk through the crowds past the House of Commons and back over the Thames to see how many people were waiting for the London Eye.

Even allowing for it being a perfect Sunday we just couldn't get over the number of people around as we wandered the streets to eventually drag our tired bodies back to our motel to rest after a long day. Jason was excited to watch English TV but all we found was Top Gear!

A new day arrived as we awoke in London and took advantage of a buffet breakfast before we endeavoured to head out onto the streets. Wimbeldon was on in London but alas it was too late to get tickets.

Throughout our time in London we savoured the delights of this very old historic city. We made sure we visited Buckingham Palace and stood with the masses to watch this daily event which goes off with precision. A trip to Notting Hill was on our list as we wandered along Portobello road and looked into the many fashion stores and even again found an obliging cabbie to take us across town to Harrods where we soon found out that having a burger and fries can make a small dent into anyone's budget but that was simply something we couldn't miss. Anja even managed to find a bargain in there and purchased some new sneakers so we proudly walked out with a bag but strict rules inside dictated you couldn't keep your backpack on as you never knew what you could knock over!

London's iconic red double decker buses helped us get around a bit easier on a jump on - jump off service which made it easier to see a fair bit more of London. It also was a good chance to take loads more photos as we sat in a typical traffic jam which must have been worse before they put in the congestion tax. The east end was where we went and saw a musical, although it happened to be an Australian one! Tapdogs was amazing and we loved being able to sit in an old theatre that must have had a thousand stories to tell.
In Leicester Square we tried to get the cheap tickets but it worked out just ok to go the theatre itself so that was very cool. Jason loved Lilywhites which is a big sports store where we spotted a former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh trying to blend in but we let him be.
This was in Oxford Circus which led us to be trampled by the unbelievable shopping crowds on this supposed midweek quieter period and as there was a Starbucks on every corner a nice cold Iced Frappo went down extra well. Funnily a bargain was to be had at H&M as well for men's clothes even with the exchange rate and the fetching blue polo Jason bought matched stunningly with Old London Tower Bridge which is a bit smaller than you would think.

From the Tower Bridge we soaked in the late night daylight and strolled along the Thames and made the obligatory stop at some pubs to have some English beer. We stayed not far from Shakespeare's globe so that was another unforgettable experience.

Before we knew it these two travellers had enjoyed their delayed honeymoon in good Old London town and it was time to return to the Deutschland for our last stretch before returning to Oz. From our trip to the UK Jason was able to satisfy his boyhood dream and return again to London but Anja wasn't really sold on this well known city so maybe our next trip to the UK will be in Bonnie Scotland!

Are you ready for Part Five????

More pics:
Slideshow Holidays 2010

Highlight of a long drive - or not!

Jan, dies ist fuer Dich... die Hay Plains... NICHTS, da war absolut NICHTS zu sehen! :)

... und am naechsten Tag auf dem Weg von Mildura nach Adelaide... da gab's immer noch NICHTS!

Auf Wiedersehen, Sydney!

Ein letztes Mal ueber die Harbour Bridge... zumindest vorerst...

Video gibt's hier:   Harbour Bridge Drive

Last drive over the Harbour Bridge... at least for the moment....

Holidays!!! - Part 3

We arrived in Oberriet safe and sound despite spending six and a half hours on the famous Autobahn! Jan is an excellent driver and only indulged Jason once by reaching 180 kilometres but when we cruised at 150 kilometres it felt slower as other cars still went past! One of the myths of the Autobahn is that all of it is unlimited speed (there are limits in certain areas) but still we covered quite a lot of kilometres a lot faster that you would in Australia.
Oberriet is a lovely small place Jan lives at now and from his apartment windows you can see Austria and Liechtenstein but the thing that was capturing Jason was the plasma tv with 175 channels! Being in another country we explored the local supermarket on our first night and of course realised we now had Swiss Francs as a currency and no longer Euros.

That night we checked the weather forecast to see what we would do the next morning and after discovering it would be overcast locally Jan let us know Italy was only a few hours away! The morning greeted us with low clouds and refreshed from having home made pizza and watching the world cup on the massive TV the night before we jumped into the car to head to Lake Como in Italy. Upon nearing the Italian border we made our way up a steep windy descent and although it was summer there was snow in the Alps.
It was an ideal chance to jump out of the car to take some photos and also time to put on beanies and very warm jackets! We made our way back down to a sleepy Italian village where we could finally spend some euros and of course enjoy Italian coffees as the sun beamed down on us in this very peaceful scene. Continuing on the long windy roads towards our destination and a habit that was to develop throughout our stay begun.....Anja falling asleep in the back of the car. :)

The scenery as we got closer to the Lake was so green and surreal and the sun shone as we made it to Menaggio a very pretty town on the western side of Lake Como. From there we strolled along the lakeside watching the interesting locals and the yachts on the lake. Being in Italy it was impossible not to sit down and have a proper pizza which was indeed as good as expected although it made it hard to make room for the even more compulsory gelato but being seasoned travellers we made the sacrifice.
The town that lends it's name Lake Como which is obviously Como was where we made our way to that afternoon to wander the streets and the Cathedral of Como (Duomo) is huge and a very daunting and impressive church. Funnily as we sat down at a cafe we realised none of us really spoke Italian assuming they would all speak English so ordering was quite a bit of a laugh but somehow we made it.

Amusingly as we left Como it was only minutes to the Switzerland border as we went back a different way where the scenery was just as amazing and as we went back to the clouds it made it more unreal like. A lot of driving had been done over a couple of days but the changing scenery seen out the car windows had made it all very much worth it.
Understandably we took it a bit easier the next day but still we went to St Gallen in the morning which is home to the Unesco World Heritage listed Abbey of St Gall in the heart of the city. Inside on the day there was a service in a smaller part so that made it even more interesting than the normal tourist set up you encounter when you visit churches.

As you do we visited some stunning Switzerland scenery for lunch as Jan took us to a favourite spot of his called St Martin where you proceed up some suitably impressive windy roads to reach an idyllic destination. We sampled for the first time a very refreshing drink called Fassbrause which is literally 'keg brew', it is a non-alcoholic German drink made from natural fruit and spices and malt extract, traditionally stored in a keg. It came in a cool looking brown bottle and combine that with wurst and pommers frites and you can't go wrong!

Having two cameras is always a bonus as we couldn't get enough of the surrounds after lunch but we had to make our way back down again and it was a one way road for certain periods of time before it switched so time was of the essence.

In the afternoon England were playing in the World Cup in the last group game so we were able to go to where Jan works in Liechtenstein for what is referred to as a "public viewing". Simply translated it is where a large group of people gather to watch on big screens a sporting match such as a football game but this was of course very popular. It was in the capital of Vaduz that we took this in and Jason was disappointed to see no real borders as he crossed into his twenty second country visited. Still it was a unique experience as this German speaking country (the only one not to share a common border) all cheered on the English as there were a few shirts in the crowd. For the record England beat Slovenia 1-0 to go through to the next round but at the same time the USA made them come second in the group making the next game for the English very interesting and unexpected (read all about it in Part 4!).

Going back over the border (a simple bridge that marked the difference) it was only fifteen minutes before we got back to Jan's apartment. Tonight though was also the final group games for Australia and Germany so the plasma was able to be split screened as we watched both games simultaneously. Both teams won but the margins were not enough for Australia to not get knocked out so it was worked out that when we arrived in London the same day Germany would play England (read all about it in Part 4!) but we still had a few more days to enjoy Switzerland.


Mt Santis is 2502 metres above sea level and was to be our destination for today after we drove through Appenzell and checked out another very pretty town in this alpine region close to where Jan lives. We were greeted by some goats in the car park that strayed from the little farm at the base. A gondola took us up to the summit as we made our way through the clouds but it was sunny and not too cold up at the top. Swisscomm has a transmission tower there which adds to it and after some fun in the snow we wanted to have some lunch in the lovely cafe whilst we could spot very adventurous hikers making their way up. Unfortunately by the time we sat down the clouds had engulfed us but that made our surrounds even more interesting and very different. The descent down through the clouds in the gondola was also something you didn't do every day as well but we made it back to the bottom without any dramas as we watched in amazement a technician perched precariously on the area where the gondola changes it's angle.

 
Throughout the duration of our stay in Switzerland whenever we left Oberriet we drove past the Austrian border so in the afternoon we visited Feldkirch a medieval town dating back to the 12th century and it has buildings to prove it. It was also a chance for us to indulge in some grocery shopping as there are certain limits that can be taken over the borders (if they check you!).

The next day we were off to Zurich! Anja had been a few times before when she worked in the south of Germany so we had to visit an Australian bar called the Outback Lodge which she had frequented. It was quite different to other Australian bars as it was styled in an older way than most bars and it was quite an event to have an "imported" VB. We also took advantage of a boat cruise on Lake Zurich and this was one of those times it was to Jason's advantage he didn't understand the locals!
Many streets and lanes makes Zurich such an easy place to get lost in and we could have done just that but soon it was time to head back to Jan's for our final night. It is such a quiet beautiful spot in the world as is shown in the photo of a church in Oberriet above so it was very sad to leave as we made our way to London.
Luckily Jan agreed to drive us to our airport which is in "West" Munich about 100 kilometres west in a small place called Memmingen where a former army airport has been converted for small cheap airlines.
For budget reasons we had chosen to fly with Ryan Air a famous Irish low cost airline for our flight to Gatwick so it really shouldn't have been a surprise to arrive at 7am to see a bar full of English lads still drinking beer!
We farewelled Jan reluctantly but we hope to see him sooner than later back in Australia. Standing in the line to get through security at this tiny airport behind the English lads was certainly a memorable experience and it was also the only time we were asked to pull apart our camera. As we waited for our flight we still couldn't fathom why our boarding pass said seat 90 and 91 but once we saw everyone race onto the plane we did likewise to discover it was sit wherever you could!
No other major dramas occured as we headed together to the UK but we loved how they sold scratchies and phonecards. Soon we touched down at one of London's three airports which was forty five minutes out of London and massive.
It was a beautiful hot day as we jumped on the train to head into London.

To be continued.....

Die GROSSflaeche!

 

 

    SCHNECKE!!!!

       
                

            
             
    DAAAANKE!!!

Holidays!!! - Part 2

Finally we had arrived in Germany and after being away for three years Anja was definitely glad to see her family which was understandable. To see three familiar faces in Hans,Christa and Christina when we arrived in Hannover and to have some warm welcomes made the start of this part of our holidays even more special. Before this we had been away a week but now we were seeing family and friends which was obviously an intended highlight to our time away.

It may have been late in the evening when we arrived back at Wennigsen but we still had enough energy to enjoy some delicious chocolate! We awoke the next morning to have the first of many truly special breakfasts with Anja's parents and Jason had his first Brezen (Aussies like to call them pretzels) with Nutella!

Off to Hannover that afternoon to meet for the first time Anja's godson Mika and the wait was well worth it as he is a bubbly "cheeky monkey" for a one year old.It was also an ideal opportunity for Anja to catch up with her best friend Antje whilst Jason amused Mika and vice versa!

The next day was Mika's christening which had been delayed for our arrival and it was an unique service. Mika fell asleep just before the service and then when being christened was soaked with Anja in a litre of water but he didn't really complain!They even had a special lunch at another venue for family and friends for the "cheeky monkey" and we enjoyed being able to share the day with our unofficial nephew. Afterwards we hitched a lift with Anja's sister Christina back to Wennigsen as that night Germany was playing Australia in the football World Cup.

When we got back though we were greeted by Anja's parents Hans and Christa beckoning us to come quickly for a walk into the town centre without explanation but bring our cameras. So we made our way there and upon turning a corner into the main street there was a massive billboard personally greeting us! It was made even more funny as no-one knew where this had come from but after investigation we discovered the lovely culprit was Anja's friend Maren!

From the safety of the Platzek's lounge room we viewed Australia's 4-0 loss to Germany but luckily Jason couldn't really understand the commentators!The week was spent enjoying our time in Wennigsen and we did spend a day cycling in a nature park not far away followed by a round of mini golf.

Thursday though was Mika's first birthday so we were lucky enough to join him to celebrate. Also that day Matt from Brisbane arrived in Hannover to be one of only two guests to join us in our Wedding Parties in two hemispheres. The Friday morning before our Wedding Party Matt and Jason were asked to go into Wennigsen to get some supplies.So it was with amusement these two Aussie country lads managed to confuse the locals in the supermarket as we wandered the aisles. Also that day saw the arrival of Maren (our billboard culprit) from the south of Germany and with Matt we enjoyed the very quiet night life of Anja's hometown.

Saturday was the day of our Wedding Party and the weather gods weren't shining on us as we set up benches in the Platzek's garden.

We greeted some more friends Anja (Eggy Punch) and Alex from Munich who also made a special flight on the day. Which we really appreciated. It was a chance to enjoy good company and share our happiness from our wedding in Australia with Anja's family and friends. Just as were setting up for some delicious cake and coffee Anja's brother Jan arrived who had driven six and a half hours from Switzerland to join us.

Anja returned my favour from our Australian party to give a short speech to our small but special group and we were interrupted by Australia's next game in the World Cup but at least this time they weren't playing Germany!

The evening meal was delivered and we again feasted as we seemed to do throughout our holidays and remained indoors due to the inclement weather but I think everyone really enjoyed the day.

Sunday morning and of course the breakfast was a massive spread that both Matt and Jason couldn't fathom but both struggled through as there was too much choice! We spent the afternoon in Hannover and we sadly bid farewell to our visitors from the south of Germany but not before we had a yummy curry wurst with pommes frites (hot chips) at a pub watching in shock as the Kiwis drew with the Italians!

Before we knew it we stood on Monday morning at the train station saying goodbye to Matt, who would still have a few more months of travelling throughout Europe!

Also it was time for us to drive off with Jan to head to Switzerland for some more adventures!

It was all to start that day with a trip on the Autobahn at 180 kilometres an hour!

To be continued......

Holidays!!! - Part 1

Well it may have been four and a half months from when we exchanged vows but finally we have just experienced a great five weeks away.

Leaving on June 4th we headed west to the most isolated capital city in the world being Perth. After a five hour flight, the first of many, we arrived to see that the airport was a bit of a distance from the actual CBD. Perth is highlighted by an abundance of cranes as this city is experiencing a building boom on the back of the thriving mining industry. Sadly this isn’t necessarily appealing to the eye when you view the skyline but I guess it is a sign of progress.

We spent a day down at Fremantle and visited the very cool Little Creatures brewery to sample a few lagers and enjoy the "different" feel of the locals and other visitors. The next day Anja discovered firsthand the greatness of the West Coast ocean water and beaches after we made it to Rottnest Island, a truly beautiful island populated by the very cute Quokkas. We even could hire bikes to get around but as always Jason had bike problems! The blue of the ocean on the west coast has to be seen to be believed.

After a short but eventful time in Western Australia’s capital city our next flights awaited us with Qantas where we flew five hours to Singapore then changed planes to take the next eleven hours of flying to Frankfurt. Excitedly we were able to indulge in a coffee and a "proper" German bread roll whilst we waited for our next much shorter two hour flight to Helsinki the "funky" capital of Finland.

As you can imagine we were two weary travellers upon arrival in a country neither of us had been and once we had navigated our way to our motel the best we could do was wander a little time before falling asleep pretty early! Being so far north was also very different as the sun rose before 4.30am and didn't really set till 11pm.

During our few days we explored Helsinki by foot and that really emphasised how "funky" Helsinki is. A visit to the really cool markets is compulsory for any visitor and it is where they serve REALLY strong coffee and also sell bear and reindeer meat in cans, we only tried the first! Also it is a must to step inside the magnificent Helsinki cathedral and we normally don’t take photos out of respect in churches but this was an exception.

We also took advantage of the proximity of Estonia to Finland and jumped on a ferry for a short ride to the capital Tallinn.

The Old City of Tallinn is a Unesco World Heritage Site and as you wander through you are very thankful that this is the case. We had to exchange 50 Euros and got 651 Kroons the local currency so we felt rich for a day! Arriving early was great as our first impression of the city square was uninterrupted by the large crowds that we were later to encounter. From our time in Helsinki we discovered that the cruise ships frequented these spots so we were joined by five ships later that day but the mix of people made the city even more interesting.

When in Rome do as the Romans they say, so we had a medieval lunch at a place called Olde Hansa where the local girls dress appropriately in clothes of the period and pose for countless photos with never ceasing smiles! Eating with your hands was optional but not one taken and the cinnamon beer was certainly an acquired taste. Loved our time in both of these new countries but I think we both were looking really forward to arriving in Germany to see Anja's family after such a long time away.

The actual day of our flight was a bit longer than we thought however. It was torrential rain in Helsinki on the day of departure so our flight was slightly delayed to Frankfurt but we eventually got going. After a hurried transfer of luggage so we could get on another flight to Hannover to our horror the forty five minute flight was delayed by an hour. Not all was lost though as the World Cup was on the TV at least.

Finally upon arrival in Hannover we were greeted by Anja's family with a great big Welcome sign and we made the train trip to nice and quiet Wennigsen!

To be continued...

GUTE BESSERUNG!!!!!