In Croatia

19 June

Today we have taken it easy with a late start a lovely bus ride through modern Dubrovnik - we are staying in the outer suburbs. It was a really quick ride into the old city and a gentle walk around the city walls.  The old city has been extensively rebuilt after the devastation of the civil war.We walked around most of the wall - looking at the old city and out over the sea and sheer cliffs into which it was built - all amazing - most amazing is how the old city has been faithfully rebuilt after what was truly an attempt to annihilate it - along with the intent to crush what was dear to the Croatians in the attack by the Serbs in 1991.

We wandered back to our lovely apartment   - visited the local supermarket en route - we drooled over the local produce and made our choices - supported by people who spoke good English - this is amazing and we find it everywhere we go in Croatia and Dalmatia. So we had had lunch and took stock - and headed to the highest point above the city - known as the Panorama. This meant a car trip up seriously winding., narrow roads where the drop was perpendicular to the sea below. Stephen manged to move off the road in a timely manner when  traffic came in the opposite direction- not always cars - buses also use the route! When we arrived the view over the city and surrounding islands gave us  great geological perspective - as well as huge WOW factors in the arena of beauty.

We hopped back into our car -it is so good to have the independence of our own transport - and all power to Stephen who is rarely rattled by invigilating in foreign countries with their own whys of doing things. We could not do and see what we have without his ability to calmly navigate us through all these sites - oh yes! and thanks to the lady who lives in our GPS - she is often annoying - sometimes wrong but always gets us to our destination n the end!

Right - that was the end of our day - we wandered down the road to a local restaurant for a nice meal and the back to sleep in Apartment Silva.

20 June

We had chats with our offspring today , met Albert the resident turtle who comes out in the morning
just outside our apartment to warm up - he rotated himself like a rotisserie chicken at regular intervals.

Having enjoyed meeting Albert we then headed up to Ston - on an isthmus at the base of the Peljesac Peninsula. The wall are amazing being 5km long - the longest in Europe and built for Dalmatian defensive positions. Before sighting Ston we had a wee walk through the medieval site of Mali Ston - a small walled town that predated Ston - all very old but with people still in residence

Thereafter we traveled up the peninsula - gazing at huge mountains sparsely clad in vegetation on one side and at sheer drops to glorious blue sea on the other - often giving way to tiny coves wherein small villages nestled - all built with white stone walls an red terracotta tiled rooves.

When we saw a sign to Trstenik - in the Orebich district - we made a snap decision to turn left and find out what lay below! A good decision as it turned out as it is a lovely sleepy village nestled along the coast - we had lunch in one of the local cafes - I ate scampi for the first time! By my last  scampi I had worked out how to extract the flesh and avoid the cuts to fingers! Stephen had mussels cooked in an exotic sauce. We had wee chuckles because - as we should have known - the mussels came in a goodly sized shell - but each mussel was the size  a little larger than my thumb nail - But! There were lots of them,!!

We then found a little corner of the pebbled lined beach - mostly empty - changed into togs and leapt into the water (crystal clear) - we were kindly alerted by a couple from Prague with impeccable English that there we sea urchins lurking in the stones we were wandering over that would love to sting us - OK _ I retreated to the pebbly area near the shore and splashed about - Stephen manfully defied sea urchins and swam out a way!  After that we sat in the sun on the shore and then drove back to Ston - stopping to buy wine at a family vineyard en route. Ar Stone we paid more attention to the huge walls and to the salt pans that line the harbour - thence venturing into the town of Ston to order oysters - we were told that they were very special - like viagra! In fact Ferdinand of Austria had a permanent order from Ston to ensure he could eat 100 a day! OK! They were nice and fresh but small and in a  flat shell - quite unlike the big juicy oysters we are served up in NZ. However the entire peninsula is lined with mussel and oyster farms so everything is very fresh.

So it was back to Dubrovnik - we are snacking here to night so a quick trip to the supermarket was needed - yum! lovely fresh produce and a discovery every day.

Leaving Italy

17 June

A quiet day on the road heading for the ferry to Croatia.  We first headed to Gravina in Puglia as it was in this area that Gillian's father spent some time in an Italian POW camp - described as a hell-hole in war history accounts.It felt strange ( Gillian here) leaving our luxurious hotel in Matera - well fed and accommodated with all our needs anticipated to head into an area where my father and his fellow POSs had existed in starvation conditions without adequate shelter - abused by Italian soldiers and commanders. The camp was called 'Campo PG 65 in Gravina '- we had been staying a short distance away in Hotel Campo.Aswe travelled through this area I was making connections to the area in 1941.   Today the area is well tended farmland with wheat and hay crops.  Low stone walls outline the fields. This part of southern Italy is gentle rolling land in contrast to the mountainous country further north.  Going to Matera we had driven up into high areas.

We then visited Castel del Monte, a strange hexagonal castle - built also by Frederick II - that apparently was not built to be lived in - there were no kitchens.  Now restored it is an empty shell, but has a commending position and views over the surrounding countryside.  Leaving the castle the rain started heavily and we were lucky to make it back to the car relatively dry.

Heading to Bari the heavens opened with torrential rain.  The motorway we were on was closed by flooding and only the GPS allowed us to find our way to the ferry terminal by other routes.  We sat and waited for the ticket office to open while the carpark filled with water and the thunder rolled around us.

Once on the ferry we found our (tiny) cabin and bedded down for the night.

18 June

Up at 5:30 as we had to be in our car by 7:00, we thought.  Hah!  It wasn't until 7:30 that the trucks blocking the doors onto the vehicle deck were moved.

Since we wouldn't be checking into our accommodation and the rain was still falling we decided to drive south to Cavtat, a small town on the coast.   What a contrast to Italy!  Well surfaced wide roads, well signposted with well behaved drivers.  It was like coming home.

At Cavtat we parked by the yacht harbour and waked around to the seafront.  On the spur of the moment we booked a trip to the Elafiti Islands and jumped on a boat back to Dubrovnik where we joined the tour boat in the old harbour.  The coast along here rises straight from the sea with houses built on steep land with a single 2 lane road cut into the hillside. Some of the vineyards seem almost vertical and much of the land is bare rock.

The islands we visited varied, but all showed the signs of hard economic times with depopulation during and after the war - "period of Serbian aggression".  The islands are small and rocky with areas of low growing trees.  As one we were fed a "fish picnic" consisting of a barbecued mackerel and green salad.  After a demonstration of the correct way to eat the fish we did quite well - you take the tail, split the fish, remove the backbone, twist the tail third off each side (no bones), split each side in half lengthwise to remove the lateral bones and you're done - all this demonstrated by a crewmember using one hand while standing on the rail.

This same crewmember took delight is showing his physical skills by pulling the boat into the wharf almost lying horizontal with the strain, and pushing the boat out from the wharf with a foot on each until the distance was about 6ft and he was doing a ballet split.

Arriving back at Cavtat we headed back to find our accommodation in Dubrovnik.  Again we have been lucky and have a delightful fully equipped flat with a terrace and views over a pleasant bay.

We have found that everyone here speaks English and are very easy to deal with.  Our landlady tells us that times are hard, the government is corrupt and that the only hope for the area is tourism so they focus on making us welcome.

Southern Italy

14 June

Today we started in Trasvetere wandering through the narrow streets and visiting St Maria di Trasvetere which is reputed to be the first church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The portico is covered with engraved stones, probably supplications, but we didn't find a reason for them. The interior is magificent with marble columns and a gilded ceiling. After looking at the many artworks around the altar and in the adjacent lady chapel we were thrown out as it was closing for the day. We wandered back to the main road via lots of very pretty alley ways and shops and locals going about heir lives – stopping to find some delicious sandwiches for lunch, served at a table on the tree lined footpath with iced tea!! Great to soak up the ambiance .

The afternoon was spent exploring the Forum and the Palatine Hill. We began by walking again beside the Capitoline Hill – wonderful and beautiful but also a place of pain and torture historically. Thence we began our climb of the Palatine Hill -such an historic site, to revisit places that had initially wowed us so much on our lst exploration of Rome. As we looked over the Roman Forum grey clouds gathered above menacingly – they bought their good friends with them – thunder claps and lightning – forked some times and sheet mostly. Well, what to do and we had just arrived and Kiwis aren't daunted by a drop of rain when they have just paid their entry fee!!! So we started to plod up the slope then down came the rain in huge drops ( can't call them droplets – Italy doesn't do droplets!! ) so we dived into what looked like an arch way which turned out to be an opening with a barred gate – amazingly an Italian woman appeared rattling the chain and lock to open the door and beckoned us inside –not just us but a huge party of tourists who resembled the tower of Babel!!! And where were we hiding out? In a public toilette - poor wwoman had to wait until everyone left before she could complete her cleaning.When the rain ceased to a dribble we ventured out and carried on up to the top – revisiting sites and finding now barriers blocking access to sites we had previously seen – no worries it is an amazing place to wander through – with the ancient history still running through our / my head. ( Thanks to NPGHS and 5 wonderful years of Latin with Miss Geddes!)

We came down the hill – to wander through the Roman Forum again noting places we had seen last time and wondering about the construction / life style / politics etc of the times and reflecting on Romes devastation when not just the Barbarian hordes descended on them but the impact to the invaders bringing their entire populations with them – more than the Roman Army was fiut to cope with...

The afternoon clouds that had rolled in and sent us some rain then returned with vengeance on their mind - more rain. Of course we had not thought to take wet weather gear with us. We avoided the showers until we were heading through the Piazza Venezia when the heavens opened and gave us their full measure – so we bought an umbrella and poncho from a street hawker – proved to be a valuable purchase as the rain came tumbling down.

We found the Pantheon was still open so went in to marvel at this amazing building. We know that it has been redecorated and restored over the years, but the original design and construction are mind blowing for the time. The acoustics manage to cope with hundreds of people without being noisy – I wish I could say the same for some restaurants!

We had seen a nice looking restaurant in an alley on the way to the Pantheon, so went back for dinner. Back to the tram and home.

15 June

Spent the day travelling down to Matera. Started out on the Autostrada which gave us much better views of the countryside than we expected. Went quite close to Monte Cassino and saw how difficult a task the NZers had to force their way up during the war – the sides of the hill to the south and west are sheer and exposed.

We left the fast route north of Naples to follow some of the “scenic routes”. This means experiencing the effect of years of neglect on well built roads. Mind you, even the Autostrada has a shocking surface at times and a lot of the motorways have the speed limit reduced to 90km/hr because of the lack of maintenance.  However the engineering that goes into the construction of the roads is staggering by our standards - one country road we were on had over a kilometre of bridges over farmland just to avoid sharp corners and one area over motorway ran for 10 kilometres elevated over a river in a gorge.

A brief detour into Melfi was eye-opening. This was a huge and influential walled city in medieval times – apparently the first crusade was started here.(Urban I) We drove in a circle inside the city walls and realised how big the area was. On checking we found that the walls were probably from the Normans in the 11^th Century. At one side of the town at the top of the hill is a large castle with immensely high ramparts that lowers over the approaches to the town. ( Built by Frederick II) Many streets are pedestrian only and it is hairy trying to drive a large (for Italy) car around the blind hairpin corners on narrow streets with no footpaths.

Arriving at Matera we found our GPS could get us close, but not in sight of the hotel, so a quick phone call to the hotel gave us a lead on where to go. What did we do before GPS and cell phones? We are finding however that the GPS is struggling in this district and seems to be offset by 50m from our real location leading to some interesting route selections.However we had a lovely surprise to find ourselves in a luxurious hotel ( balcony, sound proof and lovely bath!) with great restaurant and breakfast facilities

In the evening, as it wasa Sunday and Hotel restaurant catering for a private function)  we went to a restaurant partly built into caves (Sassi) and overlooking a section of the ravine and cave dwellings that have made this town well known / notorious. Until the 1950s Matera was known for incredible poverty with many living in substandard caves with their livestock. Now it is a UNESCO heritage site with trendy tours through the “sassi” housing.

As it was Sunday evening the central piazza was buzzing with music one (popular) belting out Western Ballads and a God-squad group (small but determined) competing with evangelical songs. Crowds of families packed the area with everyone dressed in their best.You could feel the pulse of the people and it was really infectious.

All the staff at the hotel and the restaurant are dressed formally and have impeccable demeanor. It is so old fashioned and courteous – we love it.

16 June

After a brief look over the ravines around Matera ( they are spectacular)  we headed south to the coast. At Marina di Ginosa we stopped and put our feet in the Mediterranean- 22 degrees. We are obviously too early for the season as there was no-one on the beach and only 1 family in the water. To be fair it was warmer water than we get at Onemana, but air temperatures not enough to tempt us to go swimming. The main difference for us was the minimal strips of beach available for the public. For as far as we could see in each direction areas of the beach were fenced off with rows of deck chairs and umbrellas,mostly all unoccupied.

A short trip to Metaponte ( L; Metapontium) to look at the ruins of a Greek amphitheatre and 4 temples (mostly remembered is that of Hera) that were completely deserted apart from us and 1 caretaker, where we had lunch looking over the site.He wandered by nonchalantly and into the site - returned and came and told us in Italian we could visit the site but due to recent rains there was lots of 'aqua'. Stephen said thanks but no thanks and offered him one of our strawberries - at that point he beat a hasty retreat.!  

We then told the GPS to take us to Alberobella by the “ecological” route. This lead us down incredibly narrow roads between high stone walls with road surfaces that would make many NZ farm tracks proud. However this area looks a lot more prosperous than further north, with well tended fields and lots of hay cut. As we neared Alberobella we started to see the pointed rooved buildings typical of the region. When we arrived at the town itself if looked like a typical Italian town with apartment blocks, but when we parked in the main square and started walking we saw the area that is entirely made up of the “Noddy houses” made with steep conical rooves.These are known as 'pepper pots'. Each roof can cover a small floor area so larger houses have more than one of these PP and they are plastered together. They are made of grey stone - as are the walls. The top of each PP is white washed and then topped with decorative stones in various shapes.

Thereafter it was back to Matera via other villages and fields.

When in Rome ...

12 June

Nothing exciting today, just getting from London to Rome. Everything uneventful.

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Picked up the car in Rome with a couple of surprises – the GPS is now combined with the air conditioning and everything else on a touch screen and the parking brake is now “automatic” (I have no confidence in it).

The flat we have rented in Rome is very comfortable with all the basics and a pizza restaurant one floor below. However it does have a large double sink and no bench space whatsoever making cooking an exercise in inventiveness.

The state of the economy is evident as in the area we are staying the streets are lined with weeds growing in the gutters and rubbish lies everywhere.

13 June

Today we jumped on the suburban train and headed into town. We had been given a recommendation to visit view points on the west side of the Tiber so transferred t a local bus, changed buses and then leapt out with no real idea where we were. Our first stop was by a fountain celebrating a pope. After a walk we came to a monument to Garibaldi with statues of many unknown (to us) blokes lining the road. The views were good, but the gelato and ice tea from an exorbitantly expensive street vendor were better.

With the temperature hitting 29C we gave up o
n walking and caught the bus back down the hill and grabbed some lunch in Trastevere. The racks of clothes displayed on the footpath kept Gillian occupied for a while, then we wandered down to the river and crossed to the area of the Circus Massimo. We stopped to pear in at an area that was attracting huge numbers of tourist and found it was an old sewer manhole cover that has become a drawcard due to the human face on it. 

At this stage we decided we were hot and tired, so walked back to catch the tram home. We did manage to pass some major Roman monuments.  At one point we came across an area that was being excavated with all removed dirt being washed by hand in case a fragment of pottery may be missed.

There is some kind of celebration happening in the restaurant below us tonight involving a number of women and some flowers. Gillian is convinced it is a hen night.

We now know our way around the local supermarket, but are completely unable to find any dishwashing detergent. However their selection of ham and other cold meats is extensive.

Our entertainment this evening was a “discussion” between 3 drivers below our flat, apparently about a minor accident, with much waving of arms. Given the state of many cars around Rome, these bumper benders are common which is not surprising given the Roman drivers tendency to push the limits of traffic regulations. Standard advice to tourists is that red lights are an invitation to play chicken and that pedestrians need to walk out firmly on crossings and that the traffic will (hopefully) stop. They add that it is a good idea to wait for the locals to cross so you can use them as a human shield!

Around London

 10 June

After a leisurely breakfast we bade a reluctant farewell to Peter and Margaret ( and plans to return ) and started out for London. We had not been able to contact our friends Geoff and Marie Greenwood in Maidstone as we had an incorrect phone number so we called in on the off change they might be home and were lucky to find them both there. To say they were surprised is an understatement but it was wonderful to catch up. Lots of laughs as usual and we shared family news and world views! As Marie said it is always as if no time has passed when we have these catch ups – a very precious experience. Both Marie and Geoff don't look a day older than when we saw them in 2012 and are in good health and it was so good to catch up.

We took a long route into London as it was easier to stay on 1 major route rather than navigate thought the suburbs without an adequate map or GPS. Our parking spot at the B&B was not available so we fed a meter with all the coins we had (not enough but the local traffic warden gave Stephen 30 p to tp up what he had – how delightful is that! ) and headed onto the Underground to visit Westminster. Not having done our homework we arrived 2 minutes too late to catch the visiting hours. As the weather was warm we strolled leisurely past Parliament buildings, watched the river traffic on the Thames, listened to Big Ben toll the hour and walked up to Downing street before deciding to head back to our accommodation in Hammersmith before the rush hour.

An 'old pupil' ( she is actually a beautiful 30 something!) of Gillian, Giselle, called around and took us to dinner at the Blue Anchor, a pub on the bank of the Thames near Hammersmith Bridge.That was so cool to see the Londoners at their outdoor experience – rowing, cycling, running. Sadly we missed catching up with her husband Michael who is out of London for work.It was wonderful evening with Giselle, catching up and sharing stories. We took a mini cab home (more on that later) back to our delightful B & B ( run by relatives of Michael's)

11 June

We awoke to a glorious blue sky with expected highs of 24 degrees – didn't happen but it was our first day of wearing lighter clothes which we really enjoyed. This B and B has everything you could want- we are in the Attic – with ensuite and a sitting area and small kitchenette so we are self catering and … there is a bath! Lovely comfy beds and fluffy duveys – as at Peter and Margaret's the Brits use feathers to good effect in their bedding.

It started to lose light around 9.30pm last night and at 5.30 this morning it was full daylight. Short nights for we Aucklanders.

OK after we prepared and ate our breakfast it was out and into London. First stop via the underground was the Monument - to acknowledge the great fire of London and Christopher Wren – the tower is 202 feet high which is the distance from Pudding Lane ( where fire started) to the monument.Wren designed the monument and many of London's amazing churches and cathedrals of course. Thence we wandered to and through the Borough markets – yumm – wonderful products and we were tempted but with a flight to Rome tomorrow it wasn't practicable – especially as Giselle has asked us for dinner at hers tonight. So we bought a very interesting light rye bread to take to dinner. Thereafter we went over the London Bridge and walked along the South bank to the Golden Hind ( Sir Francis Drake) where a delightful guide was preparing school children for the tour! Very funny and some of her responses very non PC – Quite funny to hear her reply, to a mouthy lad, when she asked the children what the word was (starting with M) when sailors refused to do what their captain told them to do. His response was 'a mutant ' her reply was “ No and you're the mutant”! I have to admit that given the very rude responses from this one and many of the kids, and the lack of teacher input over these interjections, that I had sympathy for her .

We moved along from there via the 'Clink' which was the old museum, declining the tour when we saw the skeleton hanging in the cage outside the doorway. We passed the Globe – and fed our eyes on it – remembering when we went there to see Henry V. Everywhere today there were tours of school children – in and out of uniform – of ages. They were obviously doing tours to support the curriculum and were well supervised. I was fascinated trying to work out what schools they had come from.

We ate a delicious lunch in a Greek restaurant – walked on across the Millennium Bridge – all metal. Crossing both bridges was a great chance to view the river craft and view the banks – the Tower of London was clearly visible. Once over the bridge we wandered beside and past St Paul's Cathedral – down Ludgate Hill, Fleet Street and the Strand enjoying the architecture. Compared to what we saw when we arrived in 1997 the whole city – building, monuments, roads etc are clean and tidy. As Lucas would say the Lions at Trafalgar square are 'Shiny and Clean' . While we were our way wending toCovent Garden we became aware that there were long lines of taxis stationary lining the streets, then we heard 3–4 helicopters hovering over the arae – then a friendly Brit explained that the taxi drivers were striking / protesting abut Mini Cab drivers who operate without the restrictions that are imposed on their metered liscened service. Well – we certainly saw that and heard people phoning and describing it to others – I swear the people in London will soon give birth to children with cell phones attached to their ears or attached to their hands with tubes threaded to their ears! I know we have these practices in NZ but because there are so many more of them in London it is very obvious!

We spent time enjoying a very clean Trafalgar Square – few pigeons and no bird doodoos on the statues – watched te helicopters and the cabbies who were enthusiastically tooting their horns. We concluded that the 2012 Olympics may have been the reason for these lovely clean buildings. We were told the same thing happened in Athens – we visited soon after they had hosted the Olympics. Certainly the parts of Athens we saw was lovely and clean.

Folk are aware of the World Cup (football in Brazil) is about to begin but no fever is apparent.

OK back in our lovely accommodation (Called "A Better Place to Stay") and will soon drive to Chiswick to have dinner with Giselle.

What a day – apart from Somerset House - we had seen all these sites before when we often wandered round London on Sundays (a very quiet time in London in those days) in 1997. However it was a delight to see these special sites again , to see what an alive and busy city London is and it really looks prosperous – blending huge respect for their past with the 21^st Century. 

We are ready to move on now – Flying to Roma tomorrow.

Many thanks to our special friends and to this wonderful land of our fathers.

Back in the UK

8 June

Arrived in Guangzhou (Canton) after an uneventful flight. Everything in Auckland worked perfectly, but after that we had increasing issues. The aircraft was a 787 and very comfortable in our area, but the inflight entertainment system kept freezing and/or resetting. The announcements in Chinglese were only partially decipherable and, while the plane was docked at an airbridge at Guangzhou, we then had to clamber down steep stairs to a bus to take us to another terminal. We had arranged for a wheel chair to reduce the strain on Gillian's knees, but there did not seem to any facility for that here. Apart from that the airport seems large and modern.

Weather here is low cloud and fog that does not allow a view halfway across the airport, but it not raining.

We found the airline lounge, but were fronted by a notice that “Air system is in for maintenance. We apologise for the uncomfortableness.” In other words hot and sticky. We did score showers which was nice.

So, on to London …

Another easy flight to London with announcement that were completely impossible to hear or understand. At Heathrow we were met with a wheelchair, but then found that the doors into the terminal were locked – someone manged to get them open, but then they had to be held open by each passenger for the next.

After picking up the rental car headed off around the M25 to Kent. Once again I was surprised how green and rural the countryside is so close to London. Once off the motorway it was into the quaint villages, hedgerows and incredibly narrow country lanes that define the Kentish landscape. Our hosts here, Peter & Margaret, live half a mile down a farm track off an old coach road that winds through the fields and woods for several miles – never more than 9' wide and often less. In fact it isn't unusual for the mirrors on both sides of the car to be brushing the hedges at the same time. With the high hedges, a narrow and winding road certainly keeps you awake as you expect to find a large tractor heading in the other direction around every corner. Backing up for hundreds of metres is not fun.

Peter & Margaret's charming Pope's Hall 'Cottage' cottage.

9 June -

GillieB here. We had a lovely sleep in Peter and Margaret's guest house ( I call it 'Le Petit Chateau de Culham' ) – lovely and quiet in the Kentish countryside.This is  gorgeous - not sure how to describe so best to look at the photo - we feel thoroughly spoiled.There is so much attention to the decorations and appointments, wooden flooring down stairs - carpet upstairs, tongue and groove cladding for the kitchen dining area etc.

After a leisurely breakfast of Margaret's home made bread and jam, Peter took us into his garden. He has a large range of vegies growing – in a fenced rabbit proof garden – several raised plots as well as a green house. We took note of a number of cultivation points with our own new garden in the making at Onemana in mind. A tour followed of the lovely garden followed -even a viewing of one of Peter's purpose built sheds – a good six meters of secret man territory – I was very spoilt to put a female foot inside. The grounds are truly lovely – as Stephen said much like a botanic garden. There are lots of birds and birdsong and the view from their front terrace across the fields to the distant Downs is stunning. The light changes as the day moves on and so do the colours of the countryside. Sitting talking with Peter after breakfast in the nice, warm sunshine was truly magic – birds / view = bliss.

Thereafter Peter took us on a tour of the local environs. Peter drove down narrow roads lined by hedgerows with wild flowers in their midst and trees that meet overhead making leafy green tunnels. First stop was Staplehurst to drop a note into Sue and Steve's about about some relishes as their housesitter was not at home . Thereafter we went down more entrancing roads – noticing some really old medieval houses as well as oast houses and even a windmill in good working order. It is very evident that houses along these roads and in the small villages we pass through as beautifully kept and maintained.

We visited a winery named Hush Heath and tasted some very nice wines – very light and easy on the palette. The estate is 400 acres and appears to crop wheat as well as apple treess for the cider they make.The young women who served us was very knowledgeable about the growth and production of their products and described the recent awards the winery has won. They supply the wine provided on the Orient Express!

On to Rolvenden to the Bull Inn for a lovely 'sandwich' lunch – Peter and I enjoyed a shrimp cocktail sandwich and Stephen a ham bagette. The steam train was not running but the Morgan Car Museum was open and the display of vintage Morgan cars, bikes, ambulance and even a vintage caravan was fascinating – as was the antique shop at the front of the museum. A trip down memory lane.

We are back at the Chateau Culham- Peter is mowing his 2 acres (ride on mower of course). We are out for dinner with Peter and Margaret this evening.

March 2014 - Here we go again....

Once again the Bertrams are heading North to escape the NZ winter.  This time we are going earlier than in the past, starting in early June and returning late August.

Since our last trip in this blog we have spent most of the time divided between our places in Auckland and Onemana.  A 10 day trip to South Australia in July 2013 was our only excursion of note.

This time, as we will be travelling in the high season, we have booked the entire trip ahead of time which is a first for us as we like to adjust the trip when we come across things of interest.  I hope the proposed schedule does not limit us too much.

THE PLAN:
The trip starts with a few days in Kent, a flight down to Rome where we pick up a car, 4 days in southern Italy before taking a ferry to Dubrovnik.

We were thinking of spending time in Greece, but decided that the distances were too much so will head north with a couple of weeks in Croatia, Bosnia and Slovenia.  Then it's on the road through the Dolomites to a couple of days in our favourite hotel in Trento.  The next week will take us through Switzerland and down to the south coast in Provence.

10 days in Provence, then a 3 day road trip up to the Loire east of Tours, 2 weeks in Brittany, 1 week in Normandy and a quick visit to Giverny (Monet's gardens) will round out the trip.

All in all it will take us through mainly new territory for us with a few visits to places we've in the past.  Roll on June!