Florence, Venice and a crooked building.

On the 16th of July Ainslie and I continued our trip to our next destination, Florence, the home of Leather and Michelangelo’s “David”. I expected a classy, rich town, steeped in culture. What I saw initially was a dirty town with shanty houses lining a murky brown river. “Never mind” I thought to myself, it’s not bad - it’s different. I spent our first day with a few friends we met on our Southern Italian adventure running around hectically with them while they tried to fun leather jackets. Not my idea of fun but I stuck it out and surprisingly they made a decision and actually bought jackets. After having dinner at a local restaurant, Ainslie and I got back to our hostel and I crashed at 7pm, sleeping through to the next day. Our plan for our second day in Florence was to walk through town, see the main plaza, Piazza della Repubblica, the Gothic style Duomo, and Galleria dell Academia where Michelangelo’s David is housed. The Duomo is one of the world’s largest cathedrals standing since the 13th century. It is an amazing building with a red, green and white marble facade, accompanied by an 82 metre high bell tower. By the time we got to Galleria Dell Academia it was midday and the queue had stretched over 200 metres, winding round the outside of the building and down the neighbouring streets. We were looking at a 3 hour wait so decided instead to head to Pisa to see the leaning tower it is famous for.

Initially we thought that we could only catch a bus to Pisa which left nearby the main train station so when we arrived there Ainslie headed off to find where it left from and I lined up to ask at the ticket counter. When I got to the front I spoke to the lady who said that we could catch the train, so I bought two return tickets. At that moment Ainslie returned with two one way tickets to Pisa resulting in too many tickets. We asked the lady if we could get a refund and she refused, claiming Ainslie could have found them on the ground. The situation then got a bit out of hand and tempers flared when the lady decided that she couldn’t speak English and started talking to us in French. Defiant and unwilling to give us a refund, or let us speak to her supervisor, we were sent to platform “cinq” where we would find Customer Service (Quite a funny concept in Italy, this term Customer Service). The customer service man was about as useful as a snooze button on a smoke alarm. We began our explanation for our excess tickets and got the same response. Mr Customer Service man’s mobile phone started to ring and from the look in his eye, I could see this was his exit strategy. “You will not answer that phone, we are still here”, I said to him, but in a blink of an eye he was on the phone with his back to us, writing on a note pad. I couldn’t help but think it was the old decoy phone call trick that one would use to get out of a bad date. With a minute before our train left, we gave him the universal symbol and ran to our train and were soon on our journey to Pisa.

The only reason anyone goes to Pisa is to see the leaning tower and cathedral as it is a pretty boring place to be. It took just over an hour to get there from Florence and when we got there it lived up to my expectations. That thing is on quite a lean and had been increasing its lean ever so slightly until it was getting a bit dangerous. Work has taken place on the tower to fix the movement and the tower is no longer shifting. The leaning tower is a bell tower which accompanies the nearby cathedral and it tolls every 15 minutes. After taking a few photos we went back through the local markets then headed back to Florence where we walked around and saw a bit more of the town. After the second day Florence started to grow on me, and I began to feel a sense of style and class about town. This was a similar feeling I had in Rome but I had to remind myself that these towns have existed far longer than anything in Australia and will seem old and dirty. However this all adds to the underlying character of the town.

On our last day in Florence we got up early and went to see the Statue of David and got straight through once gates opened. The statue was amazing and you can immediately see why it has captivated people for 500 years. The statue is so smooth and the intricate detail which has gone into it, make it so realistic. It really does have to be seen to appreciate why it is heralded as one of the greatest pieces of sculptured art the world has ever seen. Photos aren’t allowed but I was able to sneak a few in with my golden gnome.

Our next stop was Venice, the island city of Italy, known for its canals and over-priced gondola rides. Ainslie had booked a B&B about 15 minutes outside Venice which was great to get away from the hostel environment for a few days. On our way into Venice we met an Italian man in our cabin who I stereotyped as the “mi scusi” man from Eurotrip. We got speaking to him and as it turned out he was quite a nice guy. Ainslie asked if there was anything to do in Venice and he said there wasn’t much but asked if we liked classical music. Who doesn’t like classical music? He then invited us to come to his concert that night which was held at a church just off Canal Grande in the centre of Venice. Turns out he is part of a famous classical group which has toured the world for 20 years. His weapon of choice is the violin and man can he play it! We were reserved two seats four rows back, for free and at the end of the concert he gave us two of his CD’s. This would have cost us about $80 Euro but for some reason this complete stranger decided to be very nice to us and treat us to a different experience which we would have never done otherwise. Here is the plug: they are Interpreti Veneziani, and his name is Paolo Ciccola. They will be touring Australia this year so I recommend you check them out.

On our second day in Venice we took a walk around the winding streets and alleyways, crossing many small canals with no particular purpose or sense of direction, just seeing Venetian life. The main plaza in Venice is Piazza San Marco, with Basilica di San Marco its centrepiece. With its busy architectural design showcasing many spiralling spires it is very hard to focus on any one stand out feature but it is quite a sight to behold. The weather in Venice was very hot so on our third day we took a water taxi to a nearby island called Lido and got some quality burn time in. Lido was a really nice place and Very similar to Capri in lifestyle and definitely a must do while in Venice.

Southern Italian Adventure

On the 13th of June we joined a Busabout tour group for a three day trip of Southern Italy. Our first stop on the trip was to Pompeii. Pompeii is an ancient Roman town which was destroyed and completely buried during an eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Excavations began in the 18th century and the town is now fully exhumed and open for tourism. We were given a guided tour of the town, learning some intriguing facts about ancient Roman life. Many of the buildings have maintained their external structures, giving you a real sense of life in Pompeii over 1900 years ago. Many of the frescos are still intact, in particular a brothel which has its walls lined with frescos of varying sex positions. The most moving part of our visit to Pompeii was when we got to the artefact section. In a caged off area there are many vases, pots and personal items which have been excavated, but the pieces which gain the most attention are the plaster moulds of people which were petrified by the ash of the volcano. These plaster moulds capture the pain of these people as they died. Two of the most moving are a person hunched up with their hands covering their face and a pregnant lady lying face down, both trying not to breathe the ash.

After we left Pompeii, we continued our drive down the coast of Italy past Napoli (Naples). Naples isn’t a very nice town, with many people living in almost slum conditions, though it is rich in history. However it has an amazing backdrop, situated on the coast by the Gulf of Naples with Mount Vesuvius in the distance. We arrived at our final destination for that day, Sorrento which is also situated on the coast of Italy, amongst high cliffs and mountains. The region is famous for its Lemon industry and “Limoncello”, a strong Lemon liquor. It is the Lemon industry of Southern Italy and Sicily which gave rise to the Italian Mafia. Sorrento is a beautiful town with a great Italian feel with its small roads littered with cafe’s and pizza stores. We were lucky enough to be there during the Euro 2008 tournament so there was a real buzz around town, with every restaurant having a television playing the football. We spent our first night in Sorrento having a group dinner then a cocktail at a local bar.

On our second day we all caught the ferry out to Capri to visit the famous “Blue Grotto”. When we arrived at Capri we were told that the Blue Grotto was closed due to the strong winds making the waves too choppy to enter the cave. This was very disappointing as this opportunity would surely not present itself to many of us ever again. When all hope was gone, along came “Jerry”, a local 72 year old man who hasn’t spent a day of his life out of the sun. Tipping 5 foot with leather skin and wrinkled eyes Jerry approached us and offered to take a group of us round the sheltered side of the island to see some of the smaller grottos and the rest of Capri by sea at only 10 Euros. Given the Blue Grotto was closed and would have cost 25 Euros, many of us jumped at the opportunity. Two boats of 10 people headed out and we were lucky enough to be on Jerry’s boat. He gave us an amazing insight into the history of Capri, speaking of famous people who have visited and those who have shaped its history, also showing us the natural landmarks and the stories and myths behind them. The sea was something I have never seen before, giving off a rich dark blue colour, and in the shallow areas it was a light green colour which you could see through to the sea bed. The trip took about an hour and afterwards we spent the day exploring the rest of Capri by foot. We went to the top of Capri to the main shopping district where you could have a 360 degree view of the island. The rest of the day was spent swimming in the Mediterranean Sea before heading back to Sorrento.

Our third day was the last day of the tour and we headed off early and continued south along the Amalfi Coast to Positani. Our time in Positani was spent lying on the beach soaking in the rays before we headed off to our last stop, Ravello. Ravello is situated high in the mountains, accessible by small winding roads not made for large buses. It was quite off-putting swerving along a hillside road with nothing but a small railing between you and the ocean. We spent our two hours in Ravello walking around town square and eating huge mozzarella and prosciutto rolls before we headed back to Rome which saw the end of our trip.

Rome wasn't seen in four days

On the 10th of June, Ainslie and I headed out on our 17 day trip around Europe, starting with three days in the town of Gladiators and Gelato – Rome. On our first day we caught the revolting underground train out to the Colosseum. Though an amazing structure and everything and more that I imagined, tourism has had an impact on this great structure. A busy road runs right by the Colosseum, mobile souvenir stores litter the surrounding grounds and a six foot high fence spans the perimeter of the arena, limiting entrance to one ticket gate. It is only once you enter the Colosseum do you then get a real sense of how great the arena once was. If you close your eyes and try to picture it fully intact with up to 50 000 screaming spectators all vying to see an epic battle between the Gladiators and various beasts, it really would have been an amazing spectacle.

On our second day we went to Vatican City and toured the Vatican Museum which houses an array of ancient sculptures and art. We walked through long corridors, all depicting the various Roman times through these pieces of art. Religious art littered the roof, large tapestries hung from the walls and many large sculptures stood along the seemingly never ending corridors. After about 30 minutes of walking you could tell we were getting closer to the Sistine Chapel as the many other visitors started spending less and less time viewing the art and started walking at quite a brisk pace in the direction of the “Capella Sistina” signs. After winding through many more corridors, down several flights of steps, we finally came to a little door with a security guard out the front.

This couldn’t possibly be the Sistine Chapel (I had envisioned a grand entrance with steps, pillars and two great wooden doors), but to my surprise it was. The chapel was crowded with hundreds of people all with heads tilt backwards admiring this famous masterpiece by Michelangelo. Soon enough the modesty of the entrance was soon forgotten and I found myself in awe at the absolute detail and complexity of the many features of this painting that took four years to complete. Even a person that doesn’t have an active interest in art it is still hard not to appreciate the greatness of this piece of work which spans the entire roof and the whole wall behind the altar. After 10 minutes the room got extremely crowded, people were getting in trouble for taking photos and many were trying to keep others quite by “shooshing” them so we left and walked to the plaza out the front of St Peter’s Basilica.

Once we got to the plaza we saw a huge line into St Peter’s Basilica so ignorantly thought there must be an entrance fee and decided not to go in but to sit outside in the sun instead. It wasn’t till later in the day once we got back to the hostel did we find out that St Peter’s Basilica was free and the only reason there was a large crowd was because the Pope had delivered a speech that morning. Regretfully we were unable to get back to the Vatican during our time in Rome to see inside St Peter’s Basilica. On our third day Ainslie and I went for a walk around Rome to see the many other historical sites including Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Trevi Fountain is a large fountain with a sculptured background where people gather and make wishes then throw coins into the water. While we were there I saw a man with a magnetic rod picking coins out of the water while trying not to be seen by the patrolling Police. We were told by someone later on that during the night all the homeless people come to the fountain and fight for the coins which had been thrown in during the day.

A little late but I don't Kare-oke

It has been a while since I last wrote a blog and I’ve started to receive requests for the next instalment of my travels. Actually that is a lie but people have asked me what I've been up to, so either they don't read my blog or they really want to know what happens next in my worldly adventures. I’ve been typing my stories since May but have to date been too lazy to actually get them online. UNTIL NOW!!

May 20008
On the 18th, Drew (1 of 9 occupants of the house which I was dossing) celebrated his birthday and we went to a bar called Mill Inn for a night of Karaoke!!! I was lucky enough to hear renditions, both good and AWESOME, of Billy Joel, Elvis Presley, Grease, Barry White, Queen and many more. I couldn't help myself and after a few drinks (not that the drinks were needed to get me singing), I got up for my first performance of the Jackson 5 hit, I want you Back. It was a great way to practice my "oo-ka cha-oo's", "heee-hee's" and "shamone's", and burn up the dance floor. I really couldn't help myself and got up for my second song about an hour later and tried my hand at the classic by the Four Seasons, Oh What a Night. It was a great night for all and I tried not to butcher the songs but if I did, for all those who were there, you know who to blame it on. If you don't, just ask little Michael. The night was topped off by Drew singing "What's Up" by 4 Non Blondes, which had everyone joining in for the ANZAC remix I shall coin, "Wassup!!"

On Sunday Andrew, my brother, and his work mate Ian arrived in London for the start of their 2 week work-holiday trip. We met up in the city and I showed them some of the sights from Piccadilly Circus down to Westminster Abbey, trying my best to re-hash the information I received from my tour guide only a month earlier. We decided to go into Westminster Abbey, something I had not done, to see the many tombs and monuments which paid tribute to the famous English people of centuries gone by. A large number of the English monarchy are buried here including people which have shaped English history in some way; people such as Winston Churchill, William Shakespeare, Jane Austin, and Charles Darwin. We were all quite in awe with this magnificent structure, which in varying forms has stood since the 11th century.

On Wednesday morning I met David Orr (an old GE friend) at a Walkabout Inn and we watched the State of Origin at 10 am. That evening, Andrew, Ian and I went out to a pub in Islington to watch the Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea which Man U won on penalty kicks. While we were there we caught up with a friend from back home, Alana, who has been staying in London for the past 6 months studying.

Andrew and Ian left for Cyprus on Thursday morning for four days and that weekend Jenna arrived in London on her 2 year Working-Holiday visa. Being the seasoned London tourist I took her round many of the city sights, many of which were the fore-mentioned with Ian and Andrew. On Sunday night Kurt, Jenna and I went to see a stage show called “Stomp” in Leicester Square. It was quite an entertaining show, featuring rhythmical beats on kitchen sinks, rubbish bins and matchstick boxes, which at times was extremely loud and somehow I managed to fall asleep at one point. I’ve had a history of falling asleep in front of the TV, while at the cinema, but never did I think I’d fall asleep during a musical whose main purpose is “stomping”.
On Wednesday the 28th I went on an “Old London” walking tour which ventured along the Thames, passed London Tower and Tower Bridge, London Bridge, the sight of Medieval London where the Great Fire started, down the narrow cobblestone pathways to the oldest pub in London, through the financial district with the Royal Exchange and the Bank of England, and passed Temple where the Knights Templar were based. Along the way we were told about the many stories of old London from the ridiculous laws of the time which still stand today, the demise of London Bridge 1, 2,3 and 4 and the many feeble attempts to rob the Bank of England. It is a great way to see this city and learn about its history for just a small tip.

That afternoon, Jenna and I went to London Dungeon. London Dungeon is a walk through themed attraction which highlights the darker events in London’s history. It takes you through the Black Plague, the time of Sweeney Todd and Jack the Ripper, the Great Fire of London, and finishes with a simulated hanging for your crimes. The hanging is a “Giant Drop” type ride where you are taken up about 5 metres to the nooses and then dropped suddenly. As you are dropped, a photo is taken for you to buy. Well I lost contact with the seat as we fell, resulting in a photo capturing a moment of utter fear.

On Thursday, Andrew and I caught up with Georgia, a friend from school, and along with Jenna and Ian we went out to the Southbank region in London and had a few drinks at a bar called Tempasa, which is located in the famous Oxo building.

Friday was Andrew’s last night in London, and just to keep the trend going of meeting friends and consuming alcohol, myself, Andrew and Kurt met Alana out in Islington and had a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant. The dinner was great but i thought I’d tell you something cooler!! Get excited people... Now when I arrived in London I was very impressed with the Tube system, but more impressing was the HUGE escalators which brought you back above ground. Well, we had to get off at Angel Station to meet Alana, and it is here that you will find the biggest escalator of them all...wait for it....27 METRES!!!

Andrew left on Saturday and it capped off an eventful two weeks which saw me spend a lot of money, but that’s what a holiday is all about and I got to do it with friends and family!

One man touring party

Hello my readers...if there are any out there... Well I've reached that point in my travels where I am sitting anxiously waiting for a few fellow traveller friends to come over to this sun kissed land before I can venture some more counrties in Europe. Furthermore, it gets a bit tiring having to do the old "out stretched arm reverse photo" trick just to get a photo with me in it. So for the past week I have looked in my London Guide (gifted to me by the lovely people at GE) to find things I can do on my own. My first stop was the London Zoo out in Camden, and I'm not talking about the markets. Now there is surely a few people thinking, "why would you go to a zoo in London when you can do that back at home?". Good question, I asked myself that exact thing after I went. Now don't get me wrong, it was great to see the many fascinating creatures that roam the world, but these animals were lazy! The Lion is aptly named because it was just lyin' around (Get it - Lion = lyin'). The Tiger did a similar trick but on it's back and I didn't even get to see the Pigmy Hippo, which I was really excited about. I saw Timon and Pumba chilling out and a Llama eating grass. The coolest animal was a little monkey which was the smallest known monkey in the world. He/She was having a great time juming from tree to tree and eating unsuspecting Grasshoppers. I managed to get through most of the zoo in a few hours, seeing Otters, Reptiles and the Aquarium. All in all a good way to kill a few hours and not lye around all day, just watch animals that did.

On friday I went to the British Museum which was a great experience that I enjoyed immensely. I saw ancient Egypt and Greece sculptures and artifacts; items that had been collected throughout the history of developing Europe; African art; American Indian tools and dress; and Egyptian Mummy's. I was most impressed with the African exhibition, mostly the "weapons for tools" exhibition which focussed on the civil war in Mozambique from the 1970's through to the 1990's. An initiative was put in place to trade the hundreds of illegal weapons that had made their way into Mozambique over the many years of unrest, for tools for work such as farming. A few people had taken these weapons and created pieces of art from them such as the chair pictured.

After seeing the museum I think I hit my lowest point this holiday. Here I digest...I caught the tube out to Leicester Square with the intention of looking at what musicals were on offer for my viewing pleasure. There was Lion King (Hopefully not a King that sleeps all day), Wicked, Les Miserables, Joseph, Spamalot, We Will Rock You, Jersey Boys, and many more. All very appealing but there are friends that want to do these things too, like my sister who said, "Hey Cam go and see Wicked and tell me what it it like. Oh no, actually don't see it and when I arrive we can watch it together."
"Oh okay, no problems, that sounds good, when do you get here?" I replied.
"I'm not sure yet, maybe August or September." She responded.
See my problem people. So you ask, "What was the low point Cameron?"
I came across a cinema and watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall for 12 pound!! The worst thing was that I actually sat on the grass in Leicester Square for 30 minutes contemplating whether I should spend that kind of money on a movie. Funny movie, go see it!

Sunday saw London's fifth straight day of sunshine and myself, Kurt and the many people that we are staying with all headed out to a restaurant/bar called "Old Ship" which is on the banks of the Thames near Hammersmith, and we sat on the grass and enjoyed the day with a few drinks. Today was the last day of the English Premier League and Manchester United has to win their game against Wigan Athletic to claim the title ahead of Chelsea. They won 2-0. The day concluded what was a great week weather wise and a successful week for Cameron on the tourist front. Upcoming adventures may be a trip south to see a bit of the English countryside or a visit to the Lord's Cricket Ground and Museum. I will keep you all posted.

A week in Paris

My last day in Nice was a cliche - Aaron and I hired bikes out for 10 euro and rode along Cote D'Azur (D'Azur Coast) enjoying the scenery on offer, and also the Mediterranean Sea on a beautiful spring day.

On Monday the 28th of April I caught the TGV (which stands for the Train that Goes Very fast) from Nice up to Paris which was a 5.5 hour trip through the heart of France. When I arrived I did my best to navigate myself through the Paris underground train network out to a little town called Marnes-la-Coquette where I met Parisian friend, former housemate, and soon to be translator, Jean-Louis Afonso. Jean-Louis was kind enough to let me stay at his family home and I had the pleasure of meeting his Mum, Dad, Brother and dogs. On my first night there, Jean took me around and showed me one of the most famous places near Paris, Versailles, which is only a 5 minute drive form his place. On the way there we made an important stop off at the mall to buy GTA IV, which would provide hours of entertainment on the days to come. On the way home we stopped off at a little cocktail bar, had a quiet drink and.....um... reminisced about the past.

On Tuesday I had a rendezvous (thought I'd throw in a French word for the flavour of the post) with my Mum and her partner Paul. We met at Luxembourg Gardens in the morning and began our expidition across Paris. Our first stop off was Notre Dame, then past the Louvre, up Champs Elysee to the Arc de Triumph. From there we headed back down Champs Elysee, past the tunnel where Princess Diana died and on to the Eiffel Tower. The walk took a few hours and my feet were sore, however it was a great was to see Paris during the day.

That evening Mum had organised to have dinner with some distant French relatives who have the "Langoulant" name (The family name from my Mum's side). This gave Mum an opportunity to practice all the French she had been learning, and it gave the French Langoulant's an opportunity to practice their Engligh on me and Paul. It is here that I would like to say that I was not ignorant with French (believe me I did try), however to save us all the pain of trying to hear me ruin their wonderful language, it was far better for them to speak English. This was a very common theme during my time in Paris as I found the locals very accomodating and willing to speak English to me.

On Wednesday we had planned to visit Versailles and see the castle where King Loius XIV, and XV lived, and where the most famous Monarch, Marie-Antionette spent her days. Well sometimes people things just don't go as you plan and Mum and Paul failed to arrive, leaving me sitting on a post for 1 hour all alone in a foreign country at the hands of beggars and dodgy Nigerians trying to sell dodgy "souvenirs". Later on Mum would claim that there was maintenance taking place on one of the lines and they couldn't get out to Versailles.

That night Jean-Louis and I headed out into town with his friends to celebrate someone's birthday. Our first stop off was a bar called Ice Kube, which is a bar made completely of Ice even the glasses are ice. The only downside was that it cost 38 euros to enter however I was told that it was all you can drink. This sounded like a great night out: 38 euros, all you can drink all night. Wrong! I then found out it was for only 30 minutes and it was only vodka on offer. Well how much vodka could I drink in 30 minutes just to get my money's worth? The question was answered for me too. You were only allowed 4 drinks. Unfortunately I got through two drinks when they called last drinks so I only ended up with 3 drinks in total. The experience was great but no surprises why Ice Kube doesn't make it into my Lonely Planet Guide "Europe on a Shoestring." The night was topped off when we all headed out to a place called "Strictly House", and one of the guys (who works in promotions for Heineken) got us into the VIP section and we were given free drinks all night.

Thursday was a public holiday and it was spent sleeping until midday then later that night I went out with Jean-Louis and his friend Steven for dinner then went and played poker in the evening with some of their friends that I met the previous night.

Friday: Take 2 Versailles - On friday afternoon I met Mum and Paul at Versailles and we went to the Castle with the intention of exploring the Castle and the grounds. Unfortunately there were a herd of tourists and the lines were enormous so we decided instead to explore the gardens which were free to enter. The grounds are immaculately maintained and span a vast area which seem to stretch as far as the eye can see. We ventured down from the castle and towards the cross shaped lake, then onto the Grand Trianon which was built by Louis XIV as a place to escape the hectic life of the Castle. We then went to see Marie-Antoinette's House which had hoards of people outside of it. We didn't go inside the house, just looked from the outside, then slowly made our way back to the Castle to end our visit to Versialles. For those interested in the history of the French Monarchy, the Castle of Versailles was built after Louis XIV was married and they moved from their castle in Paris (now the Louvre), into the Castle of Versailles. The Monarchy contninued to reign in France until the French Revolution where they were driven out of Versailles and dismantled.

On friday night I went and watched Iron Man (In english with French subtitles) and on Saturday I booked my train ticket home to London, thus concluding my week in Paris.

Unfortunately on Friday night after watching the movie, some bad news came through that my Grandfather who had been in poor health had passed away. Mum was able to fly home the next day to be with the family and I want to send my love to all of the Lovell/Langoulant family who knew Donny and say that we are all going to miss him greatly but are so much better people to have known such a great man. I was lucky enough to see Nanna and Donny before I flew out to London, knowing that it would be the last time I got to see him. While I was there I told them how I would take lots of photos and make sure I kept them up to date on my travels so they could share the experience with me. Donny said to me, "Do this for yourself and not for us". These words really stuck with me as they epitomise how selfless and caring he was, that he didn't want me to be concerned about their wellbeing but to just enjoy myself. From London, with all my love I am thinking of you.

Okay..I'm thinking of two biscuits...

Bonjour Nice!!! Yesterday (Saturday 26/04) Kurt, Aaron and Myself flew out of London to Nice, France at 07:00am for a few days on the Mediterranean coastline. Now before I begin my story about our trip, I'll let you know a little bit about our taxi drive. Let me set the scene: It is Friday night, Kurt has finished his first week at work, I'm about to experience my first Friday in London, and it was Anzac Day! What do you think we did? Well after the tea and scones we went out and had a few beverages. The Poms love the famous Aussie beer (which no Aussies drink) Foster's, so we had plenty of that. There was an interesting concoction called a "Snake Bite" which has Strongbow, Foster's, and some red colouring in it...oh and a few rum and coke's. I apologise to all those reading who are thinking.."why would you drink that rubbish?" Well it was Anzac Day, it was the Walkabout Inn, and it was cheap. Anyway back to my rant...We had a big night and stumbled home at midnight, needing to wake at 04:30 am the next morning to leave at 05:00am when the taxi was to arrive. Well we were a little late getting our gear into the taxi (05:20am) and the driver thought he could charge us a late fee. Now by no stretch of the imagination was I going to have a bar of this so I decided to question the driver on his reasoning behind charging us this fee. He claimed, with little conviction, that he had another job booked back in London at 06:30am...or was that 07:00am...wait no it was 06:30am...and he wouldn't get there in time. As you can see he was clearly talking rubbish so my arguement was that we will see what time we arrive at the airport and if infact he cannot make it back in time (which he would anyway given his next pick up was at 07:00 am), then maybe we might look at a fee. Aaron stepped in at this point and said it was best I be quiet given we hadn't started our journey to the airport and I would be best served arguing once at the destination. Wise words, so some sleep was the next best option. The taxi driver then had the audacity to say "you speak too much." Well, long story short, we got to the airport, Kurt gave him a 4 pound tip and off we went to Nice.

Nice is a beautiful town situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the south west of France. We arrived and caught the bus to our Hostel, "Hotel Antares" - a 5 storey hotel with one key for a 6 dorm room, one toilet per room, and a bed bug or two...but....free Internet!! Our first trip was to Monte Carlo, Monaco - a small Principality to the west of Nice. Home of the Monaco Grand Prix and the Monte Carlo ATP Masters Tournament, and the Monte Carlo Casino. Monte Carlo is a picturesque hillside town situated in the banks of the Mediterranean Sea. This is where the rich and famous come to play, and 5 minutes here will leave you in awe at the wealth and aristocracy. We ventured down one of the many hills, towards the casino at 11:00am and were greeted by the latest and greatest Aston Martin's, Ferrari's, Rolls Royce's, Bentley's, Porche's and Lambourghini's on offer. We then walked down to the marina and saw some amazing boats and yachts docked, and the famous words of Borat came to mind, "Very nice. How much?" We continued our walk down to the beach in search for the Monte Carlo Country Club. Fifteen minutes later we heard a cheer from a large crowd, which could only mean we were getting close. Up a few thousand stairs, round a few bends in the road and through a few alley ways we were there. It was the Men's Semi Finals and Rodger Federer and Novac Djokovic were about to commence their match, the only problem was that an eight foot wall had been put up around the grandstand. After some subtle scoping of the perimeter, while keeping an eye out for security, we found a ledge with which to climb onto and look over the wall. Kurt had great success and got some fantastic close ups. All I had to do was say, "Thou wall, O wall, O sweet and lovely wall, Show me thy chink, to blink through with mine eyne!" (Midsummer Night's Dream. Act 5. Scene 1. - for those confused few.), and there was a crack in the wall which I looked through.

After taking some photos, we headed back to the beach for lunch then followed a section of the Grand Prix track which goes under a theatre along the sea and comes up near the casino.

Later that night we went to Monte Carlo Casino, because it wouldn't be a trip to Monaco without seeing the casino. We each got 50 euros out and played Roulette, as there were no Blackjack tables with minimum bets smaller than 25 euros. Straight away Aaron won on an 8/9 split. I put a 5/8 split down for Mum's birthday and 15 for Dad's and came up short. I then put an 18/21 split for Genevieve and Perri's ages this year and 21 came up!! I won 75 euro. I then put one on 23/24 for mine, Andrew, and Erica's ages this year and I didn't win with 21 coming up again. Feeling content I was about to walk away when the Croupier got my attention for my win on 18/21. I forgot to take my previous chip off and ended up winning 150 euros which is $230 AUD!! What a great day out, topped off with a win at Monte Carlo Casino.

Get some culture in ya!!

Tuesday and Wednesday 22nd & 23rd
Tuesday was a relaxing day for me and I took my time to rise and do something with my time. When I finally did, I caught up with Kurt and Aaron and we went to an Internet Cafe in Earl’s Court to book flights to Nice this coming weekend where we plan to visit Monaco. After this we headed into the city again and I visited ‘The Movieum’ which was located in City Hall, Behind the London Eye, on the Thames. This was an exhibition which took you through the process of making a movie. It was an interesting exhibition with many costumes and props from some of the most famous movies of our time. After visiting the War Museum the previous day, everything else would struggle to meet my now high expectations, and unfortunately this was the case. It was mid afternoon when I finished at ‘The Movieum’ and I headed north east to meet Laura Morrissey, a friend from Brisbane who used to work at GE with me. Laura has been living in London for the past year, and has been working for a company handling marine insurance, a subsidiary of Lloyds. We went for a drink at a pub in Camden then watched a band perform a small gig at a nearby horse stable which had been transformed into a club.

On Wednesday it was raining and cold so I thought it would be a great opportunity to visit the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. The National Gallery is London’s attempt at the Louvre, and despite being quite large, I’m sure it ventures into insignificance when compared to the famous French Museum. I saw many pieces of art by famous artists from the early 15th century through to the 21st century. The older paintings were predominately themed around Christ and his following and the more recent paintings (1700’s - 1800’s) were themed around scenery and various objects. In the older displays there were many pieces of art which focussed primarily on Christ with the Virgin Mary and St John, the Kings bearing gifts, and Christ’s crucifixion. It was interesting to hear (through an audio guide) and read the many different thoughts and interpretations of the meanings of these pieces of art. I guess this is one of the interesting things about art, that it is open to individual perception and interpretation. One piece of artwork that did interest me, and I will endeavour to investigate further, was a portrait of a lady with a starling and a squirrel in picture. The caption says it is thought that the artist had painted a lady called Anne Lovell from East Harling. Reference is made toward the squirrel being associated to the Lovell name which I was not aware of.

After visiting the National Gallery I walked up to Regent St to find the HSBC branch that I had to go to open by bank account which I deposited money into back home. This all went without a hitch and I now have access to some savings, rather than using credit. After the bank I went to a large sports bar on Haymarket St which was showing an IPL game between Mumbai and Chennai. Matthew Hayden was batting for Chennai and scored 81 runs before being run out by the “obnoxious little weed” with about 3 overs to spare.

'ello London

London
The 11.5 hour flight from Sri Lanka to London went without a hitch and a cup holder. We arrived at Heathrow at 2030 local time and it was a cool 8 degrees Celsius. A stark contrast to the 30 degree temperatures experienced in Colombo. I had prepared for this and as soon as I was able to, I changed from my shorts and thongs, into my jeans and jumper. Over the past few months it has been this moment of going through Customs that concerned me the most. Having booked my flights to arrive at 8pm on the 19/04, not realising my visa stipulated that I could not enter the UK until the 20/04, I was not sure whether I would be able to go through Customs straight away. The moment came and after some small talk with the lady about my journey ahead and the fact that I was wearing shorts and she recommended pants (which I had prepared earlier), she stamped my passport and I was into the UK at 9pm. I caught the Tube to Earl’s Court after collecting my baggage, where I was to be staying at the local Youth Hostel. At 10 pm, with 19kg’s on my back I began to walk towards the hostel, well that’s what I thought, until an hour had passed and I realised I was lost. I asked a few people for directions and they lead me in the wrong direction, or I didn’t listen properly, and then I finally came across a pharmacy and the man behind the counter gave me a map and just round the corner was the hostel. Tired and sore, I got my room key, went up 6 flights of stairs to the top level, got changed and fell asleep.

Sunday 20th
My first day in London. I had met two Australians in my hostel this morning and they told me to go and do one of the free walking tours on offer in London. At 11am I arrived at Wellington Arch, near Hyde Park Corner Station, and went on the Royal London tour. The tour took approximately 3 hours and it took us passed Wellington Arch, down Constitution hill to Buckingham Palace, passed Prince William and Harry’s house, down Pall Mall, Trafalgar Square, Whitehall St, the Household Cavalry, Downing St, Churchill’s War Cabinet Bunker, Westminster Abbey and Parliament House. Along the way we learnt many interesting facts and history about these places and the people who have shaped England in some way, from Guy Faulkss, to Winston Churchill, and Florence Nightingale to Oliver Cromwell. During the tour I met another guy from Australia who was spending his last day in London. Together we went on London Eye, crossed London Bridge, Tower Bridge, and saw London Tower. That evening I headed back to the Hostel at 1730, feeling rather tired and decided to have a small nap before the evening. I woke up at 0650 the next morning, having slept right through the night.

Monday 21st
Today I bought a mobile phone and made contact with my friend from GE, Kurt Shrubsole, who had recently come over to London and he is staying in Shepherd’s Bush. Together, with his friend Aaron we headed into town and for lunch stopped in a pub and had a pie and beer. Afterwards we then went to the Churchill Museum and War Cabinet Rooms, which I had passed in the tour the previous day. This museum was situated in the underground bunkers built during WW2 where Churchill and his ministers would meet and strategise to defend against and attack the Nazis. The tour was amazing and showed a large array of memorabilia of Churchill’s life from birth to death. It was a very interactive display and there were many audio pieces of his renowned speeches, and videos during his time as a M.P in the early 1900’s through to his time as Prime Minister during WW2 and right through to his funeral in 1965. We spent 2 hours in the museum, touring the displays and the many rooms in the bunker which had been left just as they were when Churchill occupied them. Unfortunately we had to rush through the final parts of the tour as it had come to closing time. After leaving the Museum we walked through St James’s Park, up passed Piccadilly Circus and through Leicester Square and caught the tube back to Shepherd’s Bush for Dinner at the Walkabout Inn. The Walkabout Inn is a chain of bars throughout England which all celebrate Australian culture. They have Australian Beers, play Australian pub songs and play Australian sport on TV. While there we played ‘Bogan Bingo’, without any luck, had a few games of pool then at 2230 we called it a night and I headed back to the train station to go back the hostel in Earl’s Court.

Innings closed

Wednesday 16th
Today we left Hikkaduwa and returned to Colombo for the final leg of our tour. This was a rest day for us and an opportunity for the team to go into town and experiencing the shopping on offer. For lunch we stopped in a Pizza Hut, which may not seem that adventurous to some but let me tell you it was a great experience. Firstly we got to eat at a Pizza Hut restaurant – you can’t do that in Brisbane anymore. Secondly, we got to taste some of the unique pizza flavours on offer, none of which are on Australian menus. Our first shopping stop was at Majestic City where I bought a pair of Diesel jeans and a Lacoste polo for 4400 rupees ($1 AUD = 93 R’s approx). Total cost about $48 AUD. We then went to an up market store called Odel, which is similar to Myer, and I bought two pairs of shorts which cost a total of 2500 R’s ($26 AUD approx). Security is very strict in all shopping centres and you are not allowed to take any bags in with you. They are to be left at a bag counter out the front of the store. At one shopping centre our coach, Terry Oliver (Queensland Bulls Head Coach) left his bag at the counter only to return with his mobile phone stolen. Bar the one unfortunate incident, shopping was a great success. The challenge will be to fit it all in my backpack, which is already bursting at the seams.

Thursday 17th
Today was our first match since playing on the hessian mat in Nuwara Eliya and it turned out to be a disaster. Held at CCC (Colombo Cricket Club), the match was scheduled as a 50 over match that was over before one could even build up a sweat in the 30̊̊ c/80% humidity conditions. We managed only 84 runs and I got a fifth ball duck, turning a ball to fine leg which got up on me and went straight to square leg. The opposition were 85/0 off 14.3 over’s and we all headed back to the hotel, with heads hung in shame.

Friday 18th
Today we were to play out last game in Sri Lanka for this 2008 tour and it was to be held at CCC, the ground which we performed so poorly the day before. After failing to put up much of a show the day prior and to date having not bowled a full 50 overs on tour, the captain Lance Roudenko decided that were we to win the toss we would bowl. Of course we didn’t win the toss and we were sent into bat. After 2 overs, our two openers were gone and the score was 4/2 – Déjà vu. Lance and Lloyd Moore then came into bat and put on a 150 run partnership to have us at approximately 160 off 35 overs when Lloyd fell for a well made 77 in very hot and trying conditions. Leigh Drennan was in and out quickly and I then went into bat with 10 overs to go and the score was about 170. Lance was suffering severe cramps and was caught for 76 and then I fell for 15 (19 balls). We then lost Matt “Willow” Williamson an over later and the score was about 208 with 4 over’s to go. At the start of the game we had brought in two Sri Lankan players to fill in for our injured and one of them came in at number 8 after I lost my wicket. He hit 39 (12 balls) including 3 sixes to leave us with 243 off 50 over’s. This was to be our first score over 200 on tour and we were very confident going into bowl. After returning from another curry lunch we went into bowl and it all started well. In the second over 16 year old giant, Michael Olsen (who partnered with me in the twenty20 and scored 46 runs), grabbed the first wicket, bowled, and the score was 5/1. Unfortunately that is where our good fortune ended. Their other opener scored 109 off 131 (I ended up catching him at mid wicket in the dying over’s), and guided them to a win with 3 over’s to spare. Despite the loss we were all proud of the effort we had put in and the tour had turned out to be a great success.

Galle-y gosh!

Sunday 13th
Today was our last day in Kandy and we got up early and headed on to a southern coastal town near Galle called Hikkaduwa. The drive took 8 hours. On the way we stopped for lunch at a resort called Bluewater Resort. It is situated on the coast, about half way between Colombo and Galle. We then continued onto Hikkaduwa and on the way saw the devastating effects of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. Many of the coastal houses have been reduced to ruins, and we were taken to the local train station where they have kept a train which was destroyed in the tsunami. It is reported that 1270 people were killed at the train station, while on a train or waiting to board one. We then arrived at the hotel which we will be staying for the next few days, called Amaya Reef. This is a beachfront hotel which too was affected by the tsunami.

Tuesday 15th
After a rest day on Monday which involved playing cricket with some locals on the beach, we headed on a bus trip to see sights around Hikkaduwa and Galle. Our first stop was to the newly built MCC (Marylebone Cricket Club) Centre for Excellence. This site was originally set up as a contained village to house the less fortunate in the region, which was unfortunately reduced to ruin after the tsunami struck. Funding was then provided by the MCC to build a new centre which would be used to educate the young people in the region who were directly impacted by the tsunami. Further funding was provided to a local school to rehabilitate their oval into a fantastic cricket oval.

After visiting the MCC Centre for Excellence we drove into Galle to see some of the many tourist sites. Our first stop was the Dutch fort which spans a great distance across the southern coastline of Galle. According to our tour guide, it was established over 400 years ago during European settlement. From the fort you can see right across the city of Galle and far into the Indian Ocean. It is quite a remarkable structure yet poor management has left its mark on the sight, with rubbish lying around in many places, beggars on many corners, and structural damage evident. While visiting the fortress we drove past the cricket stadium in Galle which was also destroyed by the tsunami. Over time funding has seen this ground rehabilitated into one of the better cricket stadiums in Sri Lanka.

Cricket and Elephants

On the Sunday we played our first game of cricket against a Colombo academy side which boasted two players who had featured for Sri Lanka's international team. Surprisingly we won that match but I didn't contribute with the bat at no. 3, only scoring 2 runs. The next day we played again against the same team and this one we lost unfortunately. It was a struggle backing up the next day and again I didn't feature in the runs (same batting position, same score).

On Wednesday we drove up to Kandy and on the way stopped at an Elephant orphanage. It was amazing getting to see these animals up close and to touch and bathe them. One elephant had its foot blown off by a land mine, and one elephant had killed a handler.

When we arrived in Kandy I had fallen asleep on the bus (no surprise), and woke to find us on the top of a mountain, overlooking the whole town. The hotel is called Amaya Hills. That night half the group went to a Buddhist temple called Temple of the Tooth. It is said to house Buddha's front left tooth which was salvaged when he died. There is great history behind the legend of the tooth and its journey to Sri Lanka. After our visit to the temple we headed back to the bus and came across a man crippled by polio begging for money on his knees. A very sad and confronting sight which made the health issues we all hear about so real.Our first cricket game in Kandy was on Thursday and was a 50 over match which was rained out after we bowled the St Trinity College team out for 150 runs. We played them again on Friday in a Twenty20 on a swamp land which hadn't recovered from the previous night's rain. I top scored: 54 not out (40 balls) and we won 135 to 123. Batting at my customary no. 5, it was good to get some runs.

It hit the weave and cut a mile

On Saturday 12th we drove to a beautiful town called Nuwara Eliya which was on the top of a mountain range, approximately a 2.5 hour drive from Kandy. On the way we passed many of the famous tea plantations of Sri Lanka and stopped for tea at a small bungalow owned by a company called Mackwood Tea. We then drove for lunch to their tea factory which had a restaurant at the location. I would liken it to Sirromet winery, but for tea. We were given a guided tour of the tea factory then given a buffet lunch. This weekend marks the New Year celebrated by the Hindus and Buddhists. We were lucky enough to see their celebrations and unusual rituals. Down the mountain, many people gathered alongside a river when three men were select to participate in a ritual. They were pierced by hooks all over their body and suspended by a tree trunk and driven up the hill. My understanding is that this display of personal sacrifice highlights their devotion to the religion. After seeing this ritual we drove to Nuwara Eliya to play cricket against their under 17 rep side.

The game turned into a 15 over match due to pending rain and we played on a Hessian mat. We batted first, scored 103 runs then the rain came. In pouring rain we tried to bowl and field, with little luck, for 9 overs until the thunder and lightning forced our hand and the game was called off. It was an amazing sight when the cloud passed through and we were amongst it playing cricket. It was a very unique day all round which held many new experiences.

Ceylon Brisbane!!!

Saturday 5th of April

Today marked the day that I would attempt to fit my life in a Backpack and head off on my wild worldly adventures. This I managed with great procrastination, filling my day with evenly timed intervals of the Playstation 2 and packing. I managed to get everything finalised in time to head for the Brisbane International Airport to meet my team mates to embark on our Sri Lanka Cricket Tour. We left Brisbane Airport, after I had my last goodbyes with the family and some friends, on Singapore Airlines at 11:45 pm. The flight took 8 hours to Singapore and once we were seated it was my mission to take advantage of the in-flight movies available as it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to watch a movie with “dodgy” airplane headphones on a screen not much bigger than a postcard. There were over 40 options to choose from and “Walk Hard” was to be the first movie of choice. For those who don’t know, this is a comedy/spoof of Walk the line/Ray. As expected I lasted all of 15 minutes when I fell asleep, resting on my new neck cushion. I was deep in sleep and likely to remain that way for some time, until I was woken by the hostess offering me dinner which was a choice of noodles or a chicken pie. I ate the pie, and fell back to sleep after another attempt to watch “Walk Hard”. I would advise those reading not to think that the quality of the movie is related to my ability to stay awake. It was quite funny but I was very tired. Later in the flight I tried watching another movie, “Juno”, which many people have heard of. With about 1.5 hours left on the flight I thought that I would be able to watch at least one movie the whole way through during the 8 hour flight. I was wrong. With about 30 minutes left in the flight, the movie was turned off and I was left to watch the flight path with information such as, distance travelled, current speed, and estimated time of arrival. We finally arrived in Singapore: time – sparrow fart, distance travelled – a long way.

With a 2 hour interval before we were to board our joining flight, the team walked the very long Changi Terminal, trying to fill in our time with some sleep, and/or shopping. I found a sports bar which was playing an English Premier League game on a big screen TV. The sound actually came out of speakers which were individually installed in each seat. It was at this bar where I saw a game which one would best describe as a “projector football game.” A projector shone a football field on the carpet with a ball and people could play on the projected area by “virtually” kicking the ball, which would then move in the direction kicked. We boarded the connecting flight at 07:05 am to Colombo which was scheduled to take 3 hours.

We arrived on Sunday morning (7/04), after a long flight which stopped in Singapore for two hours, then arrived in Colombo. The moment we arrived I was astounded at the many cultural differences between Australia and Sri Lanka. The team caught a mini bus to the hotel we were staying at in Colombo (Cinnamon Grand), which took approximately 30 minutes to arrive. Colombo doesn't have any major highways, just two lane roads that run throughout the city. This makes it extremely hectic on the roads and the locals seem to run with organised chaos. People walk across the road with disregard for the traffic; cars merge into oncoming traffic with the expectation that everyone will stop for them; road lanes seem to be taken as general "guidelines" rather than law and often people are turning two lanes into three or four. Everyone beeps their horn, and you don't give way in a round-about - just enter and hope the oncoming traffic stops. On the drive in you notice that the poor and destitute live alongside the wealthy. You will pass many road side food stores, which look far from healthy, and then right next door there is an immaculate marble building, which is a car dealer, holding the newest Mercedes, Land Cruisers, and Lexus'. We saw a couple riding on a motor bike (similar to the postie bikes back home), and as we got closer the couple become a couple with two children sitting in between them. The son was at the front holding the bars, then dad, and finally daughter and mum were at the back. Of course the parents were wearing helmets and the kids weren't. There is military everywhere holding AK-47's and they patrol the streets. On our way in we saw athletes running past in 30 degree heat amongst the traffic, and a cow. Only later did we hear in the news that at the start of the race there was a suicide bombing and a parliamentary minister along with 15 athletes were murdered - yet they still ran!