Going Home

Sat 10 Sep 16

We are on our way home, taking a train from Salzburg to Munich airport for a flight to Singapore where we have an overnight stay to give us a break form flying, then home on Monday.

Singapore Airlines doesn't fly out of Vienna, the closest departure point being Munich. As we weren't particularly interested in staying in Munich, we chose Salzburg instead and were very happy with that choice. 

We have crossed a lot of agricultural land but have not seen one person working in them. Interesting.

It has been a  l o n g  trip, longer than we are used to, but enjoyable, except for the bells in Melk, but then that just added to the experience.

We have slept in 10 different beds, travelled on 9 trains, not including airport transfers, a sea cruise and 3 river cruises. The temperatures have ranged from freezing to hot. We have been very lucky with the weather in general, especially in the far north and with regard to the state of the seas. Only a little rain when we were in Vienna, but not enough to be a problem.

The European rail system is amazing. But the trains don't always run on time. How much co-ordination it requires between the various countries with cross border trains running is unimaginable.

I would like to thank the person who came up with the idea of putting wheels on suitcases. How would we be without them?

The most useful app on the iPad for travelling I have found is Citymaps2go by Ulman Pro. Just download the required maps then you don't need an internet connection to use them. They work off the GPS system. I don't remember what it cost, not much but certainly worth it.

Still don't have a selfie stick, in fact unlike in Italy last year where they were on sale by street hawkers everywhere, we haven't seen anyone selling them. 

Anyway, that's about it from me for this trip. Or as Fred Dagg used to say, "I have to go, here comes my bus".

Thanks for reading my blog and a special thanks to those who commented on it.

Tschuüss,

Geof N

Salzburg

Salzburg

Wed 7 Sep 16

The main train line from Vienna to Salzburg goes via St Polten but my rail map of Europe shows the line south from Vienna to Leoben then to Salzburg as being longer and slower but more scenic. The route goes over the Semmering Pass (we visited Semmering four years ago) and this section of the track is World Heritage listed. We weren't disappointed by the scenery. It is postcard Austria, minus the snow. Especially the section from Leoben to Salzburg. The line goes along mountain valleys with the mountains often rising up beside the train line. The most spectacular scenery we have seen in Europe this visit. The skies had turned hazy again but not enough to detract from the views.

We had been told by various people that we would love Salzburg but we arrived here without any idea of what to expect. Our train arrived in the late afternoon so we had time to wander around both before and after dinner. We are both quite taken by the city, especially the old town. Lots of narrow streets and laneways which have a rather different aspect to them that I can't quite put my finger on that makes them different from say Koblenz or Regensburg.  Perhaps it's something to do with the setting being at the base of the cliffs or the signs hanging in front of every shop. 

Thu 8 Sep 16

Up early this morning to wander around before too many people were about. We went into the Dom, a rather spectacular Baroque church and while we were inside a tour group of Chinese came in. They wouldn't have been in there for two minutes - they had a quick look, lots of selfies then out again. 

We went into a small graveyard behind the Dom and saw something we have never seen before - wrought iron grave markers instead of headstones.

An Australian in Austria.

We then took the funicular up to the old fort to have a view over the city. The carriage was crowded and an American women standing next to me said to her husband that there was room in the next section. I said, no, there wasn't, there was a pram in there (taking up the space). She looked at me as if she didn't understand me so I said " a stroller". She then made a "pushing" motion to indicate that she knew what I was saying. I said "my English is not very good, I am Australian" (as a joke). She said "and my German is zilch".

Hazy again especially when looking toward the sun but bright light with the sun behind.

Lots of people around by late morning, many tour groups and quite a few groups of young people on tours also.

Weather station in Salzburg

Fri 9 Sep 16

Caught a suburban bus out to visit Hellbrunn Palace with its trick fountains. Built for an Archbishop's pleasure, who used to get his guests drunk and play tricks on them with hidden water sprays. You can only see the fountains on a guided tour and unfortunately, the one we were put on was conducted in Spanish and English. The problem was, there was a large group of Spaniards on the tour so about ninety percent of the commentary was in Spanish and the little bit of English was spoken with a heavy Spanish accent. Not sure that we missed much anyway and besides, we lucky that we visited on a reduced price day, €4 instead of €12 each. 

It's interesting how inconsiderate people can be. They want to take a photo so they stand in front of everyone and don't think that anyone else might also want a photo.   Or the tall ones stand in front of short people.

The bus ride gave us a chance to see a bit of the suburbs.

Visited a very old wine bar and had in interesting conversation with the owner. She said that Salzburg was now dependant on tourism and that half the apartments in the city are actually empty. She also said that the vines in Austria were diseased years ago (she wasn't sure about when) and had been replaced with roots from America.

It has been hot in Salzburg and we were told we were lucky with the weather as it usually rains here.

We must have walked along nearly every street and passage way in the old town and most of those in the old part of the new town. Even walked past the "Maison d'Plaisir" (with its red light) on what was originally the main street in town centuries ago.

A view overlooking the city.

Vienna

Vienna

Tue 6 Sep

The fine weather returned with temps up in the high 20s for our first two days here but then on Sunday night a front went through with rain and cooled things down. There were showers and storms behind the front. Monday was showery but rainy on Tuesday. Fortunately the weather is forecast to return to fine and warm for our next leg to Salzburg on Wednesday.

We have been wandering around, revisiting some of the places we enjoyed last time we were here and discovering new ones. The advantage of staying in a different part of the city on a second visit is that it causes you to see places you may not have been before. Previously, we stayed in the Paulanergasse area, now Schottenring area.

One thing I did last time was go on a guided tour of sites associated with the movie "The Third Man". 

Fans may recognise the doorway.

Very interesting but having done it once I didn't feel the need to do it again, but  I missed out on the ferris wheel last time as we didn't get to that part of the city. This time we did and I couldn't resist taking a ride on it.

There is a museum dedicated to the movie which is only open on Saturday afternoons which I couldn't visit previously. Even if you aren't particularly interested in the movie but are interested in post WW2 Vienna, it is a must visit. The movie was set in post war Vienna and this museum has a fabulous collection of material relating to Vienna in that period. 

Seeing pictures of how Vienna suffered from bomb damage during the war and seeing how it looks today is amazing. The fact that nearly all of the inner city was reconstructed in the same style that it would have been before the war gives it a special charm I think. 

Vienna has a similar look to it as Paris, whereas say, London and Berlin, who both also suffered a lot of damage, have a very different look to them now.

One place unique to Vienna is the Hundertwasser House.

We seem to have mastered the Vienna underground system but have no idea of how the trams run, despite having what appears to be a current map of the system. The trams going past have a number which doesn't correspond to the map and/or go in the opposite direction to the sign on the tram, so we just get on one and hope it takes us to where we want to go, if not, get off and walk. Vienna is a very "walkable" city, mostly flat and not very far from one side of the main areas to the other and we walked a lot of it.

The distinctive sound of inner Vienna is the sound of horses hooves on the pavement (with the associated smell). They must drive the local car drivers crazy as it not possible to overtake them in the narrow streets.

 Another sound is the squeak of parquetry floors in the old museums.

One thing we have noticed in Europe is the many people smoking. Australians seem to have mostly given up the habit but not people here. Cigars are common also and it makes it difficult for us non smokers to find somewhere to sit in restaurants to avoid the smell of smoke.

Odd things happen to you when on holidays. We had noticed that nearly all the music we heard whenever a radio was playing, was in English. (Probably explains why most of the performances  on Eurovision are in English.)

Anyway, we were sitting in a cafe one afternoon and blaring out from the speakers in the Naschmarkt across the road, was Olivia Newton-John and when we were having dinner that night, Air Supply were on the restaurant's speakers.

There is a much greater mix of people, nationalities and ages, in Vienna than we have seen in the places we visited in Germany. On Sundays, nearly all the shops (apart from souvenir shops) and a lot of the restaurants are closed. The areas away from the main tourist areas are very quiet. There are very few beggars and people sleeping on the streets from what we have seen.

We went into a wine bar, down a flight of stairs off one of the narrow streets for a drink, then when we were finished, came out via a different stairway, right into a magnificent food emporium - Julius Meinl, Graben 19. Recommended.

I was looking forward to revisiting the Rosenberger restaurant which is near the Opera House as I remember it as having a fabulous range of food, cafeteria style, at good prices. However, I was disappointed. The range was limited and more expensive than I remember.

Speaking of food, there must be a factory (or three?) in Austria turning out Weiner Schnitzels by the ton. They are on the menu of just about every restaurant and I can't image that there is someone in the kitchen, cutting, pounding and breading them to order, except maybe in the very upmarket places.

We have been into a few museums and lots of churches of different denominations (where you are allowed to take photos, not like in Melk).

The MAK museum was more interesting than I expected and the Schatzkammer (Imperial Treasury) is fascinating. The craftsmanship in the objects on display is amazing.

The Albertina had a wonderful exhibition "Monet bis Picasso".

Here is my version of Impressionism:

 

Yours truly enjoying his birthday cake at the Cafe Central, one of Vienna's Grand Cafes. The wines came later in the day.

The Journey Continues

Danube Part 2

Wed 31 Aug 16

We were in luck with the weather again for our cruise from Passau to Linz. A beautiful fine day with mild temperatures. 

The river valley down river from Passau is very different from that between Regensburg and Passau . Up river, the valley is wide with agricultural land on the banks whereas downriver the valley is very narrow with hills rising up from the river banks most of the way. There are some small towns by the riverside, where the boat stops, and also a few houses which seem to quite isolated.

The river downstream from Passau is even more green as a result of it mixing with the waters of the Inn River which originates in the mountains of Switzerland.

There are fewer people on this ship than on the one from Regensburg, probably because it is a week day.

Most of the people we have taken for tourists are "not young", I guess because the main holiday season is over and people have gone back to school or work. Also, we have seen hardly any Asians on our way across Germany. Possibly because we are slightly off the main tourist track and they stick to the major centres. And we have seen only one or two selfie sticks! (Which are mainly used by younger people and Chinese anyway.)

I think that babies' prams must have very good tyres and/or suspension in these towns paved with cobblestones, otherwise there would be the possibility of "shaken baby syndrome". Pity people in wheelchairs.

European doonas are a problem. They are not designed for hot nights - they are far too warm, and try explaining to the housemaid that you want a light blanket instead - good luck. Besides, they are rather short, how do tall people like the Dutch cope?

I am amazed, if you will pardon the pun, at the amount of maize, or is it corn, that is growing along the fields by the river. What happens to it all? 

It is a bit too far to drag suitcases over cobblestones from the boat wharf at Linz to the train station so we caught a taxi. Train to Melk with one change. Perhaps we are making it harder for ourselves with all these changes of transport but it means we get to see different aspects of the countryside.

I visited Melk in 2012 but Susan hasn't been here before. Melk Abbey is part of UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage. It is built on a cliff overlooking the town.

Thu 1 Sep 16

Melk

Didn't Quasimodo, in the Hunchback of Notre Dame, say "the bells, Master! The bells!"?

Well we had bells on and off all night! They rang at all sort of intervals for various periods with a long period at 6am. Unfortunately one of the churches was very close to where we were staying. The hotel was not air conditioned so it was necessary to have the windows open to let fresh air (and noise) in. Also, what appears to be the only pub in the old town is just below the hotel so noise from that didn't help. Besides all that, the bed was very soft and squeaky.

Melk Abbey is worth a visit. We took a guided tour through the museum which was very  informative. The tour ends with an entrance into the church. When I was here last it was possible to take photos in the church, which is claimed to be one of the most beautiful Baroque churches in the world. The tour guide said that about four kilograms of gold was used in decorating the church. Now, there are signs everywhere saying "NO PHOTOS". Why? Yes, I know it's a church all that that implies, but I can't think of any other major church I have been in where one couldn't take photos, except The Sistine Chapel. The Abbey is dependant on tourists but if the selfie generation (and the Chinese) can't photograph themselves there, will they come?

Spent the rest of the day looking around the old town - very pleasant.

Fri 2 Sep 16

The Danube Part 3

Enough is enough! After two nights of hardly any sleep due to the bells, the noise from the pub and a very soft, squeaky bed, we are out of here to whereever! It meant we had to pay for the three nights we had booked for but it is worth it in the hope of getting a good night's sleep.

So we are changing our travel plans .

We sent an email off very early in the morning to the owner of the flat we have booked for our stay in Vienna to see if we could come in a day earlier. In the meantime we looked at the possibility of staying a night at Krems but that didn't look promising and the thought of finding somewhere suitable (price and location) in Vienna was daunting.

Luckily, the flat in Vienna was available, so we took the river cruise that we had booked for the next day, today, to Krems and then a train to Vienna.

This means we will have one extra day in Vienna and won't have to rush to see everything.

My suggestion for visiting Melk would be to make it a day trip from Vienna, which is what I did last time. Catch an early train, tour the Abbey and spend the afternoon looking around the old town. Maybe even have dinner there. We had two very good evening meals there. In fact, we have been very happy with the food at all the places we have eaten across Germany. The servings are very big though, so unless you are hungry, for two people, order one main and a salad and share - it will be sufficient. 

The river cruise is only about two hours but it passes through the Wachau Valley, one of the major wine producing areas in Austria. 

How is it that European wine makers are able to produce good tasting red wine with an alcohol content of 12% whereas in Australia you are lucky to get one at 13.5% and most of them are above 14% and even 15% or more? 

Another very pleasant river cruise. We might have to consider doing a long one one day. A bit cloudy and rather hazy with signs of the possibility of storms later.

It was about a 30 min slow (dragging suitcases) walk from the wharf to the station. Time for a quick look at some of Krems before taking the train to Vienna.

Some rain along the way with signs of there having been heavy rain earlier. Fortunately, it stopped before we reached Vienna.

Some confusion about the exact location of the entrance to the flat and we were told off in no uncertain terms by the owner about not following her instructions properly. We just didn't understand the European way of writing an address. Anyway, no real problem and we are now looking forward to having an extra day in Vienna, staying in a very lovely and modern apartment (with a washing machine!). 

We were in Vienna four years ago and both really enjoyed the place and wanted to come back, so here we are.

Passau

Mon 29 Aug 16

Passau

Yes, the weather has changed. It rained overnight and there was even a clap of thunder this morning. The rain eased after breakfast and we went out in search of a laundromat (a change from trying to wash in the bathroom) but it turned out that what we thought would be a laundromat nearby is dry cleaner. So, we then had to walk to the other side of town with directions that weren't accurate as to the location. When we did find what we looking for we realised that we had forgotten the detergent so had to find a supermarket to buy some. Travelling with us is full of excitement and adventure!

We were in Passau in 2012 and both liked it so much that we decided we wanted to come back.

The city is situated on the junction of three rivers and the old part is like a small version of Regensburg, narrow cobblestoned streets lined with pastel shaded buildings.

The rain started up again in the middle of the morning so we decided to go up to the museum in the old fort overlooking the city. 

It consists of five smaller museums which appear to have been renovated (modernised) since we were last here. The item labels are all in German but the explanation panels are also in English. These (in our humble opinion) are the best small museums we have seen. One of the museums gives a detailed explanation of castles and castle life in the Middle Ages and another one has details of the Guilds of craftsmen and tradesmen and how they were organized. A must visit if you are ever in Passau!! Besides, the view over the city is terrific.

The rain cleared in the late afternoon so we are hopeful of fine weather for our next boat trip to Linz on Wednesday.

Dinner was in an old restaurant (recommended by the hotel receptionist) that had been a Bishop's house centuries ago. Very good food and a nice space in which to dine.

Tue 30 Aug 16

Passau

Passau is often affected by flooding and the one in 2013 was the second highest on record. The hotel we are staying at had enough warning to move things from the ground floor up to the first which was just above the flood level. The staff were able to clean up and re-open after two weeks but a restaurant in the street behind the hotel was closed for a year!

It is hard to imagine just how much water that is.

The DOM here has the largest church organ in Europe and there is a half hour concert each day. You don't just listen to the music, you feel it! 

We spent the day wandering around and enjoying ourselves.

The Danube Part 1

Sun 28 Aug 16

There were no church bells this morning to wake us, surprising for a Sunday. Anyway we made it to the wharf in time to board our cruise from Regensburg to our next stop at Passau. Nine and three quarter hours for €36 each - a bargain I think. The cheapest train ticket would cost about €20 and the journey take about one and a half hours.

Most of the passengers seem to be Germans on a day trip. There are no announcements in English but the waiters have enough to understand us and explain the menu. A good selection of food and drinks at reasonable prices.

It is still hot but there is a bit of high cloud and the air has turned hazy.

(I realise this blog is written in mixed tenses (for the retired English teachers reading this), because some of it is written in real time for a sense of immediacy - and so I don't forget things.)

A short distance down river from Regensburg is a very strange place, Walhalla, which I must find out more about. It looks as if it is in the middle of nowhere (at least that is how it appears from the river) but it is huge, a most imposing ediface.

Most of the Europeans are out soaking up the sunshine (and drinking beer) while we are moving around chasing the shade, what little of it there is. The upper deck is entirely open.

A lot of the river banks are lined with rocks and there are many breakwaters extending out to protect the banks from erosion caused by ships' wash.

 Most of the towns are behind levee banks. There are "sandy" patches and a lot of people wading in the shallows, fishing and camping. Quite a lot of leisure craft also. Being a Sunday, it must give people the chance to get out and enjoy themselves, especially as the weather is so good. It would probably be a completely different scene on weekdays.

Passengers were getting on and off at the various stops.

This has been a very pleasant journey, not fantastic scenery but enjoyable nonetheless and a chance to relax and give our feet a break from walking around all day on cobblestones. 

Germany puts Australia to shame with regard to the use of renewable energy. There are fields with arrays of thousands of solar panels, the houses don't have a few panels, they have the roof covered with them. Travelling down the Rhine valley there were lots of wind turbines visible. Surely Australia could and should be doing better.

There are signs of instability in the clouds on the hills to the North of us. Are we in for a change in the weather? (Relief from the heat?)

Back in the sixties, Stan Freberg wrote a song, "The Danube isn't Blue, it's Green". I can attest to that.

Regensburg Part 3

Sat 27 Aug 16 

Another early start, more church bells.

Walked over the old stone bridge, which is under renovation, to the Stadtamhof part of the city.

A church bell chimed and it gave me quite a start because it sounded exactly like an Amsterdam tram.

We spent the day just wandering around looking at the buildings, going into churches and taking photos. We had lunch at the cafeteria in the Galeria department store which had a good range of food and drinks at reasonable prices. There was also free WiFi, a view from the terrace and a nice change from the usual sort of eateries.

Australians,including us, tend to think of European skies as hazy and soft light. This certainly hasn't been the case the last few days! The skies have been bright blue and the air clear (and HOT).

We ate dinner at an Italian restaurant for dinner. Yes, I know we are in Germany but we have been eating our share of sausages, including currywurst (which I quite like - sausage with tomato sauce and curry flavouring - it's better than it sounds!), sauerkraut and potato dumplings (which have a rather unusual texture). The pizza was HUGE, what we at home would call a Family size, about 40 cm across (we shared one) and very tasty. The restaurant was crowded, noisy and hot. The waitress  said it was worse for her, running around serving.

Regensburg Part 2

Fri 26 Aug 16

Church bells at 6am! So we had an early start to the day in the cool of the morning before the heat of the day. We walked across the street into the DOM and could hear a voice singing/chanting. We thought it must have been a recording playing over the PA which happens in some churches. But it turned out to be a man sitting in one of the pews. The acoustics were marvellous!

Imposing? Awe inspiring?

The streets are narrow, lined with mostly pastel shaded buildings but some brightly coloured ones to provide a nice contrast.

There weren't many people about until after 9am and there seemed to be lots of people on walking tours, presumably people off coach tours or river cruises.

Regensburg doesn't have a Hop on - Hop off bus but it does have "CityTrain" which gives a very good tour of the city with an informative commentary. Well worth taking.

We had a look at the UNESCO display at the tower of the old bridge and then climbed to the top of the tower. We also visited a navigation museum on an old river boat which gave a history of shipping on the river. We also saw people, mainly young, dressed in traditional costume going out for the night.

Regensburg Part 1

Thu 24 Aug 16

So much for any ideas about German train efficiency! The train due on the platform before the one we were waiting for was 50 minutes late and although we were travelling first class (we can afford first class rail but not air) the air conditioning was not working. On a hot day, this made for a rather uncomfortable journey. Nevertheless, I still prefer trains to planes. Waiting at a train statin is a totally different experience to waiting in an airport terminal. Even though the announcements are very similar, the ones at stations have a different sound.

The journey from Koblenz is very scenic. We took a train from Köln to Passau four years ago over the same territory. The train line follows the Rhine valley to Mainz and then it crosses rolling farmland before reaching the Danube at Regensburg.

"The old town of  Regensburg with Stadtamhof was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2006 as an outstanding testimony to the history of mankind. It confirms the extraordinary universal value of this historic cityscape which deserves to be preserved for the benefit of mankind

as a whole.

Since 1945  Regensburg has remained the only large mediaeval city in Germany to be preserved in its entirety and to function continuously until this very day. Regensburg's Old Town is an exceptional testimony to cultural traditions during the Holy Roman Empire and an extraordinary example of a mediaeval centre of trade within Europe, the stages of development of which are still apparent today in its cityscape."

(Plaque near the old bridge)

It was hot when we arrived and dragging heavy suitcases over cobblestones was not fun. Fortunately the hotel (ACHAT Plaza) we had booked was not far away and is air conditioned. 

We had a short walk around before dinner just as the sun was setting and the sunlight was catching the tops of the towers and church spires.

Koblenz, Germany

Tue 23 Aug 16

We arrived at IJmuiden at about 7am and Holland America had a well organized disembarkation procedure. We had a coach transfer to Amsterdam railway station but had a couple of hours to fill in wandering around that part of the city.

"Left Luggage" is expensive for short term usage at Amsterdam station. €10 per locker for up to 24 hours. We needed three because they are not very big. I suggest if you are considering travelling by train in Europe don't take big suitcases. There is usually a height difference between the train and the platform so you need to be able to lift your cases up and down easily. Also there is not always somewhere to place large cases in the carriage. Small bags can be put on the overhead racks.

We took a train to Koblenz, Germany which is located on the junction of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. 

A scenic trip down the Rhine valley from Köln (Cologne). 

Just for interest, I had a look at how much tickets would cost if bought today compared to when we booked three months ago: €300 compared to €110 for two first class tickets. It pays to book early!!

Stayed at the Brenner Hotel which is clean and comfortable, located between the railway station and the old town centre.

Wed 24 Aug 16

Koblenz, Germany

Parts of the old city which dates back to the middle ages have been preserved and the style of many of the newer buildings have been influenced by the old architecture. 

The are many platz (with lots of restaurants) and a couple of old churches. Most of the old glass leadlight windows in the churches have been replaced by ones of stunning modern design.

We took the cable car up to the old fortress on the hill above the opposite bank of the river to the town. There are a few different museums up there and it is certainly worth a visit.

Advice to photographers: if you want good photos looking down on the town, go up in the morning because in the afternoon you will be looking directly into the sun!

The leaves on the plane trees were starting to change colour and the shop windows were full of winter clothes but it was 28 degrees C. Not the best conditions to be walking around in but a lovely city and I would recommend a visit for a day or two. It must be very popular with Europeans (Germans) because there is a large caravan park on the other side of the river which seemed to be quite full and hardly a non European accent was heard all day. It also seems to be a stopping point for the river cruises as there were a few of them in port.

Rosyth

Sat 20 Aug 16

At sea.

A word of advice to photographers travelling into cold areas. The cold shortens camera battery life, so take a spare battery or at least keep your camera in a carrying case to insulate it when not in use.

Sun 21 Aug 16

Due to a strong outgoing tide our arrival at Rosyth was delayed by about 3 hours. Rosyth is the location of the cruise terminal for Edinburgh but is on the opposite side of the firth and a fair way from the city. There was a shuttle bus from the ship to Inverkeithing railway station where we caught a train into Edinburgh, about a 30 minute trip.

The Edinburgh Fringe Festival was on at this time and the city was packed with people and not just along The Royal Mile where most of the outdoor Fringe activity was taking place. It was an almost continous line on both sides of the street of street performers and also people handing out leaflets advertising other shows.

Even over in the New Town area it was crowded.

It was good to revisit the city after having been here in 2010. We visited the National Gallery which has a small but excellent collection of art works and then spent the rest of the day just wandering around the town soaking up the atmosphere.

Mon 22 Aug 16

At sea.

A day for packing and saying goodbye.

We have met some very nice people on this cruise, people with whom we would like to keep in touch. They made what would have been an enjoyable cruise into one which also filled with fun and laughter. In fact, most of the people we met were very pleasant and easy to engage in conversation even if most of those conversations were about travel. We met one couple who had been on 70 (yes 70) cruises but we heard of others who had been on more than 100! We also met a few who if I saw coming, I would cross the street to avoid (including some Australians) but then again, these people would not recognise me anyway, they are that sort.

 Tomorrow we disembark at IJmuiden for a coach transfer into Amsterdam. From Amsterdam we embark on the next stage of our trip with a train journey to Koblenz, Germany.

We will be undertaking the train journeys on this holiday despite not having a copy of the 1913 Edition of Bradshaw's Guide to Continental Railways. Nor do I have a collection of sports coats to match Michael Portillo.*

*A reference to a BBC TV series Great Continental Railways.

Tue 23 Aug 16

We arrived at IJmuiden at about 7am and Holland America had a well organized disembarkation procedure. We had a coach transfer to Amsterdam railway station but had a couple of hours to fill in wandering around that part of the city.

"Left Luggage" is expensive for short term usage at Amsterdam station. €10 per locker for up to 24 hours. We needed three because they are not very big. I suggest if you are considering travelling by train in Europe don't take big suitcases. There is usually a height difference between the train and the platform so you need to be able to lift your cases up and down easily. Also there is often nowhere to place large cases in the carriage. Small bags can be put on the overhead racks.

We took a train to Koblenz, Germany which is located on the junction of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. Stayed at the Brenner Hotel which is clean and comfortable, located between the railway stain and the town centre.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Wed 17 Aug 16

Reykjavik, Iceland

When we got off the ship we saw a "Hop on - Hop off" bus waiting at the dock. We hadn't thought to look for it on the net before coming here so it was pleasant surprise. They are a very good way to get an overall impression of a city the easy way. We didn't do the full loop to start with but got off at Hallgrímkirkja, Iceland's largest church and Reykjavik's main landmark. We took the lift to the top for a view over the city.

Then walked down the hill to the main shopping street, most of which is a pedestrian mall. Lots of people, mostly tourists I suspect. Again, many souvenir shops selling much the same sort of stuff. I suspect the same could be said of the souvenir shops in Sydney and every other city.

However, there were some shops selling clothing aimed at the local residents. The clothing, both for men and women, is very stylish. It appears that Icelanders like to dress up for their nights out. Bow ties appear to be very popular judging by the number on display in the windows. I was very tempted to buy some but when do I get the chance to wear one? I had noticed similar clothing shops in the other towns we visited in Iceland.

The other item for sale up here (obviously) is cold weather gear - great stuff but too warm to wear even on a cold winter day in Sydney. 

Some of the jewellery for sale is very nice (there is something about Nordic design) but expensive. It seems to be mostly sterling silver. Susan was very taken by a lot of it but resisted the urge to buy.

In the evening we went on another shore excursion, this time to the Blue Lagoon which is about 45 kms out of town. A very interesting drive through the countryside, most of which is a lava flow area, very rough rocky ground with some moss coverage which gives it a green, soft appearance. But I doubt one could walk over most of it.

 A high temperature geothermal field is used to run a power plant and the overflow water is used to fill the lagoon. The temperature of the water varies slightly around the lagoon but is generally about the temp of a comfortably warm bath. Very relaxing. Fortunately, very little smell of Sulphur.

The Blue Lagoon is one of Reykjavik's major tourist attractions with over one million visitors a year. We left about 9 pm and there were still people coming in and the car park was almost full but the lagoon is large enough so that there is plenty of space so that you don't feel crowded and are not rubbing shoulders with strangers. (Less packed than a Sydney beach on a hot summer day.)

Thu 18 Aug 16

Reykjavik

Up early this morning for another tour. This time around part of the so called golden circle. Our first stop was at Thingvellir National Park which straddles an ancient geological fault, then on to Gullfoss (Golden Falls) and next to Geysir geothermal area.

 The geothermal area was rather small and not as spectacular as the Rotorua area in New Zealand (and according to the Americans, not a patch on Yellowstone National Park. This tour did give us a very good ride through the countryside (a couple of hundred kilometres) which was very green but sparsely populated. Iceland has a population of 333,000 but a population density of only 3 persons to the square kilometre.

222,000 of those people live in Reykjavik and its surrounding suburbs and there is a very good road network which reminded me of Canberra and its roads.

 One advantage of going on tours is the information provided by the guides

We also visited a geothermal power plant. 90% of Iceland houses are heated by hot water from these plants. (We weren't told about the other 10%). Cold water is free but residents pay per use for hot water. Interestingly, 80% of the electricity produced in Iceland is used to power the Aluminium industry. Bauxite is imported, turned into aluminium and exported.

Reykjavik has many modern, impressive buildings, including its Harpa Concert Hall and we would liked to have had more time there, especially to visit more of the museums. As it was we only had time for a quick look around the National Museum. Certainly a city worth a visit.

We now have two days at sea before reaching Rosyth, (Edinburgh) Scotland.

Fri 19 Aug 16

Crossing the North Atlantic. Grey, cloudy, windy and wet.

 Stabilisers must be the greatest contribution to cruise ships. I suspect that without them it would not be possible to operate lifts on ships and without lifts, I wonder how many people would be cruising. There seems to be a lot of passengers on this ship with mobility problems and I couldn't see a lot of them climbing stairs all day and every day.

Ísafjödur, Iceland

I can't help think of the opening of the old TV series Startrek when I sit down to write this blog. What was it? Something like "Captain's log, star date . . . "

Anyway,

Tue 16 Aug 18

Ísafjödur, Iceland

I am writing this as we lie anchored in the channel a few hundred metres from the dock in Ísafjödur.

One of the mooring ropes became wrapped around the stern thruster as we were leaving. The tug which had been assisting our departure let the tow line go too soon. So, now we are waiting for a diver to come out and cut the rope.

Docking this morning was a very delicate operation. Our stern was only a couple of metres away from another cruise ship, the Silver Wind. 

Leaving was just as delicate. A wind on the beam made things even more difficult.

Ísafjödur is a small town with a large fishing industry but is now attracting a large number of cruise ships each each year. How much the tourists are contributing to the local economy I don't know as we spoke to one women shop owner who said she couldn't afford to stay in business much longer. That probably has something to do with what is being sold in a lot of the shops both here and Akureyri. The  woollen goods are made from a rather coarse wool which is not appropriate for wearing in warmer climates. The jewellery items are mostly expensive and everyone is selling the same sort of souvenirs.

It will be interesting to see if things are different in Reykjavik.

We walked around the town, no guided tour for us today, and looked at some of the old buildings which date back to the 1800's. Lots of colour and surprisingly, many, including the newer ones, are clad in corrugated iron. 

The town lies at the base of very steep hills so a large ditch has been dug on the lower slopes with a retaining wall on the town side, to catch any landslide or avalanche.

We finally became free of the rope about 5 hours after we were due to leave port.