Another glorious day in Roma (Rome), and our first activity of the day was to head back to Pincio, a little corner of the gigantic park Villa Borghese. We were going to meet L’s Italian teacher Giuseppe, who when he’s not in Melbourne teaching Aussies how to speak Italian, is in Roma being a Roman. ... [More]
Category: Travel
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It’s a small world
After a quick stop-off by the Colloseo to exchange the el-cheapo t-shirt L had bought for one that didn’t have a hole in it (there’s a tip for any of you wandering off to Roma – check the merchandise before you walk away), we wandered up Via Del Circo Massimo, enjoying the impressive view of ... [More]
Today, we had one simple mission: To cast a vote. The Victorian state election was on Saturday, and we’d decided that rather than vote at the airport on our way out of Australia, we’d explore Roma and find the local Australian Consulate and exercise our democratic rights there. So we set out to find it, ... [More]
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Want to buy an umbrella?
We woke up early, around 5am, and watched CNN for a bit. During our stay in Italy, this was the easiest way of catching up with the news, at least all the big world news. Getting it from the Italian news services was a bit dodgy with my Italian vocabulary, which was (and still is) ... [More]
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Roma
Around half past six in the morning we landed in Roma (Rome). There was a looooong queue at immigration for all of us poor sods without EU passports. Actually a number of long queues, a bit like at McDonalds where you never know which one will move fastest, and which one will split into two ... [More]
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Europe here we come!
After dashing around like maniacs making sure everything was packed, we left the house around 2pm and zoomed up the Tullamarine eventually-to-be-a-tollway to the airport. The good people at the car parking place couldn’t find our reservation, and reckoned we’d been quoted the wrong price. But they grudgingly allowed the quoted price, and took the ... [More]
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Jetsetting
Discussion over lunch last Thursday… DT: So, why are you going to Italy? DB: My wife’s learning Italian. DT: Well, there’s no better place to learn Italian. Apart from Lygon Street perhaps. DB: You’re right! Lygon Street! Cancel the tickets, we’re going to Lygon Street! DT: Lygon Street has it all. DB: Apart from the ... [More]
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Jet setting again
The spring holiday plans almost got unstuck last week, when it became apparent that having left it until only a few weeks before departure without booking the tickets was a pretty stupid idea. Fact is, any school holidays you’d care to mention, some flights get booked solid. And when I waltzed into Flight Centre in ... [More]
We spent some of the weekend down at Phillip Island. Why? Well, to get out of the city, see some countryside, watch the famous penguins waddle up the beach, that sort of thing. Also as a practice run for being away from home with the kids – we’ve got a three week family trip to ... [More]
Yesterday, just for something different, and as part of our pledge to see more of our own country before we go off gallanting around the world again (like last month), we drove all the way around Port Philip Bay. Yes, I know technically speaking it’s called Port Philip, but let’s not get too caught up ... [More]
I’m baaaack! Actually I’m back a bit early. Just in time to put up with the dying gasps of the last few days of the election on Saturday (my local member really expects me to vote him back in with THAT beard and no moustache?!?), and no hot water or gas cooking because of a ... [More]
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Home! Woo hoo!
From Singapore the plane continued south, symbolically inching its way across the map on the TV screens towards home, as well as actually inching its way across the planet towards home. When the map wasn’t on we got to see various movies and TV shows, but what caught my eye was news from home. I ... [More]
Finally flying home. The Qantas crew seemed just a bit more cheerful than any of the British Airways ones I’d had. Maybe it was just that kind of friendly barbecue atmosphere that can pop up anywhere when a bunch of Australians get together and there’s a good supply of alcohol. After the late-night supper they ... [More]
It was my last day in London, and time to start seriously thinking about getting something by way of souvenirs for all of my family waiting for me back home. There’s a very easy and cheap personalised souvenir you can get for yourself in London. All you need is a passport-sized photo. Just go to ... [More]
I woke just in time to wish Wayne good luck with the first day of his teaching job for the week – as a substitute teacher at a school in Hackney. I don’t know much about Hackney except from some mentions in a TV sitcom which led me to believe it was a pretty rough ... [More]
Before breakfast I ventured out to find a phone box to phone home. The great thing about phoning home from a phone box in Britain is that if you’re short on cash, or you pay the home phone bill anyway and you want to save some money, you can be called back. The phone number ... [More]