April

We celebrated April Fool’s Day with Ian, down at Ziloufs where he was having his birthday party. Alas nobody went along with the request to come dressed as a rabbit. The cocktails were flowing freely and we had some good yarns with all the usual gang. Old Fashioneds were definitely the sponsor of that night. After the gang headed off to a gig down at the Relentless Garage we decided to pike upstairs with a few hangers on and polish off a few more drinks in the luxury of our own lounge.

After the resounding success that was Yum Cha we decided to have another go at. This time we were joined by Tree (who was in NZ last time) and Perry, who couldn’t make it last time either. Anna alas had to work but we made a point of eating plenty to make up for her not being there. This one fortunately didn’t turn into a session of afternoon drinking as Perry and Tree both had to go home and do some marking, being teachers and all. Perry never quite got to his but that is a story for a later blog entry…

It being time to take Iceberg for another spin, we took the longest trip yet with a drive up to Sheffield to finally see Rae. We had only been in the UK two years after all…Other than some questionable directions from TomTom on the way up the drive was easy and we arrived in Sheffield earlier than we had expected. We caught up over a cup of tea with Rae before turning in. The next morning Rae took us a bit south to the Peaks District for some walking and sightseeing. We were a bit surprised at the lack of “Peaks” in the Peaks District, it being more a series of rolling hills but it was still good to get some country air and check out all the crazy rock formations over the hills which climbers were energetically clambering over. The weather was also brilliant. Blue skies and not too cold. Excellent for walking. After a tasty lunch and a drive around the area Rae took us for a walk through the forest, hoping to see the bluebells. Alas it was still too early but we still got another good walk over some farmland in before heading back for a tasty dinner cooked by Rae and a movie before a well earned sleep. After a full English breakfast cooked by Rae the following morning we said our farewells and drove into Sheffield to have a look around. The town itself had obviously had a lot of money invested in it over time and it was really nice and relaxed. We spent some time wandering around the Winter Garden, which is a massive greenhouse in the middle of town before doing a bit of shopping and investing in some good knives for when we travel around Europe in our van. The weather was again really good so we drove a little bit out of the centre of town and parked up in Sheffield’s botanical gardens for a lunchtime picnic and reading on the grass and catching some sun. It was then time to pack up the van again and head back to London.

The rest of April was busy too but our adventures get their own separate blogs…

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March

It was a sad start to March. Christchurch had just been rocked by the second major earthquake in six months. This one had devastated the city centre and many suburbs. It was certainly a time for soul searching for a lot of Kiwi’s in London, unable to do anything for their friends and family in NZ. To show our support and solidarity we attended a service held at Westminster Cathedral. There were thousands of people there and we were lucky to get to even be inside, although we couldn’t see much. There was singing by Hayley Westenra and a performance by a Kapa Haka group as well as various readings. Money was also raised and it was good to share time with other Kiwis at this sad event.

We had driven the Iceberg around a bit but had never really taken it for a good spin, so one weekend in early March we packed ourselves in and jumped on the motorway out east down into Kent where we visited the seaside town of Whitstable. Although the snow was now a thing of the past it was still pretty darn cold so it was hats and coats all around. Being at the seaside we thought it only fitting that we indulge in some fresh fish and chips (as opposed to the stuff of questionable age you get in London.) We wandered down to the waterfront and found a place that was selling fresh fish one side and cooked fish and chips on the other. We downed our prawns and scampi and then went for a wander along the beach. It was good to see some weatherboard houses too. Very reminiscent of NZ.We could definitely see how Whitstable would be a nice place to come and hangout in summer even if the temperature was a bit on the brisk side today.

We managed to catch up with Mary-Anne for her 30^th birthday. We hadn’t really been out in the city before so it was good to get out amongst all the suits at the wine bars. We also caught up with Monique and, as is obligatory at these events, met some more Kiwis in London.

Iceberg’s next trip was again out east, this time to Hornchurch in Essex. Kate and David had snuck off to NZ and gotten married so it was time for them to have a wedding shindig back in the UK. David’s parents had graciously lent them the use of their huge house in Romford for the celebrations. The whole gang were there and David’s parents had put on an amazing spread of food and drink for all the guests. Mr & Mrs Smith were looking stunning in their wedding attire and it was good to meet some of Kate and David’s friends, family and workmates. We had decided to make the most of Iceberg being a campervan so there was no need to find our way back to London. That meant we could eat, drink and dance well into the early hours of the morning before eventually making our way back to bed in the van for a great nights sleep. A few people had stayed at Kate and David’s and were looking a bit rough in the morning but David’s patented bagels with bacon soon put an end to that. It was then a slow and easy drive back into London.

March was also the month were we ourselves had tied our nuptials and it was time to celebrate our third wedding anniversary. We decided to do it in style this year with afternoon tea at the Ritz. We had booked one of the later spots so the tea also doubled as dinner. Good thinking eh? We were all dressed up in our best clothes as it was silver service and a string quartet. Very posh. We each had a glass of champagne before selecting our pots of tea and tucking in to the scones, cucumber sandwiches and cakes on offer. It was lucky we had gone for the dinner slot because the food and the tea just kept coming and we certainly had had our fill by the end of it all. The food was good but not quite on par with what we had at the Queen’s Garden Party. We couldn’t help but feel a little bit cheesy along with all the other tourists who were having tea too, but one must do these things when one has the opportunity.

Iceberg got yet another trip our east in March. This time to Epping Forest. This time we managed to get there without getting lost (this was not the first time we had tried.) As always it was good to get out to nature and have a wander around in the Woods. Epping Forest is an old hunting ground for the Tudors and so as well as the trees and walks it is also the site of Queen Elizabeth I’s hunting cottage. After some tasty bacon sandwiches cooked up in the Iceberg we went for a visit to Liz’s cottage. It was all decked out with fake food and armour etc and we couldn’t help but feel a little bit silly but the kids who were there seemed to be enjoying themselves.

March is certainly the month for weddings. As mentioned in previous posts, Jen and Liam had also tied the knot in Canada while they had been away at Christmas, so it was their turn to host a wedding party. This time it was a bit closer to home,down in Shoreditch in a fancy room above a pub which they had decked out in a not so weddingy, but very Jen and Liamy red and black. We made the most of the food, drink and company on offer before getting in a few more dance moves and catching the last Overground back to Islington.


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February

We started out February with some of the Chinese New Year celebrations in Chinatown. We went and saw a Chinese Lion which brings good luck to all of the shops and restaurants. It goes from shop to shop, dancing along the way and at each doorway it gobbles up a lettuce. As long as you feed him a lettuce he will bring you good luck. It was pretty packed as everyone wanted to see the Lion and there were times we couldn’t actually move. You come to expect that at any big event in London though.

For Waitangi Day we decided to have New Zealanders around to our house for some Kiwi As celebrations. We decorated the lounge with all of our expired NZ calendars and Scarface and R2 D2 even got in on the act. All the usual suspects came around. We invited some non-NZers but Liam was the only one game to show. Time was passed with some headbands, some circle of death, some NZ tunes, some Tongan Ninja and Marcus even managed to score himself a free haircut from cuz Beverley. Chur.

Soon thereafter Marcus settled himself into his 30s by turning 31. On the day of his birthday Jess took him out for a secret surprise dinner at 13 the Jamie Oliver Restaurant in Old Street that he did a TV show about where he took kids who were failing at school etc and made them successful as chefs. It is still staffed that way. We had a tasty meal of Italian food. Mamma Mia! Wasn’t he lucky?

He sure was because that weekend he got to go out with all his friends for Yum Cha. It is common in Wellington but there aren’t many places in London that do it with Trolley’s and everything. There was a big group, which is the best way to do Yum Cha because it meant we all got to order random things and eat plenty. After that we stopped in for a drink at the Dutch Bar in Chinatown (not sure how that works but it does) and then it was everyone back to our place again for some more drinking and shenanigans. Although early start meant early finish which is all good for the old man hangover.

February also brought a new addition to the McMillan household. We bought ourselves a 2001 Peugeot Boxer Campervan in anticipation of travelling around Europe. We duly christened him the Iceberg. He is big, white and, with Marcus driving, there is a good chance he will crash into things. Can’t wait to take him for a proper spin.

The next week was one we had been waiting for for a while. Marcus had managed to score tickets to the NME Big Gig at Wembley Arena which was being headlined by the Foo Fighters!! Dave Grohl had won an NME Rock Legend award the week prior so this was his chance to prove that to the crowd there in a one off show. As Liam and Jen had recently gotten married in Canada in an unplanned ceremony we decided we would take them with us as our guests. We met them for some tasty Nepalese food before the concert then made our way to our seats to check out the pre-acts which were Band of Horses some cowboy rockers from the US and Cee-Lo Green of “Crazy Fame”, which Liam was even more excited about seeing than the Foos. He is a pretty talented singer but that is one seriously fat man. We were all warmed up by the time the Foos came on and they were awesome. Dave Grohl is a rock god, along with the rest of the band. It was particularly surprising to see Pat Smear, who has not been in the Foo Fighters for a number of years, back in the band again. They played all their awesome songs, including a few new ones from their new album which we hadn’t heard. It was great fun to have a night of sweaty headbanging to such an entertaining band and we were sorry when it all had to end. We certainly enjoyed ourselves even if the typical London crowd was too cool to rock out.

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January

It was still pretty cold when we arrived back in London so we didn’t get up to too much in the first part of January. We went for a visit to Alexandra Palace, expecting it to be a Palace but when we got there it turned out it was in fact more of an events centre which had been built in the 1800s and had since fallen on hard times. It was the North London equivalent of the Crystal Palace, which had unfortunately burnt to the ground many years ago. Run down is a bit of an understatement for Alexandra Palace but it was still nice to get out on a cold winter’s day and see somewhere new.

We managed to catch up with Robin and Mary in Belsize Park for lunch. It was good seeing them and finding out their plans with a wee baby on the way. Robin had been running like a madman too with his aim to tackle the Berlin marathon later in the year.

January is of course the month of Jess’ birthday, however Marcus hardly even got to see Jess on her actual birthday. This was because it happened to coincide with Kate’s Hen’s party and Jess had decided she would enjoy Kate’s party and then have her own party the next day. After some Japanese and dancing in Shoreditch before coming home in surprisingly good shape. The next day we wandered around to the Lord Clyde pub on Essex Road for pub lunch and drinks with friends. We had been there once before and had a nice meal, but this time was excellent. The service was good, the food was good, the drinks were good and the company was good. We spent all afternoon there but eventually had to leave as Marcus was taking Jess out to see We Will Rock You!, a musical featuring the songs of Queen by Ben Elton and Bryan May. The plot was wafer thin but it was all still very entertaining and you couldn’t help but sing along a bit to one Queen song after another.

Our flatmate Andy is from Manchester, and he had managed to get us some new couches for our flat, the old ones having passed their best before dates some time ago. Unfortunately the new couches were in Manchester, so Marcus and Jess hired a van and drove up to Manchester for the weekend. Andy’s mum Wendy put them up with accommodation, which was a good deal for her because she got to have the couches moved out of her garage. After dropping the van off at her place we got the train into Manchester and went for a wander around. Manchester is an odd place. The centre of the city got blown to bits by an IRA bomb in the mid 90’s so it has all been rebuilt in a modern style, whereas the area surrounding it is a bit more run down and older. It is not really a place for site seeing. Manchester is more about what is the latest cool thing on the scene. We checked out an alternative market, a bit like James Smiths Market in Wellington, only much bigger. Wandered around the town centre. Had some local ale and then treated ourselves to a very nice Chinese Meal at Manchester’s mini China Town, renowned for good Chinese food and it didn’t disappoint. The next day we drove back to London with the couches secured in the back of the van and set up the lounge with its brand new furniture.

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Aalborg, Germany & Salzburg

Our longest trip so far started with an early finish at work and a trip on the tube out to Heathrow. Heathrow was pretty busy at the time and there had been snow during the day in London but we got away on time without too much fuss on our flight to Copenhagen. Turns out we were pretty lucky because by the following morning Heathrow airport (along with many others in the UK) was closed due to snow and didn’t open again for a number of days. Copenhagen airport was covered in snow so our flight from Copenhagen airport to Aalborg was a bit delayed bit delayed but after they sprayed down the planes we were away and landed in Aalborg, making our way by taxi through the falling snow to eventually arrived at Ann’s apartment before making it off to bed somewhat later than originally planned.

If we thought the snow was going to let up overnight there was no chance. After a hearty breakfast of blueberry pancakes (with winter spices) prepared by Ann we suited ourselves up in all of our winter gear so that Ann could take us on a tour of the town she currently called home. Ann’s apartment was near the Fiord so she took us down through the knee deep snow to the edge of the Fiord where we saw people’s boats frozen into place at the marina. The snow was still coming down pretty heavy and the wind was blowing around so we had to make sure our scarves were up to the task of keeping the cold out of our faces. Aalborg is a relatively small city, not much bigger than Lower Hutt, so the city centre was relatively compact. It being Christmas time, there was a traditional Danish Christmas Market for us to visit (the first of many markets on this holiday.) There were rides for the kids and food and drink for the adults as well as all of the typical stuff to buy. No sign of Santa Klaus today though. Ann also took us around the building where her doctor resides, which also happens to be a historical Aalborg building complete with swan motifs. We carried on through the town, checking out some of the local shops and then stopped for lunch at a quaint little café. We left Ann to do some shopping after lunch and went to check out some historical ruins of a monastery. Now these ruins had been built over by the middle of the town so there was no chance of being able to view them from the surface. How had they gotten around this problem? They just built the museum underground. You pay 2 Euro, you enter an elevator standing non-descriptively on a street and in true Get Smart style you are down in the museum where you can show yourself around. After that we want for a wander around the shopping mall to warm ourselves up a little. Aalborg used to be a very industrial town, but over time the industry has closed down and left a number of large warehouse spaces which the citizens of Aalborg have put to use as exhibition spaces, climbing walls and other such things. Ann took us around Nordkraft where we saw all that sort of thing in an old steel factory. Then we went down to the Fiord again where Ann took us around a building which had been designed by Jorn Utzon (the guy who designed the Sydney Opera House). Again it was a combination restaurant, art and conference space. By this time it was very dark and had been a long day so we made our way into the centre of town again where Ann took us to a nice French restaurant (past the notorious Jomfru Ane Gade) where we had a leisurely tasty steak dinner and Marcus sampled some of the local Aquavit.

The next morning we arose and made our way down to the bus stop which took us to the outskirts of town to Lindholm Hoje which is the site of the world’s largest Viking cemetery and museum. The snow as even thicker out that way but we trudged through determined to get there. We stopped and talked to the Viking sheep along the way before discovering that we were the only people crazy enough to head out in the thick snow to the museum. We basically had the whole place to ourselves. It was pretty interesting, talking all about Vikings and the area and all of the archaeological finds that have been had in relation to them. Then we tramped back outside again to have a look at the Viking cemetery. We did have to use our imagination a little bit because the cemetery itself was covered two feet and snow so you had to watch were you were walking but you could see depressions around where the graves were all marked by stones. The local boys decided it was much more fun to use the hills around the graves as slopes for their sleds and skis. We managed to find the right bus back to Aalborg where we had a last look around the town and made our way back to Ann’s place where she had prepared us a nice roast dinner. After filling ourselves it was an early night to bed.

The next day we bid thanks to our host and headed off to get the plane to Berlin. More snow delays meant it took us a bit longer than we had planned but we made it to Berlin only a couple of ours late and managed to find the correct bus which took us all the way to our hostel. Berlin felt even colder than Aalborg had so we were thankful of the easy find. It was across the road from Berlin’s original main train station, although now only the front wall of it is left. The hostel was huge, having been built inside an old convent, with a big communal area on the ground floor and lots of bedrooms upstairs. We got very familiar with the main train station as Marcus spent some time remedying his leaving the train tickets for the rest of the trip back in London but it all got sorted and we made our way back to the hostel which was just down the road from our next Christmas Market at the Potzdamer Platz. This one was even more Christmassy than the one in Aalborg with lights and stalls and all manner of things for you to buy. A bratwurst and gluhwein for dinner followed by Schneeballen and we were happy. The cold meant it wasn’t a late night though so we head back to the hostel and curled up nice and warm in our beds.

It was no warmer the next day, but we didn’t let that deter us. We made our way into East Berlin to the platz the site of another Christmas market. This one was even bigger than the last one. We wandered around, indulged in some of the food and generally got into the Christmas spirit. Jess had heard Berlin was a good city for shopping and her London bought boots just weren’t cutting it in the snows of Denmark and Germany, so she made her way around many a shoe store looking for boots that fit and looked the part. After checking out the stores, while Marcus kept himself amused checking out the neighbourhoods around them she finally found a pair that she liked. After much walking (ironically) we were knackered so it was time for another early night.

Our last day in Berlin was dedicated to checking out the sites (at least as many as you fit into one day). Our hostel was very close to where the wall had been so we found a section of the original wall which was still standing before checking out the Gestapo museum. It was a very heavy exhibition but done in such a way that you really got a feeling for how some people had suffered under Nazi rule. We crossed over Checkpoint Charlie, which without all the wall etc around it just felt a bit weird, and then carried on down through the old government centre. We stumbled across another Christmas Market, this time in the Heugonaut district. It therefore had a decidedly French feel to it with classy Christmas decorations and treats. We carried on up to Bebelplatz, the site of Hitlers infamous book burning and then made our way back down Unter den Linden to the Brandenburg Gate, the spiritual centre of what is Berlin. A quick trip across to the German Parliament and then back via the Jewish Memorial. Hundreds of stone blocks of varying heights which take up a whole square. Just nearby, with no signs other than a tiny plaque is a car park which is also the site of the bunker where Hitler was holed up when he committed suicide towards the end of the war. Considering the German’s are so prepared to face their horrendous past it seems odd that you could pass this site without even knowing it was there. Nice though. Wouldn’t want it becoming a shrine. After warming up ourselves again at the hostel we made our way out via the S-Bahn to another stretch of the wall, this time across the river called the East Side Gallery. This stretch is much larger than the one we had previously visited and has been decorated with all sorts of murals depicting various things, but many along the theme of unity. We made our way back to the hostel where we found a nearby restaurant that met all of our food and drink needs before tucking ourselves up in bed with a day well spent.

It was an early rise the next morning before heading off on the bus to the train station to cash in the first of those tickets we had spent the afternoon re-acquiring. We shared a table with an elderly German couple who didn’t speak a word of English but were happy to share their cake with us nonetheless. We arrived in Nuremberg just after lunch time and made our way to our funky little hotel, which was a cool old building with an Elk theme. It was then off to one of the events we had been looking forward to the most the Nurembergerweinachtsmarkt (yes, another Christmas Market, but this time the biggest and best.) We were hungry after our long train trip so found ourselves some Nurembergbratwurst and tucked in, senf and all. Very tasty and that kept us going as we travelled the various red and white striped stalls throughout the market (jammed in with all the other tourists too). We continued into some of the side markets where we checked out the Krippen (Nativity scenes) before making our way back to main market for the arrival of the Christkind. In Bavaria Santa Claus (locally known as the Weinachtsmann) isn’t the one who brings the presents to the children, rather it is the Christkind who comes around bringing her Christmas cheer. It is complicated, but essentially it is Catholic vs Protestant thing, with the Christkind being the Catholic. As the darkness came on we wandered further up the market into the food area and through town to check out all the lights. It was the last night that the market was open as it closed mid-afternoon on Christmas Eve, the next day. Turns out one of the best places in the area for getting authentic local food was the hotel in which we were staying so we enjoyed having wurst and schnitzel downstairs washed down with a big glass of Kitzmann (the beer from the town closest to where Marcus lived in Germany in 1996-1997.)

The next day was Christmas eve. It had warmed up considerably since our time in Aalborg and Berlin. This made it more comfortable as we wandered around the streets of Nuremberg, exploring the town. We went to have a look at the Burg, but unfortunately it was closed so we had to settle for having a look around outside. It was still nice to wander the streets and check out all the pretty houses and buildings. We made a last trip back to market to pick up all sorts of goodies. We didn’t want to be going hungry on Christmas. Once we were done there was no risk of that. After about 1pm the town started looking a bit empty, with shops closing up and all the locals heading home to see their families. It became a case of zombie tourists looking around for things to do. Us included. Unfortunately the warmer weather also meant that all of the snow had dried up so the chances of a white Christmas were starting to look slim. However, as the afternoon wore on and after coming across a random nativity scene with animals (real ones) all standing around looking cold, the snow started coming down and boy did it come down. It was making up for lost time and by the time we got back to the hotel there was a good couple of inches on the ground. Would it be there tomorrow though? These good little boys and girls made sure that they had an early night, even though in Germany everyone stays up till midnight and celebrates then.

We awoke on Christmas morning to discover the snow had continued through the night and it didn’t look like it was going to let up any time soon either so there was now a good foot of snow everywhere. After opening our presents we were pleased to see that there was still food at the hotel for breakfast and after some general lazing around decided to go for a wander through the snow. The streets were largely empty (other than the odd zombie tourist) and the shops were all looking very shut. We were worried it might be Pizza Hutt or McDonalds for Christmas dinner. No worries because it was Christmas, as proper as Christmas can get, no spray on snow here. After an obligatory afternoon snooze we went for another walk on the off chance that we would find some food, and as luck would have it we found an authentic German restaurant serving authentic German cuisine, and not just German, but Frankish (the region we were staying in). We got stuck into our Knodel, Duck, Deer and Kraut all washed down with a big Stein of Tucher and we couldn’t have been happier.

After our successful Christmas Day we were on the train again on Boxing Day, this time to Munich. We had in mind the train we were going to take but arrived early at the station so thought we would try our luck with another one. This did not prove to the best plan in the world as although our train was going to Munich the weather was so cold that halfway through the trip the wheels froze up and we ended up having to take a train back before swapping onto another way. At least we weren’t in the UK because it sounded like nothing was working there. We arrived in Munich and dropped our bags at the hostel (which luckily wasn’t far) before heading off down the main street to see what was going on. We stopped in at the St Michael's Church which is an old gothic church which houses the remains of King Ludwig II (the mad one who built all the castles and his relatives. It was pretty cold again so we made sure to stop in at one of the many beer halls surrounding the Marienplatz. We then continued on past the end of the main part of town and up towards the Maximillianeum, a large semi-circular building which houses the Bavarian Parliament. It was by this stage getting late and colder so we made our way back to the hostel for an early night.

The next morning we were up early again for a trip around the town some more. We started with a visit to the Frauenkirche, with its onion shaped domes and all manner of people buried inside. We stopped in quickly to St Peterskirche which has a notorious square where the devil stamped and left his mark. We didn’t climb the tower because we had to head outside to get a spot to see the world famous Glockenspiel. Much like the clock in Prague we were left feeling under whelmed but took photos and a video all the same. With that behind us we hunted around Munich for more to do and decided to pay a visit to the Residenz, a huge palace situated right in the middle of Munich. Just walking around you wouldn’t even realise it was there. Depending on whether you go morning or afternoon depends on what part of the palace you get to see. We spent a couple of hours wandering around getting a feel for how Bavarian royalty had lived it up over the years and eventually entered into decline. After all that history and walking we were ready for something to eat. One of the most famous places in Munich is of course the Hofbrauhaus, a massive beer hall famous for various things, including being the founding place of the Nazi party. Marcus had had an average experience the first time he had been, and a better experience the second so it was agreed that they would give it a go. The place is huge, with room after room filled with patrons downing their steins. After eventually finding a table we ordered ourselves some beers. Jess had the big beer and Marcus had the REALLY big beer. After slowly making our way through a few beers and some wurst, kraut and lebekase the sun was set and it was time for us to waddle our way back to the hostel.

We slept in a bit the next morning and having satisfied ourselves that we didn’t have anything more we wanted to see in central Munich we jumped on a train out to Dachau the site of a former Nazi concentration camp just outside of Munich. Marcus had been there before but it was still a grim visit for both of us through the cramped living conditions and reading about all the atrocities which had been committed there. This wasn’t as bad as the extermination camp at Auschwitz but it was still pretty horrifying to think what terrible things people can do to each other, and this was only 60 years ago, within living memory. After spending several hours there that was enough for one day and we made our way back to the hostel for a bite to eat and a lazy afternoon at another beer hall.

We woke a bit tired the next day after bed bugs attacks and noisy neighbours through the night, but we still made it with plenty of time for our train to Fussen, so called because it sits at the feet (or “Fussen”) of the mountains. The snow had been falling thick here, but luckily had eased by the time we arrived. It was really nice to be in a small town again, and a pretty one, if not a little bit touristy. We went for a wander around the old town, checking out the pretty painted buildings and parks. We thought we were stopping in an authentic local restaurant, however it turned out it was an “authentic medieval” local restaurant, complete with costumed waiters and axes on the walls. Our food was filling, if not a little bit messier than we had planned. After another trip around the town we made our way back to our lodgings. We call it lodgings because it was more of a Bed and Breakfast than a hostel and the room we were in had probably been a hallway at some stage. Handy to be able to get from your bed to the shower in one step though…

The next day we set off on the main reason why we had come to Fussen. We jumped on the local bus which took us up into the mountains a bit to visit the sites of the Mad King of Bavaria, Ludwig II’s castles Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein. Hohenschwangau is the familial home of Ludwig II’s ancestors and the place he grew up. It is situated on one side of the valley with a beautiful lake in between. The place was teeming with tourists but we managed to get our tickets and make it up to the gold coloured Hohenschwangau in time for our tour where we learned the history of the family and saw all of their furniture set out in each of the rooms and saw things like the secret passages and majestic murals. We then had some time to kill where we hiked our way up the steep road to the other side of the valley to see Neuschwanstein, the inspiration for the Disneyland Castle. We were tempted to succumb to the urge to jump on one of the horse and carts going up the hill but at tourist prices we managed to restrain ourselves. We had seen Neuschwanstein at a distances from the other side of the valley, but unfortunately by the time we got up to it the cloud had rolled in and we could barely see the wall in front of us, let alone the towers and spires above us. It was a bit like Lantau Island all over again. However, we were there and we still enjoyed the tour of the castle where they explained that it was barely ¼ finished due to Ludwig II having spent all of his family’s money and then being declared insane and taken away before dying in mysterious circumstances the following day. The rooms he had completed were certainly grandiose though with plenty of gold and amazing murals and tapestries all over the inside of the rooms we did see. They were largely based on the theme of Wagner’s operas. Ludwig II was a big fan and friend of Wagner. Having had enough castle time we finished the day thinking that perhaps a fresco in the ceiling of the living room wasn’t such a bad idea after all…

It was New Years Eve the next day and so we were back on the train again to Munich, but this time we didn’t stop there. We changed trains and crossed the border into Austria for a visit to Salzburg. The first time we had gone back to a country that we had already visited on this trip. If the many people on the train carrying crates of beer was anything to go by we weren’t the only ones planning on spending New Years in Salzburg either. After getting a bit lost on the way to our hotel we managed to find it and then had a wander around town thinking perhaps we should have booked somewhere to have dinner. Eventually we did find somewhere that was overpriced but at least it filled our bellies (and emptied our wallets…) before wandering across the river into the Altstadt to have a wander around and see what was going on for New Years. Although it was very cold the Gluhwein kept us going and it was good to see that there was a free concert which had been put on as well. There were markets and food stalls and overall a nice mellow evening was being had by everyone. It was good fun checking out what was going on and see how the locals see in the New Year. We managed to stay up until midnight and a local girl we got talking to told us that once New Years rolls around it was tradition to Waltz together. A bit posher than Auld Lang Sine. Our waltz was a bit pitiful, but at least we tried and nobody tried to tell us what to do like when we did dance lessons before getting married. After finshing our waltz and wandering around some more we managed to negotiate our way through the other New Year’s tradition, random fireworks being set off in the street, and made it back to our hotel with all of our eyes intact.

The last day our trip was spent having a look at the old town by daylight. Salzburg is the birthplace of Mozart so we thought it only fitting to take in some of the local Mozart attractions. We were staying just down the road from the house Mozart had lived in as an adult. It was now a museum which featured details of his music and aspects of his life. It was pretty cool for us non-musos to see the different parts of his music and how they interacted with his life at the time. It was certainly a spacious place that he had lived. It was then across the river and into Mozart’s birth house. The place his parents had lived when he was born. Again, pretty spacious. They were not exactly poor. This was the more popular attraction so much time was spent trying to fight other visitors just to see the exhibits which consisted of music, as well as things like combs and clothing and instruments. Marcus had had fond memories of last time he had been in Salzburg in 1997 when he visited the Burg (fort) on the hill above the town. Accordingly he took Jess up there again so that she could also have fond memories. Alas the quality of the Burg has deteriorated significantly in the 15 years since the last visit. What was originally a guided tour is now an audioguide tower where you have to go around with a group. You can’t even go at your own pace. This means that all 20 people in the group are all trying to look at the same thing at the same time. The quality of the audioguide is not exactly top notch either. Suffice to say, Burg is definitely not a must see anymore. After the disappointment of the Burg we needed something to cheer our spirits. We were in Austria so cake and coffee really were obligatory. We managed to find a place that served all manner of cakes including something we had been dying for all trip, Apfel Strudel. This, luckily, did not disappoint. We had our fill and tummies full wandered back to the hotel for an afternoon nap. With our last night on the trip it was time for one last dinner out. We headed our early to avoid disappointment and managed to find a place serving authentic Austrian cuisine. It was heaving with patrons but the were able to fit us in on a table shared with a few others. A hearty dinner with some more kraut, knodel and pork shoulders left us very full. Marcus did his best speaking to the neighbouring people who were there with their grandson from Germany (he thinks) and we finished our holiday satisfied.

https://picasaweb.google.com/JessicaLMcMillan/DenmarkAndGermanyDecember2010

November/December

Guy Fawkes (or Bonfire Night) is celebrated in London at the start of November with a series of big fireworks displays around the city. With the assistance of George we managed to get ourselves onto a river cruise from which to watch the fireworks. We met with our friends at Westminster pier not quite sure which of many boats was ours. However, after some trial and error we made it onto the correct one and managed to stoke out a good (but chilly) possie on the top deck. The boat trundled its way past a lit up Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament as well as Battersea Power Station till we reached Battersea Park. They even fed us along the way. We were certainly pleased of our spot when the fireworks started as we had a virtually unobscured view of what was going on. Even better than the residents of Chelsea on the opposite shore. The boat then slowly made its way back up the river to drop us off, sufficiently impressed but also sufficiently cold to need to head home and defrost ourselves.

It was also time to say goodbye to another pair of flatmates. This time it was Lauren and Jeremy who were heading back to Australia. Moving in to replace them were Andy and Camille who were the people we had taken the room from when we had first moved into the flat. Things had come full circle for them.

November was when we made our first trip to a London Club (yes we are lame). It was Proud Camden which is in the old stables at Camden Lock. Pretentious doesn't begin to describe it, but that was OK because we were celebrating Kate and Tree's 30th birthdays in 50s style. Jess was looking sweet in pink and white stripey dress and Marcus was looking cool with his slicked back hair. The place was packed but it was good to catch up with everyone. We wondered what was happening when the woman with a snake showed up but the party continued well into the night.

We also made it back out to the O2 Centre in Greenwich. This time to see one of the biggest acts of the moment, Gorillaz. The members of the band are cartoon characters but unlike previous times the band has toured, this time they actually had all the people out on stage singing and playing. There were loads of guests, some we had heard of and some we had not. Little Dragon was one of the better ones and although De La Soul were an hour and a half late they made their presence known when they did show up and jumped around the stage full of energy. Not the best concert we have been to but was still a good night out.

We managed to score ourselves tickets to a special screening of the latest Harry Potter movie at the Imax. We weren't sure why it was special but when we got there there were people dressed up in all the wizarding gear including what appeared to be professional actors as Hagrid and Professor McGonagal. It was good to see what all the Imax fuss was about too.

We lost even more flatmates in November with our kiwi flatties Bex and Riki finishing up their Visas and heading back to NZ. A traditional last meal at Ziloufs was in order as well as having some people around for some, surprisingly, subdued drinks.

By December the cold weather had well and truly set in again but that didn't stop us heading down to Borough Market. Still as delightful and tasty as it was last time we wandered around picking up various delicacies so that we could cook them up for a flat Christmas dinner. As nobody was actually going to be around on actual Christmas we had to settle for having it at the start of the month but in typical fashion we ate (far too much), drank and were merry as well as hanging tinsel and decorations around the flat. It was also a good way to get to know our new flatmates, with the flat having basically changed completely in the previous month.

More Christmas celebration was in order with a trip after to work to Winter Wonderland, in Hyde Park with Ian and Amy. It was pretty darn cold so we made the most of the mulled wine and the bratwurst (and the giant singing tree?) before beating a hasty retreat back to the flat.

Snow arrived in London towards the middle of December. It caused massive trouble for travellers with Heathrow and many of the other airports and train routes being closed for days. Luckily we got out the night before it all went down, on our biggest trip yet. This time to Denmark, Germany and Austria....

https://picasaweb.google.com/JessicaLMcMillan/November2010 
https://picasaweb.google.com/JessicaLMcMillan/December2010

Vienna

It was a city new to both of us for our next trip to the continent. This time Vienna, the romantic capital of Austria. We arrived early on Friday morning, as the city was just awakening so things were looking pretty quiet. We hadn't done much research on this one so just decided to go for a wander through the city. It was like other European cities but you could tell everything was grander with more money. The buildings were big and well kept, the streets were clean and the people were well dressed. There was plenty of fur around and Marcus had to work hard to keep Jess away from it. In the main square Marcus introduced Jess to Leberkase. We also checked out the beautiful grounds of the Hofburg and parks surrounding it, including a meeting with Mozart and a Woodpecker. We continued our meandearing around the Ring Road, which surrounds the inner city of Vienna, checking out more of the grand state buildings and churches before wandering back into town for a sit down at one of the many cake and coffee houses for some very tasty baked delights. After all of that walking we put our feet up for a while before venturing out after dark to find somewhere to eat, where we indulged in Wiener Schnitzel, Pork, Sauerkraut and Knodel. After making a token effort to walk dinner off we wandered back to our cozy hotel for a good sleep. It was at this point we decided this was not going to be one of those holidays where you lose weight...

We arose early the next monring and after a tasty breakfast made our way to the Stadtpark with its manicured gardens and water features. After meeting up with Strauss we wandered down past the Palais Schwarzenberg till we reached our planned destination, the Naschmarkt. It is situated over the top of a canal and is a combination of food stall markets, restaurants and a flea market. The place was bustling with people so we stopped for some Viennese tea. We then took our time checking out the produce, pastries, meat and other things in the food market and the general random goings on in the flea market. We then wandered back to the main part of town to get something which Jess had been looking forward to since we arrived. The Sacher Tort. The Sacher Tort is a special rich chocolate cake that originates from the Hotel Sacher in the middle of Vienna, a bit like the Ritz in London. We took our seats beneath the sparkling chandelier and proceeded to order our Viennese Tea and Coffee and a slice of Sacher Tort each. It certainly was a rich tasty chocolate cake. Not one for every day consumption though. After heading back to the hotel to put our feet up again we changed our clothes and head back out again, this time taking the Tram out to to the Volksoper (People's Opera House) (we couldn't quite stretch the budget to go to the Staatoper (State Opera House.) After finding a surprisingly excellent pre-opera restaurant (where everything else around was a takeaway) we sat back to enjoy the opera of "Rusalka" by Dvorak. We weren't 100% sure what was going on all the time but in general terms water nymph falls in love with prince but has to give up being nymph to be human and spend time with the prince who eventually falls for someone else. If you have seen the Little Mermaid you know the general story. It was a modern take on an old story but the sets were amazing and the performers did an excellent (if not sometimes confusing) job. We were defintely more cultured for the experience.

The next day we made our way out on the train to Schloss Schonbrunn, a palace similar to Versailles and the historical home of the Austrian royal family. It was full of the standard opulence we had come to expect from touring around these grand palaces. However, as always it was the gardens which were really amazing. It was autumn so there were colourful leaves falling everywhere. The fountains (although not really working) were all very grand with all sorts of crazy carvings in them. The gardens at the back head uphill so when you get to the top you get a great view over the gardens and out into the suburbs of Vienna. There was also a proper hedge maze, with high hedges and twists and turns. We had some fun finding our way through that and the smaller hedge mazes nearby (for the kids...) We slowly made our way back to the main city, checked out of our hotel and then wandered around the city for one last evening. The Staatsoper is still accessable, even if you can't afford a ticket, because they broadcast what is happening inside onto a giant screen outside for all and sundry to enjoy. We made our last visit for some cake and coffee with just enough time to get out to the airport and back to London again.

https://picasaweb.google.com/JessicaLMcMillan/ViennaNovember2010