Chapter 33

Final month, festivities and farewells - Part One

Once we decided to return home to Australia, our calendar started to bulge - plus we had Christmas - so bodies bulging as well!
I had subscribed to many email alerts to get good deals of things happening in London.  One which caught my attention was Swan Lake being performed at Sadlers Wells.  This was a much acclaimed modern interpretation of the classic ballet, so this pas de deus pirouetted off to see it.  Absolutely amazing!  Music brilliant and the "gay" interpretation of the story, interesting.
I needed to explore Regent St and Oxford St again, but when I saw Pip's face, (how "long" is long) about a shopping expedition, we agreed that he would go to the Imperial War Museum and the London Transport Museum while I did this. Better for me as well, as there is not always a "husbands" chair around.  I thought I would employ Santa's little helpers, (my credit cards) for the day!
The winter weather was dealing out some chilly but wonderful sunny days, so we went further into Kent to explore where Pip's mother was born - a seaside village called Faversham.  We went to St Mary's Rd and stood outside #35, the actual house where she entered the world, one in a long row of terraced houses.  After this, we headed about 3km to St Bartholomews in Goodnestone, a simple and unassuming Norman church in a field, where his grandmother was married in 1920.  After here, we went to the cemetery to see where some family members were laid to rest. 

35 St Mary's St

St Bartholomews church

Another trip down memory lane was to return to the home Pip lived in when he was a small child, a place called Chislehurst, again in Kent.

House at Chislehurst

Staying in the area, we visited the Chislehurst Caves, a labyrinth of man made tunnels totalling 35 km, forming an underground maze over 6 hectares, and up to 30m below homes and woodlands.  Originally dug for chalk and flint, it first opened in 1900.  They have been used for munitions storage, concerts, mushroom growing and an underground "town" or air raid shelter protecting over 15,000 people every night during the blitz.  Complete with church, hospital, and a citizens advice bureau!  Some of Pip's family were evacuated here during WW2, so quite pertinent.

Inside the caves (pinched from Web)

A pre-Christmas treat with Pip's cousins was a "White Cliffs of Dover" journey with the leisurely pace of steam travel.  A dozen carriages pulled by two beautifully preserved steam locomotives - "Black Fives - 44871 & 45407, The Lancashire Fusilier".  We enjoyed a five course meal in a wood-panelled Pullman-style dining carriage with a few festive "bevvies"!  Round trip around six hours.

Near the top of our bucket list, was to experience a performance at Royal Albert Hall and what better time than Christmas.   The performance of Carols by Candlelight by a large choir and full orchestra in full 18th century costume was exhilarating, and the music consuming.  We did get the chance to sing as well, a bit daunting in the venue where we have seen DVD concerts of Rod Stewart, Simply Red, Adele and many others perform.........but we made an all out effort, albeit out of key!

Orchestra & choir

Before the show

Ah, then Christmas was upon us......... the time of nibbles, turkey, ham, mince tarts, wine and chocolates.  Not only was the stocking stuffed but we were as well!  The amount of food was as impressive as it was excessive. 
We enjoyed an "Eve" lunch with family and friends at the local pub.

Then it was Santa's big day.  We woke up to the delicious smell of the bird roasting, and the table set for the repast.  The tree was guarding a wealth of gifts which seemed to have grown overnight.  To our amazement, Hamish (cousin's dog) had earlier sniffed under the Xmas tree and had torn the paper from the only present that was addressed to him!  Cleverly, he ignored other gifts containing chocolate.  Clearly, he couldn't wait for everyone else.  It was a wintery day, but we were snug, and so different to Singapore last year! 

 

We headed north in our Rav 4 rental car to Stratford-Upon-Avon to meet up with friends.  The purpose was the season start of the hunt - a traditional Boxing Day event.  Hunting is an issue that divides the country, but Warwickshire has a very strong tradition with this sport dating back to 1791.  We were keen to be a spectator along with about 1000 other people at Upton House to watch them head off over the fields.  Exhilarating! 

 

We went for a walk in our "wellies" and then headed to the pub - only to help stick with tradition, mind!  This was followed by another tradition, "Christmas leftovers" for lunch, but what a great spread!

We then said our sad goodbyes to all the Hawksford family.  They have been wonderful to us, and we can't thank them enough. MWAH!

Lots more festivities and farewells to come.  See you in Part 2 shortly...

Till the next blog.

Love Annie

XX

Chapter 32

Training the Continent.......Part Three - Belgium 

Our train trip from Wurzburg involved two changes, one in Frankfurt and the other in Brussels.  From A to B about five hours with our destination Ghent, Belgium.  Small enough to be cosy, big enough to keep us occupied, plus close enough to places we wanted to explore.
We decided on an apartment this time instead of a hotel, as we were based here for five days.
Ghent is the cultural capital of Flanders and quite eclectic.  Not a big town, the population is only a quarter of a million, but with 297 bars at the last count! 
The town centre has a large part that is car free, which makes strolling around the cobbled streets across rivers and canals a joy, and because the bombs of two world wars didn't cause too much damage, the historical heritage has remained largely intact.

Ghent

Ghent

Ghent

Ghent

"Castle of the Counts", in the heart of the city, was built in 1180 as a residence for the Count of Flanders by Philip of Alsace, and visited by Philip of Canterbury and his wife.  Endless staircases leading up the towers, cold dungeons and huge halls - very impressive. Torture chamber gave us some good ideas!

Castle in Ghent

As everyone knows, there are delicacies you must try while in Belgium - waffles, crepes, beer (10% alcohol) and last but not least, the chocolate. Well, tick, tick, tick and tick. Did that, and all delicious. We are not getting on the scales for two weeks! 

Chocolate Santa

We took a day trip to Antwerp, just under an hour away, where we arrived at Centraal Station.  Dubbed the "Railway Cathedral", it is a landmark of the city.  Built C1900, the interior is lavishly decorated and the platforms are covered by a huge glass and iron vaulted ceiling.  Very impressive.

Inside Antwerp Centraal Station

Looking at Antwerp station

We have been so fortunate with the weather and this day was beautiful and sunny, so wandering through the city was relaxed and interesting as we visited Grote markt - the central square, which in fact is actually triangular shaped, with the huge 16C city hall  on one side.  The Cathedral of Our Lady built in 1400, which is a masterpiece of stone lacework and dominates the skyline.  t'Steen, the 800 year old castle, (or what remains of it), the oldest building in Antwerp.  Groenplatz or green place - one of the most popular squares, with a statue of Rubens - Antwerp's most famous citizen, in the centre.  More Christmas markets around each corner!  
No chestnuts for Pip though.

Antwerp

Antwerp

Next day trip was to Ypres, about an hour and a half away from base.  Local Flemish spelling is "ieper" pronounced "ee-per".
We decided to take a personal tour of Flanders Fields, the generic name for the WW1 battlefields, which include Ypres, Passchendaele and the Somme, to understand better the monumental events of that period of history.  We met Jack, our guide, in the central square of Ypres, and because it was December, there were only three of us on the tour, Pip, myself and a lovely young guy called Tomas.  Jack was a passionate WW1 historian, so he peeled back the layers, to show and talk us through the sites where eight decades ago a generation fell and the world changed forever. 

Canadian memorial garden

Hill 60 trenches - deemed authentic by Jack the driver

We drove through innocent farmland which all those years ago was a desolate wasteland of shell holes, (4.8 million were dropped), bomb shelters and trenches.  It was so flat that Jack had to point out when we were going up any hill at all, and that the Germans managed to secure any land which had any height advantage.
A war poem, "In Flanders Fields", written by John McCrae, a Canadian physician, is one of the most quoted poems from the war.
We visited many cemeteries, all a bit different, but all immaculate.   We asked Jack whether WW1 German cemeteries received minimal visitors (as did the WW2 cemeteries).  He said that this was still the case, although more and more German visitors were starting to come.  Significantly, the German cemeteries are not government-funded and are relatively austere compared with those of the allies which are immaculate. 

British cemetery

British cemetery

British cemetery... German bunker in the foreground

German cemetery

Inscriptions at German cemetery

One headstone read -
"On fame's eternal camping ground, their silent tents are spread"
Again, I thought of my gorgeous nephews, and how different their lives are.  Some of the graves were of 15 year-olds. Unthinkable.  We also learnt how important the Australians were in this region, and it made us very proud!

Cathedral at Ypres

Inside Ypres cathedral

The tour ended at 5pm, but we stayed on in the town to attend a special tribute - the last post - a moving ceremony held every night since 1928, at 8pm at the Menin Gate, a Memorial to the Missing.  Traffic is halted and the crowds gather inside to listen and reflect on the 54,000 still unidentified missing soldiers with no known grave.  It was very moving.

Under the Menin Gate

Last post, then Reveille

The last day trip from Ghent by train was to Brugge, about 40 minutes.  We visited here 37 years ago, but don't remember much about it, so it was good to return.  It was sunny again, but so, so cold!  It's the coldest I have been in ages!  Even the thermals couldn't keep up! 
We decided on a horse and trap ride around the town.  Nice relaxed way to soak up the environment - with a much appreciated fur blanket over us!  The horse was called Tanos, and he did a great job clip clopping over the cobbles.

Beautiful place, but quite busy with tourists.  Again, the City Hall an amazing piece of architecture, as were the canals and cute streets.

Inside City Hall at Brugge

Brugge town square

There were some "interesting" statues in Brugge as well!  Pip was trying to think where he could put one in our garden at home.

Annie lazing by the pool at the end of the day's walking.  Told you it was cold!

Our next and last stop in Belgium, before we headed back to London, was Brussels.  At the station before we boarded the train, we were fascinated by all the bikes. The bike park was nearly as large as the car park!  Now I understand where the term "Park and Ride" comes from!  Very icy seats. 

Some of the bikes parked at station

We chose a central hotel in Brussels, as we only had one full day, with two half days either side to wander and explore.  Coincidentally, all of our accommodation on this European jaunt (Luxembourg, Berlin, Prague, Nuremberg  Ghent and Brussels) has been on the 5th floor.  Brussels is the capital of Belgium, and home to many European and International Institutions (European Commission, European Parliament, NATO etc). There are long boulevards and beautiful parks and a royal grandeur in public buildings.  It is officially a bilingual (French and Flemish) city, so Pip clicked the brain back into French mode! 
In keeping with the French theme we dined at a restaurant called L'Estrille du Vieux Bruxelles.  Excellent fare, quite reasonably priced and tucked down a side path so not a real tourist puller.  We walked home via the central square and watched the Light Show on the buildings.

Light show at Brussels main square

The grand 30 hectare Cinquantenaire Park, and the adjacent horseshoe shaped exhibition complex with the triumphal arch as its centrepiece  was where we stopped to visit Autoworld.  A car museum with a collection of 350 old-timers both European and American from the late 19C to the 1970's.  My Dad was top of mind the whole time I wandered and paused over these immaculate machines. He would have loved to have seen this place! 

Arch of Independence next to Autoworld and Military Museum

Our last day on the continent was relaxed and easy. Time for a last minute soak of Brussels and then off to board the Eurostar back to London.
We have had a "brill" time!  Temperatures while we have been away have been very cold, but we have not raised an umbrella in three weeks!

Till the next blog
Love Annie
Xxx

Chapter 31

Training the Continent..........Part Two - Prague, Nuremberg and Wurzburg.

This time we arrived in daylight, so really nice to cross town to the hotel and catch a glimpse of Prague before it got dark, (4.30pm now)!
The boutique hotel we chose for our visit to Prague was just beautiful.  Built at the end of the 19C, and originally an apartment building, it had a wonderful view over the river and the old part of town. 

View from hotel room

We had hours of research under our belt, so we could make good use of our time in this "City of a Hundred Towers" or "a Thousand Spires" depending on what you have read!  Prague is so beautiful - every church or historical building seems to have spires on them and the pastel colours add to the romance.  We started our sightseeing at the top of the hill where the old fort and castle command a dominant position over the entire city, and worked our way down the hill through churches, basilicas and a quaint cobbled street named Golden Lane - an ancient street with 11 homes built in the 16C for the castle guards, which was taken over by goldsmiths - hence the name. 

Guards at Prague Castle

Basilica at the Castle

Rear of Basilica

 While we were in Prague I celebrated my birthday.  We wanted to eat a typical Czech meal and found a restaurant called Na Zlate Krizovatce. This is what we ate - and I have checked the spelling! 
I had "Vepřová pečeně na rozmarýnu s dušenou bílým zelím a knedlíkem" and Pip had "Kančí guláš s domácími bramboráčky plackami".  Most of you would immediately recognise this as roast pork for me and goulash for Pip!  Lovely white wine from Moravia.  Very difficult language Czech, and we didn't even attempt to speak it, except for our version of Thank you ("děkuji" - "Jay Kwee").

We took the funicular to the top of Petrin Hill, on a day that was bright and sunny and a mild 6 deg.  At the top, is a one quarter scale imitation of the Eiffel Tower.  We took the lift to the top, not the 299 stairs.....price difference, £1!   We then had a great panoramic view over Prague.  

Down the hill afterwards, to have a ride on the #22 tram around the city, a must we were told.  We then walked to the Old Town Square and watched the 600 year old Astronomical clock or Orloj, an iconic symbol of the city, strike on the hour. It consists of three parts, the walk of the apostle - top, the Sphere or Clock Dial - centre, and then the calendar - lower part. Always crowded here!

Wenceslas Square, just around the corner was created in 1348, and is Prague's grand central square, well, more of a boulevard and named after the patron saint of Bohemia.  A statue of Good King Wenceslaus sits at the top looking down the hill on all the fine examples of architecture that line both sides.  Pip and I did not burst into song, but wondered where the "feast of Stephen was" as we were hungry!
At this time of year though, this is the site of one of two main Christmas markets, and yes, another Gluhwein and chestnut hit!

We looked for something different to do, so we attended a Classic Concert at Lobkowicz Palace, where we enjoyed a pianist and a violinist perform works from Dvorak, Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi and Beethoven.  It was good value at AUS$18. The impressive but intimate room with painted stucco ceilings, where it was performed, is just one room in the 17C Palace. Then we walked over Charles bridge, as everyone who ever visits Prague also does.  We were very lucky with the weather in Prague, enjoying sunny, fresh days. Here are some pics of Prague.

Scene of intimate concert

Charles Bridge

 

View of Charles Bridge

Next train journey took us back to Germany, to Nuremberg, around 5 hours.  Along the way were fields and fir forests sprinkled with snow and sparkling in the sun, it was just beautiful.
For dinner we chose a restaurant called Hausbraurei Altstadhof, a micro brewery with a great beer selection and good German fare, about a 15 minute walk through yet another Christmas Market.  Chestnuts on the way back to the hotel for Pip.

At the brewery

Nuremberg held great significance during the Nazi Germany era and was chosen for the huge Nazi Party Conventions - the Nuremberg Rallies - because of its central position in the country.  This is where the anti-Semitic laws were passed which revoked German citizenship for all Jews.  Pip was keen to visit the Documentation and Party Rally Grounds in the city's southern district.  Set on 24 acres, in a building that was never completed, an exhibition deals with the causes, contexts and consequences of the National Socialist Rule of terror.  We both felt it was an honest and transparent explanation of the events of the time. 

Current state of Rally Grounds

On a lighter note, we visited the Toy Museum or Spielzeugmuseum.  A huge display covering an entire spectrum of historical toys from antiquity to present day.  The model trains and Meccano sets were close to Pip's heart, taking him back to his childhood.
Steaming ahead, we visited the DB Railway museum which was opened in 1899.  This showcases about 40 historical railway vehicles.  I trotted behind as Pip lovingly looked over these huge beasts!

We also visited the Nuremberg Palace and the artist Albrecht Durer's home.

Albrecht Durer's home

Nuremberg Palace Grounds 

On the last day before we headed to our next destination, we wanted to see where the Nuremberg Trials were held.  In the aftermath of WW2 in 1945, the Allies sought to bring the aggressors to justice.  The first international war trials were held at the Palace of Justice as it was largely undamaged and had a prison attached.  The city was considered the birthplace of the Nazi Party, so it was chosen to mark the Party's symbolic demise.  We sat in Court 600, and saw where the 21 defendants stood.  A bit surreal.  The exhibition there contained many photos from the trial which made sitting in the court more realistic.

Palace of Justice.  Windows of Court 600 1st floor, behind flags

Our next train journey to Wurzburg was only an hour!  The purpose of our visit here was to reconnect with old friends and have a breather.  We have had many, many visits to this part of the world, with the first visit being 36 years ago, BC ( before children) so very familiar.  We were met at the station by Herbie - his name is actually Hubert, but being Aussies, we had to make it sound more Australian.  It is ten years since we have all been together, so we are all a bit fatter, greyer, balder and our waistlines have grown a tad.  Oh well.
We walked through Wurzburg's Christmas Market, but this time enjoyed a white Gluhwein, which I think I prefer now, and a bratwurst mit zenf just as the snowflakes started falling.  So magical.  And, yes, the boys had a bag of chestnuts!  We ate at some wonderful local eateries, enjoyed the wine from the area and reminisced about our early times together - some of which interested their daughter Lisa!

Annie's first snowflakes

Off we head again by train, this time to Belguim. 


Till the next blog
Love Annie
Xxxxx