Breakfast was included in our room price and the buffet was very extensive, with hot & cold offerings to cater for a range of cultures. We were also able to take coffee back to our room. It was time to explore Hong Kong.

We set out along Nathan road towards the harbour and promenade. All along the way there was mass construction taking place, making it very noisy. Interestingly, the scaffolding around these buildings was made of bamboo sticks fastened with some sort of twine, a technique unique to this part of world.

The view from the promenade across the harbour to another part of Hong Kong was thick with smog. We took some photos in the Star Gardens, a popular tourist spot, and then stopped in at the Intercontinental for refreshments. The bar wasn’t open so we ordered two cappuccinos and a sparkling water. When the bill came it equaled around $45 Australian.

Upon checkout we asked for a recommendation for a traditional place to go for dim sum lunch. She sent us to a restaurant around the corner called Tao Heung. On arrival we saw that the venue seemed to be filled with local people. We were provided with a menu and ordered yum cha style. Our meals were steamed pork buns, deep fried pork buns and chicken spring roll. They were delicious and ended up costing us a total of $16 Australian. Such a contrast to our morning drinks!

Back to the hotel for a drink and then to collect our bags which were being stored for is. It was the end of our holiday, the streets were very busy, and we had no more desire to do any more shopping. Our shuttle to the train station was once again fuss free and we found that you can actually check in for your flight at the station (we had had trouble when we tried to check in online). We tried to do this but, as we wanted seats together, the kind man told us that there were not any at the moment but some more would be released later. He called ahead to let the airport staff know that we wanted seats together and he told us to see the Cathay Pacific information desk when we arrived. When we got there, they took our bags and advised us to come back an hour before our flight when our seats would be released. They also gave us four $40HK vouchers to spend in the meantime.

Now we are sitting in wait of our flight. It feels like so long ago that we left Australia and we have had a great holiday. That said, we are looking forward to coming home, seeing our family & friends, and scratching the doggies. Until next our Europe adventure, good night!

Our 10 1/2 hr Lufthansa flight to Hong Kong was way better than our last Lufthansa experience. The staff were much more attentive and very friendly. Irene finally got her window seat…in fact she had two windows!

The Airport Express from the airport is very easy to work out and to get to our hotel, the Holiday Inn, we were told to get off at Kowloon and there will be a free shuttle bus which drops us at our hotel. Very fuss free and there are official people available to help with directions.

We had booked a triple room for the night and were checked into our first room which was on the non-smoking floor but the air in the room was heavy with the smell of stale smoke and mould. We called reception to report the unfortunate situation and it was no trouble to relocate us to another room which was much better. The spacious room was furnished with 3 double beds which delivered a very comfortable night’s rest.

Dinner was in the hotel’s restaurant and the food was authentic and delicious – tempura whitebait, crispy chicken with garlic, crispy pork belly, shrimp dumplings and shredded pork with noodles. Michele was really impressed when she asked for extra chilli and was given a selection of 3 different types. Yummo!

$100 Hong Kong dollars equate to approximately $16 Australian dollars and with a bill of $1194HK it was our most expensive meal of the trip. This included a bottle of a Marlborough sauvignon blanc.

Europe definitely was more economical.

A quick visit to the 7-Eleven to buy bubble water also surprised us with a selection of wines in store. There were only Australian and NZ varieties to choose from. We stocked up and then went back to our room to sleep in an attempt to get our body clocks closer to Australian time. Homeward bound tomorrow, 晚安！

Our adventures in Leipzig were both enjoyable and thought provoking. On the first morning we checked out of our lodge and trekked over to our new hotel, the Penta Hotel. We had decided to spend a second night in this historical town so we could explore further. Booking for this hotel was easy, upon check in we were able to get adjoining rooms and have our bags looked after until the rooms were ready at 3pm. The establishment also was kind enough to give us a late check out the following day at 3pm.

We went to a couple of museums. The first was the Nostalgic Museum. It had a wide range of artifacts from the time that East Germany was segregated from the west and under communist rule. We found that there was an abundance of appliances, toys, games, furniture, motorbikes etc from the DDR. Despite the plethora of items, however, there was no written information about any of it.

Teresa, Michele and Scott had recently been reading a book about the Stasi, which were the secret police who reported back on literally everything within the DDR. They were keen to find the museum that documents this time in history. We were able able to hire English speaking translation devices to aid us in our tour. What we learnt was interesting and confronting. Would recommend for those who are interested in German history.

When we finished at the Stasi museum we were fairly tired from all of our walking so we headed back to our hotel with the intention of having dinner. We found the hotel staff all very friendly but unfortunately the service in the restaurant was annoyingly slow. Before dinner we purchased our train tickets for the ICE train from the Leipzig Bahnhof office where we were able to book our seats beforehand. It cost 70€ each for the trip to Frankfurt.

Because of the late check out, the next day was pretty much ours to continue exploring. We had the options of visiting another museum and the zoo. We decided to go to the zoo first. There is so much to see at this city zoo that time slipped by very quickly and we had to make haste to gather our baggage and get to the train station.

The ICE train has a catering carriage which is a great place to eat and drink with large viewing windows on both sides. The seats are comfortable and larger than an airline seat so it was the best choice to travel back to Frankfurt. Our Frankfurt accommodation for the final night was at Scott’s place and he was a great host as usual!

We have had an amazing time in Europe and are sad to leave. It is especially hard to say goodbye to Scott once more. Goodbye Germany…for now. Looking forward to seeing what Hong Kong has to offer. Gute nacht!

Teresa and Michele awoke in desperate need of a Friszuer. We were very lucky to find a place called Unicut directly across from our apartments. Fortunately we got there right on opening and beat the regular crowd of people coming in to take a ticket and wait for a haircut.

We decided to spend our last hour having lunch at or favorite Bloody Mary restaurant, so we left our bags with our very accommodating staff at the Rosenthal Apartments, and headed across the road one last time. We loved our time in Berlin but it was now time to meet up with Scott again and explore another city.

Our train to Leipzig left from Berlin hauptbahnhof. This main train station is large but we found it well-posted and fairly easy to navigate. We found the platform to our ICE train and waited. When the train arrived we found a carriage with a small booth of four seats and a table to sit at.

The trip was quite smooth with lots of countryside to view along the way. Of course refreshments were in order and Michele & Teresa set out on the long trek through the carriages to the catering cart. Note to future self: get closer!

Not being familiar with the geography of Leipzig, we naturally thought that taking a taxi from the train station to our new accommodation would be the best way to go. We didn’t find the taxi drivers here very helpful, and when we did find one who would be able to fit our 3 big suitcases, he simply opened the boot and gestured for us to put them in ourselves. It turned out that our accommodation was a very close walk across the road, so we could have walked anyway.

Our Leipzig Lodge apartment was a double-story residence on the fourth floor.

Heidke, our host, was very welcoming and cheerful. We did find, however, that the downstairs bathroom light switch did not work, and there was a lack of privacy due to the absence of blinds on some of the windows. There was a coffee machine available but the coffee tin supplied was empty. Hmmm.

We made arrangements to meet Scott at the train station and were happy to be reunited once again. Dinner was at a traditional Deutsch restaurant, where Michele and Teresa had their first Maß of beer, which is literally a litre glass. Our dinner was traditional and delicious. Leipzig so far is a beautifully historical town with amazing architecture. More exploring tomorrow. Gute nacht!

Thursday morning was a grey and drizzly Berlin day. We were determined to show Irene the wall. Michele used Google maps to plot our way to the open air museum, finding a shortcut through a very historic cemetery which was affected by the wall’s construction.

The memorial at Gartenstraße explained the history in German & English through text, audio and video. The bleak weather added to the solemn atmosphere.

We walked up to Bernauerstraße and bravely decided to tackle the Ubahn…which actually was not too hard to work out. Only two stations to Alexanderplatz and then it was lunch time. We dined at a restaurant called Carambar, where Michele had spaghetti and Teresa & Irene shared the “capital dish”, which consisted of typical German sausages, potato and meatballs. The service was very good and our waiter was very good looking. Lunch was over and it was now time to shop! Our 22kg baggage limit was now in the past. We hit TKMaxx with avengence and some good purchases were made.

With our new found confidence in the Ubahn, we caught the train back to Rosenthaler, dropped our shopping into our apartment and went across the road for one of our favourite bloody Marys. Michele was obliged to report back on the red wine that she had purchased the day before so, afterwards, we just had to go and visit Frieda and Fifty again.

We then explored an area that was recommended to us for dinner but found it to be full of retail rather than restaurants. So we made our way back to where our apartment was to try and find somewhere to eat. We found that it is very hard to locate traditional German food in the German capital. After wandering around the wet streets and traversing the five-way intersection we settled on a Vietnamese restaurant. Here Michele & Teresa order beef Pho soup but Irene won out with her crispy duck dish. Our stomachs filled, we retired to our room to rest up in preparation for our next adventure. We enjoyed watching Avatar in German as we relaxed in our room. Tomorrow, Leipzig. Gute nacht!

It was an early start, with our airport shuttle driver picking us up at 6:45am. He drove us 30mins to the airport. Going through security Irene got the full pat down treatment once again. They seem to like her for some reason.

Teresa had paid extra and booked our seats for our Ryan Air flight, which gave us priority boarding. We would recommend doing this. We had row 2 on the plane, which was a great row to be in as it was easy and quick to get on and off. As we approached Berlin there was a lot of low lying cloud, we could just make out the tip of the Telekom tower poking through the top. On descent, we realised how low the clouds really were, as the runway did not appear until we were on it.

Catching an Uber from Berlin airport to our accommodation was fuss free. Our apartments, Rosenthal Apartments, are in the heart of Mitte. The kind man at reception put our bags into storage (check in was not for several hours, until 3pm) and recommended Common Ground across the road for lunch. Here we ordered chickpea & zucchini fritters with smashed avocado, and Michele had pulled pork tacos. These were washed down with the most amazing bloody Mary’s…so we met our quota of vegetables for the day. Very impressed!

After lunch we walked and walked with the intention of finding the Brandenburg Gate. The place was crawling with tourists from all cultures, so we took our photos and got out again. On our way back we stopped at a bar for a cocktail and a rest. Irene & Michele had Long Island iced teas, and Teresa had an Irish coffee. We retraced our steps back to a wine shop that had been previously closed and guarded by a very cute and vocal little French Bulldog. This time the shop was open and we got to meet Frieda and Fifty (Frieda was 1yr old and Fifty had just turned 12 on Irene’s birthday). We had a play, Irene took off her beanie for them to chase and Fifty took off with it out the back. After the owner retrieved it we bought some wine and reluctantly said goodbye.

There is a burger shop called Kreuzburger next to our apartments. We decided that we could all do with a burger for dinner so we took advantage of its proximity. Here we got genuine hamburgers and a serve of fries smothered in chilli and cheese. The staff here were super friendly and we washed everything down with beer. Tomorrow we find mauer. Gute nacht!

Today we wanted to find the Jewish quarter of Kraków. On the way we found a “milk bar”, which is an example of a canteen from the communist era, where you order your food from the cash register and then stand with your tray waiting for your food to either be served from a bain marie or cooked in the kitchen. Teresa had Zurek and Irene had plucki.

We continued walking toward the Kazimierz, stopping again along the way for a mulled wine and iced coffee, and Michele had an amazing goulash soup. More walking through the ghetto area, we found some markets and visited Ghetto Heroes Square. Here there are many chairs made of brass and bronze to commemorate the Jewish people lost in WWII.

Since it was our last day in Kraków , we wanted to take advantage of the sales. Retail therapy was calling, so we then found our way to the Galleria. Once we were done shopping we made our way back, past the Jewish cemetery, which is very old and crowded with mossy graves. We also passed through another market square selling fresh food and clothing. We may or may not have gone back via our favourite vodka bar. Before we got to our apartment, however, we discovered that the store across the road was having a big sale….70% off…who could resist!

The restaurant under our accommodation was booked out for the night so we had to change our plans. We walked the square until a spruker attracted our attention and convinced us to eat at the Number 7 restaurant. We opted to eat outside, in a room that was enclosed in glass. Here we ordered gołompki and pork schnitzel…of course washed down with vodka. A quick stop back at the store on the way home for Teresa’s impulse buy and then time to retire. Dobranoc!

Due to the location of our apartment there was a bit of street noise outside throughout the night from people enjoying their Sunday night out on the town. That aside, the beds are comfortable (there are 4 single ones) and the apartment is spacious.

We awoke excitedly to a forecast of snow, finally! Irene already got to witness a light sprinkling throughout the morning. We got ready and headed outside. The Sukiennicza markets were first on our list of activities. There were many stalls selling souvenirs, clothing and lots of Baltic amber jewellery. After the markets we went to a restaurant for a meal, where we ordered a round of Irish coffees and Michele and Irene decided on dessert for breakfast. Creme brûlée and a walnut sundae….yum! Teresa had kielbasa. This restaurant was in the heart of the main square with a view of the Mariacka church.

The snow began to fall more heavily, so we cheerfully walked across the square. Our flight on Wednesday is to Berlin with Ryan Air. They warn you that if you do not print a boarding pass beforehand, the airport will charge you 50€ each to print at the airport. Our accommodation reception was on the other side of the square but they were very obliging and printed our passes for us, as well as arranging an airport shuttle.

We began to walk toward Wawel Castle but got sidetracked by a hairdresser, so we made an appointment and found a restaurant to base ourselves in. While Teresa and Michele were getting salon ready Irene stayed at a table in the restaurant feeling like she had been stood up on a first date. Looking fabulous once more, we joined Irene and enjoyed some good old Polish food. Soups were goulash and two kinds of Zurek, with egg for Teresa and no egg for Michele. To follow we shared a plate of placki (potato pancakes) served with sour cream, which were crispy and amazing.

After our meals we continued our walk to Wawel Castle just as the sun was setting at around 3:30pm. The snow was still falling but much lighter. The darkness surrounding the castle only made it look more magical. The legendary Wawel dragon unfortunately was closed until the 31st of March but we enjoyed wandering the scenic grounds anyway. Before he passed away, Mikołaj (Dziadek) had told Irene that she had to visit the “castle with the dragon in Kraków” when she came to Poland. She had a lock of his hair to bring to Poland, his homeland, and she felt that this was the place to leave it. Kocham Cię Tata/ Dziadek💕

We began making our way back to the old town but were distracted by a vodka bar that Teresa, Michele and Scott had been to on a previous trip. Here you get a tasting “paddle” of six shots of vodka. The bar had 100 different flavours to choose from, so we asked the barman to choose a selection for us. Our two paddles included flavours such as: lemon/chilli, chocolate, hazelnut, grapefruit, strawberry, salted caramel, lemon and original, among others. Needless to say that we left here quite merry.

Dinner was back at the same restaurant that we had breakfast at, as we liked the authentic look of the food. Here we ordered pierogi, mushroom soup and Zurek. More vodka was ordered and we spent most of the time laughing. We retired to our room for the second night, ready for more adventures tomorrow. Dobranoc!

We awoke on our final morning in Lubin to another beautiful table of breakfast dishes. Władek made one last quick visit to say goodbye and Anna & Elsżbieta packed us a take away pack of sandwiches, chocolates and cake. Saying goodbye to these beautiful people is never easy. Feniks the cat looked on with satisfaction, as he knew he would not have to share his house anymore.

Damien drove us an hour and 20 mins back to Wrocław, with Amadeusz as our chaperone. We still had 40mins until our bus came and they insisted on coming in and waiting with us. Amadeusz told us that they would “be killed” if they did not stay with us until the last moment. First class service from beginning until the end, even taking our bags for us all the way to the bus ❤️.

Front row seats again for the 3 hour bus trip, Irene had a whole row to herself. Our lunch of packed sandwiches were some of the tastiest we have ever had. The Polskibus trip was uneventful, but comfortable, although the toilet appeared to be locked the entire time.

We met our Uber driver on the rooftop car park near the bus station and he took us to the end of our street in Kraków. Our apartment is right in the heart of the old town. The name of where we are staying is Barbican (and she bloody well can!) and is accessed through a restaurant. Luckily our room is on the first floor as, being a building front the 13th or 14th century, there is no lift. The lady informed us that we could write to the builders if we had any complaints (haha).After freshening up we set out to explore the main square of Kraków. First activity on the list was taking Irene on a horse drawn carriage ride around the old town. The weather was chilly but we were cosy under our blanky in our little white carriage. Although it was only 5:30pm, it felt much later because it was so dark. As luck would have it, it was also the last night of their Christmas markets. We took advantage, ordered mulled wines, and admired the many beautiful stalls. One of the most impressive and creative was a display of rusty tools which turned out to be made entirely of chocolate. These people also apparently have a shop in Warsaw. The street food being cooked smelled and looked delicious but we were reluctant to take our gloves off to enjoy it, as it was so cold. Instead, we found a restaurant advertising traditional Polish food. Here we ordered to share: two types of pierogi and a serve of gołompki, washed down with prosecco. The service was good but the food was not up to our standard (we have been too spoiled with Babcia’s cooking) and served not very hot. We were ready to retire, so we stocked up on supplies and then settled into our new abode for the evening. Dobranoc!

Today is a national holiday for Poland, celebrating the three wise men giving gifts to Mary and Joseph for baby Jesus. This year is also special because Poland is celebrating 100years of independence.

We were informed the night before that breakfast would be served at 10am. Of course we came down the stairs to a beautiful table set with a wide selection of meats, cheeses, bread and accompaniments. Scrambled eggs were also being cooked. We were not allowed to lift a finger as we were provided with first class service. Once finished, we were driven to one the 12 churches in Lubin for the 11:30am mass. Irene was worried that the the roof may cave in as she arrived but Pavel assured her that the churches in Lubin were Irene-proof and had very strong walls. The church was full, the altar was heavy with priests and the service was conducted in Polish. The children’s choir was quite beautiful.

After mass the crowd was organised into teams: blue, red and green to represent each wise man. We were given cardboard crowns as part of the blue team. As we lined up with the crowd, there was lots of chanting and singing around us. People and children were dressed up in capes and there were horse drawn carriages that led each group. The procession commenced and we walked along the streets stopping at various “stations” where there were performances recreating particular events in Polish history. The atmosphere was vibrant and the whole village seemed to be participating in the event. Anna and Milena were dressed as angels in the last performance and Honorata would have been on stage playing music with Piotr but unfortunately she was at home very ill.

The parade finished in the new stadium. It was crowded with people singing carols and enjoying the festivities. This lasted for about an hour.

Back to Elsżbieta’s place, where another feast was being prepared by Jacek and Evalenka. This time the whole family would be joining us, 20 people in total, with the exception of poor Honorata. Anna and Damien arrived with little Kacper, who was thoroughly entertained by Irene’s antics (and will remember her as a baba jaga). Entree was chicken soup with noodles followed by platters of meat including schnitzel, chicken thighs stuffed with mince, meat balls with cheese and beef roulade. Accompaniments included sauerkraut, klusky (dumplings), potatoes and various salads. To drink was cherry juice, grapefruit juice, water……and vodka.

Our entertainment tonight was in the form of games. We played Jenga, Dobble and another game of number strategy, in teams, called Rummikub. The language differences were insignificant as we played together, and laughter filled most of the night. Goodbyes were said as various family members departed and Irene and Teresa sensibly went to bed at around midnight. Those who remained sat up playing games until 2am, with Amadeusz ensuring that he and Michele finished every last drop of vodka.

What a special day to share with the family, experiencing traditions that we would not have the chance to experience in Australia. Another fantastic visit with this beautiful family, we will be sad to say goodbye tomorrow. But alas, more traveling must be had. Dobranoc!