Our last minute decision to visit Amsterdam was on account of Scott’s friend, Selenka, being in the Netherlands. Michele and Teresa had been here before and we all jumped at the chance to show Irene this beautiful and unique city.

The 4 1/2 hour drive was mostly in the rain but we were lucky enough to drive through a section of Germany that was dusted with snow. Irene was happy that she finally got to see this. Another great surprise was finding a Marchè on the side of the road. This is a roadhouse that Scott, Michele and Teresa had previously enjoyed in Slovenia, which specialised in freshly prepared food of all kinds…a far cry from the fast food stops we get in Australia. We all purchased pretzels with ham and cheese and washed it down with coffee.

Once back on the autobahn Irene and Teresa watched the countryside flash by from the back seat as Scott reached speeds of just over 200kms an hour in our Audi station wagon. We reached Amsterdam just after midday but it took us another hour to get to our hotel on account of the heavy holiday traffic. The Ambassade hotel is situated right on the Herengracht canal amongst the beautiful old traditional buildings of Amsterdam. The city was just as beautiful as we remembered. We checked into our hotel rooms, Irene and Michele in one and Scott and Teresa in another. The rooms were beautifully appointed with luxurious furnishings and accessories.

It was time to find some refreshments and we explored the streets until we found a little cafe that was not too touristy. Here, up a very steep and narrow set of steps, we enjoyed nachos, tomato soup and a club sandwich washed down with beer, prosecco and coffee. The weather was very drizzly and the darkness had begun to set in. There were still a lot of Christmas lights decorating the crowded streets and residences, which added to the atmosphere.

Selenka and her hubby, Dan, were due to meet us at around 5pm so we found a bar to wait for them in and ordered a round of gluhwein and amaretto shots. The bar was situated in a cosy little alcove with heaters and blankets that kept the cold at bay. Selenka and Dan joined us after a short while and we moved on to dinner. Dan had booked us into a traditional Dutch restaurant and when we arrived we were grateful because there was a line of people wanting tables. Despite being very busy, the service at the Haesje Claes was fast and our Venezuelan waitress was friendly and hilarious. Michele, Scott and Teresa chose a traditional Dutch dish, hutspot, which was sauerkraut in mashed potatoes and carrot, served with sausage, bacon and a meatball. Irene ordered a beef steak with bernaise sauce and Selenka had boiled mussels in broth. Dessert was apple pie and cinnamon ice cream with raisins in egg liqueur.

We said our goodbyes after dinner and Michele, Irene, Scott and Teresa retreated to the hotel bar for a last drink. Here we were met with a very cheeky barman called Jelmer. We have noticed that the Dutch enjoy the same sarcastic sense of humour as us and we enjoyed the banter. We managed to stay up the latest yet in our holiday, but by around 10:30pm bed was calling. Goede nacht!

We awoke in our hotel and looked out to find a giant fireball in the sky……we had not seen this since our arrival in Germany! Rest assured it did not last long and the clouds once again took over. Our morning was a bit of a lazy one, we had breakfast at 6:30am…and then again at 10. The restaurant staff didn’t seem to mind. Then we headed over to Scott’s place. Michele’s friend Bettina (who lives in Canada) had flown home to Germany for Christmas and we had arranged to meet her near her home town of Mannheim.

We originally were going to catch a train but when we researched tickets we found that 4 return would come close to €200. This is about the same as a hire car so we decided on that instead. Scott then looked up whether we could take a Car2go and we found that we could hire one for 24hours for a flat price of €109…..bargain!

Following a brief stopover in Heidelberg, a very picturesque but touristy town by the Neckar River, we met Betty and her sister, Eva, in Schwetzinger. The car park we parked in even had spaces for UFOs. The town was very quaint and clean with a large Summer castle. Apparently the area is famous for its asparagus, even featuring a statue depicting this. We caught up with Betty and Eva over lunch and beers in a brewery pub. Michele had flammkuchen, a type of German pizza with super thin pastry. Scott had rouladen and Teresa had goulash. Betty and Eva had been fed lunch at home so they joined us in a drink. The conversation flowed and it was so lovely to catch up.

After filling our bellies we crossed the road to check out the castle. We did not pay to enter the gardens but we got to look in from the gate. The vast landscaped gardens were quite impressive and are often used to host festivals in the warmer weather. We walked around the streets a little more and then said our goodbyes.

After a drive back to Frankfurt we face-called with Amadeusz and Irene finally revealed that she was with us. He was bowled over and very excited to see her. After that we walked home and had an early night in preparation for our early start the next morning. Next stop….Amsterdam! Guten nacht!

The hotel that we are staying at is called The Excelsior. The rooms are small but very adequate. The free minibar includes juice, water, beer and soft drink (only two bottles of each though) and is replenished daily. Breakfast is open from 5-11am and then there is a table in the lobby that serves complimentary tea, coffee and cake. The hotel is situated across the road from the main train station and there are always taxis out the front should you need to go somewhere else.

We made our way to Scott’s place on Christmas Eve morning where he cooked us perogi for breakfast. It was a store-bought variety filled with mushrooms and sauerkraut and he fried them up with butter and pieces of speck, yum! Then we got down to business….making more perogi! This was a fun family affair enjoyed while drinking kir royales and listening to George Michael.

We had tried to find a leg of ham to bake for dinner when we’re in the Rewe the previous day but were informed (by a lovely lady who took pity) that it was not a tradition in Germany, and it would be difficult to source. We settled for a nice roast pork instead, with extra thick fat….hello crackling! The day was filled with singing, dancing, food and laughter. Topped off with traditional apfel strudel served with hazelnut liqueur ice cream. Scott was a very good host who made sure a glass was never empty and a belly was never rumbling.

The weather on Christmas Day was still overcast and around 6 degrees. We had a lazy morning, going back to the hotel room for showers and then returned to Scott’s place where he cooked up leftover roast pork, bigos and perogi. Then we grabbed a Car2go and drove to the other side of the bridge to the old town. The streets were once again cobblestone lined and the buildings dated back to the 1400s.

The afternoon slump had hit so we decided to stop somewhere for a coffee. There were not a lot of places open but we managed to find a cosy little Italian restaurant with a most welcoming hostess. We ordered beer, coffee, minestrone and tiramasu. The restaurant was loud with people celebrating and there was a kind little dog called Jarna running around stealing scratches. Once our batteries were recharged we explored some more and then set off for home. It had been a short, 10minute drive there but somehow Scott got lost on the way back and it took 3 times that long! We got to see some beautiful buildings along the way.

When we finally returned, the sun had set and there were quite a few people now out and about on the streets, which we weren’t expecting on a cold Christmas Day. we noticed an Australian bar on Scott’s street called Kakadu’s. We decided to humour ourselves and stop in for a drink. The place was decked out in photos of Australian flora and fauna and the menu featured kangaroo, emu and crocodile…no vegemite though. We ordered a round of cocktails and a fried finger food platter with onion rings, calamari, jalapeño poppers, fried chicken and tiny potato wedges. Nothing spectacular. After we went back to Scott’s for a couple of drinks before retiring for the night.

We awoke in our hotel 5:30-6am and headed down for breakfast. The buffet was filled with every type of breakfast food you could name: meats, cheese, pickles, sausages, eggs, noodles and cereal to name just a few.

Next we adventured out into the grey and cloudy day to explore the river. The weather was about 9 degrees again so not too cold, and the dreariness of the day just added to the European experience. The river was just beautiful. The path running alongside it was lined with these amazing trees with branches and twigs that grow out and then straight up. There were also some cute little birds among them.

We made our way to Scott’s apartment and demanded more brot and żurek before heading off to our salon appointment. Walking out with our blow drys, we were finally photo-ready! Scott had hired a Car2go, which is basically a car-sharing business that you use through an app. You locate and book a car that is near you and then once you have found it, it is unlocked using a special code that the app gives you. The car is keyless and you are charged €0.34 per minute. When you are done, you park it wherever you want within the CBD and then use the app to say you’re finished. Such a genius idea!

Our car was a white Mercedes. Scott drove us to Kronberg and showed us the building that he works in (when he goes in, he mostly works from home). He also took us through the little cobblestone streets of the old town. The houses here were traditional German houses built in the 14th & 15th century. After a bit of a search we found a quaint and rustic little restaurant within one of these buildings. The owner told us that it was 400 years old. Scott and Teresa ate schnitzel with pepper sauce, and Michele had the most amazing pork neck with fried onions, potatoes and paprika dip. All washed down with a Bier of course! There was a couple sitting next to us who had two little dogs, which was a welcoming sight and we made sure they got lots of pats. The atmosphere at this restaurant was so homely and welcoming, and the owner insisted on giving us a complimentary schnapps on our departure. A quick stop at Rewe (a local supermarket) for more Christmas supplies and then we set off for home.

Scott had booked us into a nice restaurant for dinner, called Klosterhof. The place was extremely heated when we first arrived so we ordered cold Bier and asked for some English menus to peruse. Michele and Scott both ordered two entrees as mains: goulash soup and dumplings with cheese, ham, onions and shallots (it ended up being very similar to macaroni and cheese). Teresa ordered beef roulade with braised red cabbage….the clear winner of the night. We had eaten so much throughout the day and the servings were so abundant that even Scott had to admit defeat (doesn’t happen very often!). We skipped dessert and Scott walked us part way back to our hotel room before we went our separate ways. Our bodies were still adjusting to the new time zone and sleep could no longer be delayed. Tomorrow we feast. Gute Nacht!

Finally boarded our flight to Frankfurt at 8:30am Friday morning. We met with some of our newfound friends at the airport so the wait was not so bad. Once we boarded the flight we realised that this time we had the very first (cattle class) seat, as opposed to the last flight in which we had the very last (number 71).

Breakfast on the plane was a choice of omelette or seafood noodles. Teresa had the noodles… and Michele had two bread rolls with butter. Michele’s personal tv screen was broken so we called for air staff to help. We were left waiting for 20 mins before finally flagging someone down who reset it. Again it didn’t work so after another long wait and having to flag someone down again it was once again reset. We found the lack of service pretty disappointing actually but hopefully this was just a minor set back. After about 5 hours in the air we once again managed to flag down an air hostess and asked when the next meal would be. She told us not for another 5 hours. We were dumbfounded. Teresa explained to her that because of our delay we really hadn’t eaten that much and the lady took pity and snavelled us some pretzels (which were going to be served with drinks in a hour) and some pastries from first class. This then triggered a wave of other people wanting pretzels…and who could blame them really. Michele’s tv screen finally started working about 6 hours into the flight and we just battled it out trying to sleep.

We reached Frankfurt at around 2pm local time. Scott was watching for us and we were all happy to have the family together again. Our hotel was a short train ride away. The weather was drizzly but unseasonably warm at 8 degrees. Scott then walked us to his apartment, only 5 mins from where we are staying, and provided us with amazing nibbles. We began with local brot (bread) with schmaltz (pork fat with fried bacon, apple and red onion), followed by a traditional Polish rye soup, żurek ….it was sour and delicious. All was washed down with German reisling and apfel wein (apple wine). Next stop, Christmas markets!

The markets were brightly lit and packed with people. This was the last night and everybody was getting one last fix of gluwein, a delicious mix of red wine, cloves and spices served warm. We filled our cups and walked around looking at the stalls selling everything from Christmas ornaments to chocolate covered fruit and hot nuts. As we continued to fill our cups and take in the sites, the crowd grew. The gluwein took effect and we may or may not have broken into song a couple of times…Maria Carey would have been proud of our rendition of “All I Want For Christmas”.

On the way back to our hotel we went through the pink Christmas markets, which was the LGBTI version. As you could imagine this was fabulously decorated and lit, with a wonderful atmosphere.

The combination of gluwein and jet lag set in and we retired to our hotel room for our first night in. Guten nacht!

We arrived at Hong Kong airport to find that our flight to Frankfurt had been delayed….by 10 hours! After a couple of hours waiting around to see what our fate was to be we managed to befriend a group of people in the same situation. At least we were able to laugh together in frustration. We finally were told that we would be put up in a hotel room and shuttled back for our flight the next morning. After waiting around for another 40 mins we were finally given our hotel vouchers and told that the last shuttle would leave at 12:50am. This was told to us at just on midnight Hong Kong time…the race was on! After a quick shuttle to immigration we filled out our cards and joined the looooong queue. Time was ticking but we finally made through and got to the shuttle with minutes to spare. A short drive to the Marriott and we checked into our 12th floor room…not too shabby! After 13 hours of traveling it will be nice to be horizontal in a bed for a few hours at least. Adventure continues tomorrow, Wǎn’ān!

At the airport having burgers and beers and waiting for our flight. It’s finally happening! Bon voyage bitches!

Our taxi picked us up at 7am for the trip to the airport. The way people drive through Rome is quite an experience and it is best not to watch! It is the best way to get to the airport with bulky luggage and we were glad not to drag our heavy laden bags up and down stairs and down cobbled streets. 

We have had a wonderful holiday visiting some amazing countries and cities. Looking forward to coming home!

Luckily we set the phone alarm as a knock on the door was not sufficient to wake us. Breakfast was a buffet of cold meats, boiled or scrambled eggs and breads plus tea or coffee.
  
We disembarked and then tried to work out how to get to Ancona central station. There were a few other individuals who were trying to navigate their way to a bus so we formed a little bond. There was a Croatian woman who did not speak English. There was a Italian guy who had very limited English and there was Richard who spoke English. We all followed the lady who seemed confident about where to wait for the 1/4 bus but after 2 passed us by we decided that we had to find another bus stop. Then we were not sure about which direction we should go in so the Italian guy flagged over a police car and asked. We were assured at the right stop. You would never think to flag a Police car to ask directions but we got the answer we needed. The Italian guy then asked Teresa where she was from because she looks like a Spanish film star…..(hopefully not porn!) Once at the train station we had assistance from a Trenitalia assistant to purchase tickets to Rome. We had an hour until the train so we found a cafe at the station and were joined by Richard and chatted easily. It was nice to have added company and listen to someone else’s stories. It was also a bit of an adventure that our group of 5 bonded over the short time to solve the problem of how to get to the station. People are generally always willing to help each other wherever you are.

The Trenitalia train was comfortable without being crowded.

  
  
  
As the train wound through the mountains we were treated to more dusting of snow on trees and houses plus really high snow capped mountains.

 
 
   
    
Trevi was an amazing town built on a hill. There were many of these sort of towns built on hills in the Italian countryside.

  
  
  
We arrived at Roma Termini at around 12.45 and found a happy taxi driver to take us to Spagna again. Mauro was as welcoming as when we were there last and we were given our old room and arranged an airport transfer for the morning. With explicit directions from Mauro, we walked to the Vatican and were amazed at the opulence and enormity of the buildings. 

  
We continued on to St Peter’s Basillica and entered through the Holy Door which was not a popular choice by other visitors. 

  
 
It was for those who ‘trusted’ but turned out to be the line with the shortest security queue. The paintings and sculptures are awe inspiring. 

 
   
In contrast to the wealth and affluence of the area there were many beggars and homeless individuals.

It was a lovely stroll along the Tiber river in both directions. The day finished with a desire for takeaway pizza and a night in because we needed an early start in the morning for the long way home. 

Today we planned a trip to Trogir, another part of Split with some ancient fortresses and churches.The bus trip to Trogir takes about 40 minutes and there were regular buses travelling the route all day.

We stopped at a restaurant for a beer and tea but it was booked up inside so we had to sit on the terrace outside which was quite windy and cold.

The scenery is amazing again with the mountains and the sea as backdrops.

You can see the Italian influence in this area of Croatia in the architecture and also the culture. Clothing is hung outside on balconies and strung across lanes as they do in Rome.

Michele was feeling quite unwell so we spent the afternoon at the apartment before heading down to the ferry port. It is definitely the coldest day since we’ve been here but it also promises to be a clear night so hopefully we will see stars during the journey.

The ferry is called the Marko Polo which is run by the Jadrolinija company. We have booked a cabin with an ensuite since it is an 11 hour trip. Apparently even Pope John Paul has travelled on this ferry.

Breakfast is included in the price and passengers are woken early before the final dock.

We were sad to say goodbye to our little apartment in the palace since it means our holiday is drawing to a close. It was definitely a good choice of area to stay in as we felt safe at all times. The beds were very comfortable, great doonas and pillows. There was also a plentiful supply of toothpicks which put B&Ds selection to shame!

The people here are very welcoming and willing to help when you ask questions, even the bus drivers! They do not expect you to know their language and most speak some English.

Once settled in our cabin we went for a tour and were nearly blown off the outside deck by a very icy wind. So we found the restaurant where all the waiters were waiting for us.

The food is pretty basic but adequate. We asked before we boarded if a Visa card would be accepted or if we needed currency and which currency was accepted. We were assured that the card could be used but it turned out that there were ‘complications’ with using cards so luckily we had enough Kunas and extra Euros to pay for dinner. So cash is the best way to go on the boat.

The ride was quite comfortable and sleep came easily. Dobra Noć