Bulletin from Berlin

Hello from Berlin, This is an amazing city - had sort of had it in my head that Berlin would be very drab and dreary - definitely not so. But an amazing sense of history here. We visited the famous Checkpoint Charlie and the Brandenburg Gate at night and could really feel the sense of history. We were back again today in the daytime and they are just as awesome. So while you can still see the barren buildings from the past there are many many very beautiful pieces of architecture. And now some photos :

Here I am with one foot on each side of the site of the former Berlin Wall

Checkpoint Charlie

The Brandenburg Gate

They have incredible confectionery and chocolate shops - each one of these blocks is a different flavour

This church was bombed in WWII and has been preserved in this state as a memorial

The Berlin '"White House"

The bear is the symbol of Berlin

Me with Anita our Tour Director with one of the famous Trebi cars - they were made of cardboard and were much sought after during the communist regime

Me in front of one of the sole surviving sections of the former Berlin Wall

Our hotel is beautiful - only one month old - check out the beautiful foyer.

Another view of Checkpoint Charlie

This is the square where the Nazis piled all the books on humanity from the nearby library and set fire to them

Can't remember where this was - but it shows that there are some beautiful buildings in Berlin

This is known as the Pregnant Oyster or Jimmy Carter's smile!

Okay - next stop Warsaw - see you then.

Love Z xx

Fun in Frankfurt

Hello folks, Well we arrived in Frankfurt safely and have been having lots of fun. We were fortunate enough to be seated in Premium Economy seats with economy service. This was fantastic as I'm quite happy with the standard service but the bigger seats with so much more leg room were brilliant and meant that we actually got a really good sleep on the flight from Singapore to Frankfurt. We'd paid for an extra night's accommodation so that we could get into our room at 7am when we arrived - so worthwhile as we were able to have a shower and then go down and have breakfast - which we'd paid for anyway then set off exploring the city straight away. We walked for a good few miles and finally headed back to the hotel mid afternoon and thought a wee siesta would be in order - wakened around 3am! So a few dot points on what we've been up to

• Taken a tour on the Red double decker bus - always a great idea to get a feel for a city
• Checked out the Romer and Paulskirche areas
• Mastered the U bahn and jumped on and off trains and buses with gay abandon
• Strolled down the Zeil - the main shopping area
• Had a look at the German Stock Exchange - a must for Bloss
• Sampled fresh raspberries from the fresh food market on Shillerstrasse
• Wandered down Fressgass - a street full of eating places then stopped for a beer
• Drunk apfelwein in the Sachsenhausen area - lovely pubs and eateries
• Taken a day tour to Rudesheim and then cruised down the Rhine as far as St Goar - site of the Loreley rock.
• Met some delightful people from Ireland, Germany and Scotland one afternoon as we were sitting in an open air restaurant having wood fired pizza and then spending the afternoon laughing and drinking wine

So today it's time to get ourselves organised to head off on our tour tomorrow. Tonight will be the meet and greet session when we get to see who our companions will be for the next two weeks.

Bloss with the bull outside the Frankfurt Stock Exchange

View of the Main River

Frankfurt street

Me at the front of our hotel

Flowers everywhere - so pretty

Had lunch in this restaurant on our Rhine tour

View of the town of Baccarach from the cruise boat

A little German village

Fresh fruit in Schiller strasse - look at those, strawberries, rasperries and blackberries

The sign at the pub where we had lunch in Sachsenhausen

A stall where they had a huge bbq with a smoke tray with lots of German sausages. Amazing that all this could be packed up and towed away

Fountain outside the old Opera House - check out the dog cooling down!

OK must away and enjoy myself - will update when I next get a chance - internet is not usually included at our hotels and is quite a pricey option so have to rationalise and do it all in one hit.

Take care possums, back soon

Love Z xx

The Tart's off travelling

Taken on our deck this morning just as we were about to leave. I'm in the Qantas lounge in Changi airport in Singapore posting this. All has gone according to plan so far - getting very tired now - it's 9.30pm here and we fly out at 11.30pm (which is 1.30am Oz time) so it's been a long day as we were both up and excited at 6am this morning!

Take care

Z xx

Leaving on a Jet Plane

But I do know when I'll be back - after five glorious weeks!

Just a quick post - nearly all the jobs on the list are done. I need to redo my nails this arv and that will be me.

Both Bloss and I are starting to get really excited. Have also made some plans for when we're in Scotland. Much of our time will be spent with family and catching up with old friends and extended family - however my sister and brother in law and us two are sneaking away for one night together. I've never been to the Lake District and have heard so much about it's beauty. I know we won't get to see very much but if we get away early in the morning we'll be there by lunch time and so have the whole afternoon and pretty much most of the next day and we'll head home late afternoon. My sister has got us a good deal and has already booked a night in this lovely looking spot

Netherwood Hotel, Grange on Sands

Plans are also afoot for a blogger meeting - I'm planning to catch up with these two ladies Isabelle and Shauna, so will keep you posted about that. Would also have loved to catch up with this one - Lainey but would you believe - the two weeks I'm in Scotland, she's taking herself off to Brazil!

Ok that's all for now - might get back to you tomorrow from somewhere on our travels.

Take care

Love Z xx

My bags are packed - I'm ready to go....

In the words of the song and my header picture - I'm just about ready. I've been scheming and organising for weeks and it's meant that we both finished work on Friday and are having such a relaxing weekend as most of the jobs are done.

So .....

Cases packed - tick

Hair coloured and permed - tick

Beauticians for wax - tick

Mail to be held at Post office - tick

Tickets collected - tick

To do -

Hairdressers for foils - tomorrow morning

Zanna to the kennels - Tuesday

Transport to airport - sort out tonight - do we catch a cab ($60) or drive my car to airport and Grant or Tiff will pick it up from there

Pack laptop - Wednesday morning

Do nails - Tuesday night

Phone Mum - tonight

Phone Clive and Luana - tonight

It's been a busy couple of weeks - especially at work - we've got a lot on so it was nose to the grindstone right up to the last gasp. Yesterday we went to watch Josh's last game of footy for the year and then went for lunch to the Coffee Club and bumped into this lovely lady. I actually met Carolyn briefly in the real world before blogland. We attended the same gym at one stage then it closed and I think I saw her one more time around town and then by one of those serendipitous chances I clicked a link one day and there was her blog. So for the last 12 months or so we've only connected through blogland. But it was lovely to have a catch up especially as she's leaving town and heading for Darwin - actually starts her new job up there the same day we leave for Frankfurt.

And now a few photos

Josh getting his trophy from the coach (his dad)

Josh

My birthday tea at Grant and Tiffs - trying to blow out the sparklers

He's a cheeky one this one! - Curtis

My sons both have this habit of pulling faces when confronted with a camera!

Bloss and Curtis

Josh - a mouthful of teeth coming and going!

Ok guys that it for now - as I said I'll be taking my laptop with me so will try to pop on as often as I can and provide you with titillating tales of our travels!! Try saying that with a couple of chardonnays under your belt!!

Take care

Love Z xx