Our First Day in Italy

We spent our first night in a Hotel at Rome Airport after a late arrival, and the following morning headed south towards the Amalfi Coast. Our first stop was the opulent Palace in Caserta, built for the Bourbon King Charles 111 commencing in 1752.

Palazzo Reale is Italy's largest Palace

Fondly called - The Versailles of Italy - it boasts over 1,000 rooms, grand staircases and richly adorned apartments.

Still physically recuperating from our 24 hour flight to Rome

We decided to walk the full length of the Palace's gardens - with many stops to check out the statues - it took us over 2 hours

and to top off the day - due to some celebration - entry this day was "gratus"!

Wonderful fountains and statues, adorn this Palace's gardens.

All fed from a waterfall on the mountain behind.

We were now feeling "fully exercised" and headed south towards Sorrento. The poppies were in bloom everywhere

Our next stop was the Herculaneum/Ercolano ruins of imperial Romans

West of Mount Vesuvius

Which erupted some 2,000 years ago (76AD), completely covering this wealthy town in a sea of mud, at the same time it engulfed Pompei and Stabia.

The ruins here are in substantially good shape considering they were not discovered till recent times, and have now been fully excavated,

Colourful frescoes adorn the remaining walls

Frank in a Roman Kitchen which used geo-thermal heat from the ground

Tiles still remain on the walls and fireplaces

Colourful 2000 year old (plus) columns

Mount Vesuvius (below on the right) still hovers over these ruins, her last eruption I believe was in 1944 (but she still rumbles a bit).

Next stop - our Hotel in Sorrento for 3 nights.

The Hotel Antiche Mura (Old Walls) is actually attached to Sorrento's old Roman walls

This Hotel also greeted us with a cold bottle of iced Spumante waiting in our room - great first day,

followed by a super Pizza at Francos.

We are in Rome

Well there is something I am doing wrong on this computer, I have the photos and I have the Blog, but it looks like I cannot combine - free damn internet too, and I can't speak italian!!!! Anyway I shall keep trying. The trip to date has been incredible, the weather, with the exception of 2 days has been so sunny and warm. Sorrento is wonderful, 3 days was not enough, about 5 would've been fine, so gorgeous, a great place, went to Ischia Isola for a day, again reall interesting. Amalfi, and it's coast is wonderful, superb views and really active harbour, had a load of fun, and too much pasta here, which of course one wears off with the constant climbing and descending of those Amalfi Coast stairs. The Italian Easter Pageants were different, not sure really about them, but we saw 3 of them in 3 different Amalfi Coast towns, the one in Amalfi was in the evening. All the lights in restaurants etc. are turned off, and little red candles are lit everywhere, with quite a bit of music (sombre at times) filling the streets as the Cross is carried from Amalfi's St,Andrews Cathedral through the tiny streets by the many followers all dressed in white hooded tunics and carrying lanterns. Visited Ravello twice, once for our superb cooking class with Mama Agata, just incredible, and a really great group - 6 of us, Frank the only male Mama called him "the King", that didn't carry on for much longer after we left there, that's for sure.. Hey even Pierce Brosnan and family come to gain some knowledge from Mama, felt comfortable about this as he is the man that has about as many singing skills, or lack therof (Mama Mia) as moi!! We have wandered around Rome all day today, absolutely amazing, just can't believe it, plus stopped for a glass of vino on the way back to our wonderful old hotel next to the Spanish Stairs. Well I did go to a lot of trouble to find a place, and this is great, BUT, the electricity went down last night at 6.30 p.m. This meant that nothing worked right up till we got back late this afternoon, so NO hot cuppa from the Brig. first thing this morning!!. Here's hoping the electricty keeps going from now on. Tonight, we are going cheap with some good cheese, bread rolls, tomatoes, incredible prosciutto, and do you believe the Brig has chosen "Chilean" white sauvignon to accompany our supermarket purchases!!! Still can't sort out this computer, it's language or my photos as a combination, so Ciao

We're Off to Rome tonight

Ah, it has been a very busy day today - just flat out getting loads of things done. Anyway I am about to close the computer down at the end of this. Have had some great phone calls, spoke to both our Brothers (both called Pete) and Susan and Ailsa just called from the middle of Iran somewhere - to wish us a great trip, they are enjoying themselve - I didn't ask about the headscarves!!.

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Our Hotel in Rome - pink one on the left side of the Spanish Steps

And then on the right side looking down the Spanish Steps

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Ciao

The Rats of Tobruk

Last weekend was the 70th Memorial of the start of the siege between Rommel and the Aussie Diggers (the Germans named them the "Rats of Tobruk".

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Some titbits I picked up from a couple of articles. "Adolf Hitler had prepared for war by socially engineering his followers into the "perfect" fighting machines. Identifying with authority, they obeyed rather than thought. They were aggressive, strong, without empathy and at outbreak of World War 2, they crushed all who dared stand in their way.

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But in northern Africa the Germans confronted a very different breed of soldier. They confronted soldiers without respect for authority or for domineering powers. These soldiers were volunteers without dreams of glory but who instead believed that some things were worth fighting for. These soldiers were from Australia and at Tobruk, they gave Hitler his first taste of defeat."

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In January 1941 the Australians attacked the Italian garrison of Tobruk. This city was of extremely important strategic value as it was one of only two ports between Tripoli and Alexandria. The efforts of the forces during the siege of 240 days ensured the Libyan port did not fall into German and Italian hands, significantly hampering enemy supply lines to North Africa.

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On 11th April, 1941 German General Erwin Rommel launched major offences on Tobruk with his "blitzkrieg" approach, this had proved unstoppable before, but not with the Aussie Diggers at Tobruk - this was "blitzkrieg's first failure. These Australians built and used the existing tunnels, gaining a lot of propoganda from the Germans - they called them Rats for being underground (like thieves of the night) the longer the odds Lord Haw Haw offered against the Aussie Diggers chances of getting out, the more heavily the digger backed himself.

The Rats of Tobruk found this propoganda extremely encouraging in that 240 days and just fought on and on.

They played cricket when things were quiet in the desert

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They were proud to be called "Rats" by their enemy.

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A 96 year old "Rat of Tobruk" with his great grandson, last Monday in Canberra.

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Two of my Uncles were "Rats" - a very proud couple of gentlemen, with wonderful sense of humours.

Pie, Mash and Peas!

Well today many things have happened, starting off with more paperwork for our trip, an early morning walk, then a decision to pick up some lovely local meat pies for lunch, and feed Auntie Beryl, Cousin Stephen and his wife Glenda - Pie, Mash and Peas. We wanted to catch up with Auntie Beryl and Steve and Glenda before we left, Steve is Auntie Nalda's eldest son, and he and Glenda drove up to stay in her apartment on Broadbeach for a couple of weeks - of course his older sister (Ails) is in Iran right now. Anyway Steve bought up the photos of Auntie's Wake, taken by cousin in law Robin, so have put a few on this blog. It was a really pleasant place, chosen by Auntie a long time before she passed away.

My "slightly" younger brother (Pete) and I catching up.

(l to r) Cousin-in-laws, Sue and Ann with Ailsa and Susan

Below - the 2 on the left have now got head scarves on in Iran, with cousin in law Ann (not on the trip to Iran!!!)

Below, my eldest God Daughter - Jo - born in England 40 years ago this July to Ails and Rod, and Susan and I were there.

A group of Cousins at the Wake - unfortunately my brother's flight left before this photo was taken.

ROYALTY

My Mum and her sisters, have always enjoyed the Royals, and Auntie Beryl has just bought out all her special souvenir plates etc. to install on her wall. Ann and Wayne just had one shipped from England. Anyway, this year on the day Auntie turns 86, Prince Willian and Kate marry - 29th April. I was looking for something special, but didn't have to go too far, thanks to that clever duck friend of mine Sandy, Auntie will get the card below for her birthday. Unfortunately it has not scanned well - looks so incredible in real life, and it does have jewels on it, and I know Auntie will just love it.

So we had the Pies, peas and mash, the Brig made gravy and it was a delightful couple of hours. I did drag out Mum's box of "all kinds of history" and we talked about the "70th Memorial of the Rats of Tobruk in Libya" this weekend. I have some information on it, to go on the blog tomorrow, but of course Ails and Steve's father (Auntie Nalda's husband) - Uncle Fred - was a Rat - and a very proud one - and of course it turns out that Auntie Beryl's cute man (Arthur) was also a Rat -more on that before we hit the skies tomorrow.

Young Lady Erin from Sheffield

Yesterday, our Neice in Law (Clare) from Sheffield, England, joined us with her friend (Claire) also from Sheffield and her one year old daughter - Miss Erin.

Claire and Erin, had come over to spend a couple of weeks with her cousin and family who live on the Sunshine Coast. Our Clare (in photo below) accompanied them for her 2nd trip back to OZ.

Young Erin is full of life, but also the "good manners" training is well under way.

A truly delightful little person

The little lady dressed for bed after a hot bath with her Mum, Claire on the left.

Frank and the girls on-line to Clare's in laws - Frank's sister and brother in law.

Miss Erin eventually arose at 9 am (can you believe it) after a very quiet night in a cot in our "laundry" - all class these Wroes. She was fed, and we took off for Burleigh Beach. A few photos and suntan cream from Auntie Clare, before a walk to the one of the Burleigh "baby" swings

Loads of fun at Burleigh

This afternoon, after our cafe lunch at the Spit, Erin gets to go and watch the Dolphins and Penguins at Seaworld, and probably again tomorrow for Seals, Sesame Street and sooh much more!! The Clare/Claires are pretty excited too.

Auntie Liz and Uncle Frank really enjoyed, not one tear in 36 hours, a long sleep during the night, I ate plenty, didn't winge at all, and I do understand when my Mum says "No".

So they called me "Young Lady Erin of Oz"