Le Chic En Rose

Remembrance and Renewal : Berlin

rosemaylily2014

July 25, 2014

For the past 3 years I have been taking an evening class once a week in an attempt to learn German. I studied it for 2 years at school and made virtually no progress at all – for some reason I found French easier to learn though I am hardly fluent in that language either far from it! I couldn’t get to grips with the German grammar back then, datives, genitives it made no sense at all. However with my enthusiasm for travel it has become extremely useful to know even a few simple phrases in a foreign language other than English and I find it really goes a long way to breaking the ice on my travels. So I have persisted and am now able to get by at least in restaurants, shops and on the transport systems when I’m visiting a German speaking country. Since my German course recommenced this week after the mid winter break (in Australia that is) I thought a German themed post would be the order of the day.

Berlin had been on my wish list for years and I finally got to go there last year, which was excellent timing, as they were in the midst of their exhibition “Diversity Destroyed” (“Zerstoerte Vielfalt” – Berlin Das Themenjahr 2013), a reflection of the past and a memorial for the victims of the Nazi regime 80 years after the Nazi party had first come to power in 1933. Monsieur Le Chic had been lucky enough to visit Berlin in 1978 when it was a divided city and even more fortunate to go behind the “Iron Curtain” into East Germany. He got through the border post straight away with his British passport but his West German host family were considerably delayed at the check point before finally being allowed through to the East. Now with the coming down of the Wall in 1989 he was able to revisit a vastly changed city.

The Brandenburg Gate at night Berlin

Since I could write a whole blog in itself about this fascinating place, I have picked out one highlight which reflects modern Berlin and the direction its citizens are taking going forward. The Reichstag Building (Reichstagsgebaeude) is a fusion of Berlin’s past with its present and future. It was first built to house the Imperial Diet (parliament) of the German Empire and was used for this purpose between 1894, when it first opened until 1933, when it was severely damaged by fire. After this, in an ominous sign signalling the end of democracy, it was not restored. It was further damaged by allied air raids during the Second World War and thereafter became a major target for the Red Army to capture due to its symbolic significance. The Red Army flew their flag from the top of the building when they overran Berlin in 1945.

The front of ther Reichstag Building Berlin

The front of the Reichstag Building Berlin

During the time of the Berlin Wall it was situated almost on the border between East and West, technically to start with in the West but then inaccessible with the construction of the Wall and since the West German government had relocated to Bonn it remained a ruined shell for many years. Once German reunification had taken place in 1991 plans were made for the restoration of the building. The architect Norman Foster won the competition to redesign the site and eventually in 1999 the reconstruction was completed. The Bundestag (the German parliament) officially reconvened there on 19 April 1999.

Not only has the reconstruction preserved much of the past it has also added a huge glass dome to the roof of the building which is a reference to the original 1894 cupola. The symbolism of the glass, we learned on our tour of the building, is to represent transparency and openness. During the day you can look right down into the parliamentary chambers and witness the representatives in session. At night you get the most wonderful vistas over the city imaginable.

Front of the Reichstag Building Berlin

View down into the Bundestag Chambers from the glass dome Reichstag Building

View of Brandenburg Gate from the Reichstag Building at night

The city of Berlin at night from the Reichstag Building

Moon over Berlin

View of Berlin at night

Looking across the Reichstag building from the glass dome

Wending our way up the glass dome of the Reichstag Building

The roof of the Reichstag Building

Monsieur Le Chic Inside the Reichstag Building

Mme La Chic Inside the Reichstag Building

Reichstag Building at night Berlin

The Reichstag tour was one of the highlights of our 8 days in Berlin. You do need to book – although admission is free, advance registration is essential. We were very lucky in that the concierge at our hotel booked us in and we got a couple of places on the 9.15 pm night tour, on our last night in Berlin, which was all that was available. It turned out to be a very good time slot though, as we had dinner at the Bertolt Brecht Cafe on Friedrichstrasse just along the River Spree and then wandered over to the Reichstag building from there just a few minutes walk away. You do need to get there in plenty of time beforehand as you are required to go through a security checking process and you also need to take your passport with you (details will be taken when you register). Admission is daily from 8.00 am until midnight with last admission time being 11.00 pm. Definitely check out the Deutscher Bundestag website before visiting as the dome is closed for a few days every 3 to 4 months for maintenance although the roof terrace usually stays open except on 24 December and from 4.00 pm onwards on 31 December. Audio guides are available in ten languages (German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Russian, Turkish and Dutch) and there is also a rooftop restaurant on the terrace to the east of the dome, open daily from 9.00 am to 4.30 pm and from 6.30 pm to midnight. We didn’t go there but I would imagine reservations are essential!

Once inside the building you are free to wander around the dome and roof terrace at your leisure (lifts take you up there). Although you go in as a group you have no obligation to go round with everyone else. It was beautiful at night and provided some great photo opportunities too. I had to pinch myself to realise that I was in this building which had had such a turbulent and troubled history at times and was now so beautifully restored – a symbol of modern German democracy.

The inscription on the front of the building is a motto for today’s Germany “Dem Deutschen Volke” which means “To The German People”!

Inscription on the front of the Reichstag Building Berlin “Dem Deutschen Volke” To The German People.

Winter In Western Australia

rosemaylily2014

3 comments

July 18, 2014

We have just returned from a long weekend away for the wedding of La Chic Maman where, despite being only 45 minutes away from the centre of Perth, we were out of both mobile and internet range – quite a novel experience!

It occurred to me that there are probably a lot of misconceptions about winters in Australia (yes it does snow especially in the Australian Alps) and here in our little corner of WA we experience distinct seasons unlike the tropical north. Perth and the South West are categorised as a Mediterranean climate with long, dry and hot summers and cool to mild, wet winters. We do get howling storms slamming into us from the Indian and Southern Oceans but the in between days, when it is calm and clear at night and crisp and sunny during the day, are among the most beautiful times of the year.

Last weekend after fierce storms earlier in the week when we were almost blown away, we had the most magnificent weather for the “wedding weekend” imaginable. Yes the nights were chilly (and starry) but we had the benefits of warm log fires in our country homestead hideaway (Yarrabah Homestead and Retreat near Jarrahdale WA). The days were in the high teens, sunny and warm enough to sit out and eat al fresco. The wedding reception was at the beautiful Millbrook Winery Jarrahdale, less well known than its more famous counterparts in the Margaret River wine region and the Swan Valley, but no less idyllic.

On the day after the wedding we had a lazy Sunday lunch with platters of cheese, pates, biscuits, cold meats and olives sitting out on the winery veranda basking in the winter sun. Yes we were still wearing jumpers and scarves but my dad visiting from England was incredulous. It reminded him of a pleasant Indian summer back home. A couple of days later we awoke again to the sound of wind and rain lashing our house. Today it was cold (3 degrees) when I woke up but the sun is shining and the sky is blue again. Such is the variety we experience in the winters here.

Here is a photo gallery I have compiled of our Winter Weekend Weather in WA!

View back to Millbrook Winery Jarrahdale WA

Lake Millbrook Winery Jarrahdale Western Australia

Winter vines Millbrook Winery WA

Sun starting to set Yarrabah

Winter gardens at Yarrabah

Sunset at Yarrabah

Countryside near Jarrahdale WA view back towards Perth

Winter scene Jarrahdale WA

Yarrabah Homestead and Retreat near Jarrahdale WA

View across lake Millbrook Winery veranda

Sampling the local wine Millbrook winery Sunday lunch

Timeless Classics : La Belle Paris

rosemaylily2014

5 comments

July 11, 2014

Tomorrow is an exciting day in the household of “La Famille Chic” as our elder daughter La Chic Maman is getting married 30 years to the day since Monsieur Le Chic and yours truly walked down the aisle… mais oui c’est vrai! Since we had our honeymoon in Paris, I thought a little piece on this wonderful city was the order of the day… Voila “La Belle Paris”!

Technically not quite Paris but en route there via the Champagne Bar at St Pancras International and we’re definitely getting into the French spirit with the drink selections!

View of Notre Dame Cathedral

A little Creperie in the Latin Quarter down one of the many little streets in this pretty area of the Left Bank

Exploring the Latin Quarter of Paris

La Tour Eiffel at night

Some places never change. People may come and go, new restaurants and cafes become the current flavour of the day, shops and boutiques open and close, buildings are constructed and renovated but essentially the soul of the place remains the same. Paris is one of those special places. I’ve been there many times since I first went as a 17 year old on an exchange programme when the highlight of my trip was a day visit to Versailles and Paris. My host family kindly made the long drive from Coutances in Normandy to fulfil my dream of seeing the French capital. Ever since then it has had a special place in my heart. I’ve been able to take my daughters there on a couple of trips too. No matter what else might be happening Paris has a magical quality that never dates.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In Honour Of “Le Tour De Yorkshire”

rosemaylily2014

2 comments

July 7, 2014

I always love watching the Tour de France not because I am particularly passionate about cycling (though you do build up quite a bit of technical knowledge watching it over the years!) but because I adore looking at the scenery. This year for the first time ever, the first 2 stages of the Tour have taken place in Yorkshire England and it has been a somewhat surreal experience watching on TV each night as the Peloton whizzes through towns and villages I know so well, labours up the hills of the Yorkshire Dales and across the Pennine Passes. Sheffield (my birth place), Silsden and Leeds where I grew up, Harrogate and Burley in Wharfedale, where my parents and aunt respectively now live, have all been “en route” not to mention the wonderful old city of York perhaps my favourite of all.

It is so quaint to hear the “frenchification” of all the local place names and landmarks too. Suddenly good old Buttertubs Pass (I love that name!) has become “Le Cote de Buttertubs”, Grinton Moor Pass “Le Cote de Grinton Moor” and Aysgarth Falls “Les Chutes d”Aysgarth”. Banners and signs for French supermarkets such as “Carrefour” abound and all the churches are par exemple “L’Eglise de St Andre or St Michel” and cathedrals “L’Abbaye de St Pierre et St Wilfrid” (more usually referred to as Ripon Cathedral).

Since I was only just over there in April, when there seemed to be major roadworks going on everywhere in preparation, I have decided to present a little gallery in honour of this year’s “Tour de Yorkshire”. The photos were taken by me on my recent travels in Yorkshire. My brother tells me that Princes William and Harry and Kate the Duchess Of Cambridge stayed at the Devonshire Arms in Bolton Abbey Wharfedale one of my favourite country pub/restaurants so we were obviously setting a good precedent when we had a very welcome lunch there on a chilly Spring Day! Allez Allez!

View towards the rail bridge and over the river Knaresborough Yorkshire

Bolton Abbey Yorkshire

View back down towards the River Wharfe Bolton Abbey Yorkshire

Bolton Abbey Yorkshire

Gateway to the Yorkshire Dales National Park

The Devonshire Arms Bolton Abbey Yorkshire

Welcome log fire inside the Devonshire Arms Bolton Abbey Yorkshire

The Devonshire Arms Bolton Abbey Yorkshire – fabulous food especially the desserts yum!

Devonshire Arms Bar

The Shambles York – probably the most famous of the medieval streets here

Trinity Leeds – the new shopping precinct so much choice here!

Street scene York

View Towards The Minster York

Checking Out The Family Silverware Hapsburg Style

rosemaylily2014

2 comments

July 4, 2014

When I first visited Vienna with Monsieur le Chic we were impoverished backpackers so poor that we couldn’t actually afford to go round any of the museums or palaces. I remember peering wistfully through the park railings at Schoenbrunn Palace then turning round and going back the way we came on the Metro line.

Fast forward quite a few years later and our first trip back since student days. We almost didn’t know where to start such is the magnitude of choice on offer. When you’ve only got 4 days it’s best to have an idea of your must see places and then see where the mood takes you after that.

Since I love history the Hofburg was a must. For 11.50 Euros each you get admission to the Sisi Museum, the Kaiserappartements and the Silberkammer (Imperial Silver Collection) plus an audio guide which we thought was excellent value. Unfortunately like many museums you can’t take photos of many of the exhibits no doubt to encourage you to spend lots of money in the museum shop buying their guide books and souvenirs. However an exception to this rule is the Imperial Silver Collection and I happily snapped away. I had never seen such a huge collection of cutlery, porcelain and china all in one place and I have visited lots of museums and castles in my time. The opulence in which the Hapsburg Imperial families lived has to be seen to be believed. Maria Theresa even had her own set of gold cutlery. It must have taken the poor servants hours to wash, clean and polish it all!

We wandered through room after room admiring beautiful chinaware and wonderful table decorations set as they would have been in the times of Imperial Banquets. A typical banquet would have had numerous courses not to mention the vast array of wines and liquor that would also be consumed. However most of this according to our audio guide would have been for show only to impress visiting dignitaries and such like – the waste of food must have been huge.

Ornamental Table Decorations at the Imperial Silver Collection Hofburg Vienna

The other 2 major exhibitions at the Hofburg are situated on the upper level and you pass through the “Sisi shop” en route to them. A word of warning don’t attempt to do what I did and wander back out into the courtyard with my audio guide still in my hand (I was trying to find the rest rooms!). This set off a cacophony of bells, whistles, alarms and suddenly worried security guards came running in my direction. It was extremely embarrassing (though Monsieur Le Chic thought it very funny) and I was politely directed back up the stairs where the toilet facilities are located.

Undaunted after this faux pas we continued through the Sisi Museum which chronicles the story of the beautiful but troubled Empress Elisabeth (1837 to 1898) wife of Emperor Franz Josef 1. It is very well set out with beautiful exhibits including tours through her private apartments and wonderful replicas of her jewellery and clothing. Anyone who has an interest in fashion would find this interesting – her clothes were exquisite! It is a fascinating story though one has to conclude that “Sisi” was a tad “high maintenence”. In some ways she was ahead of her times. Her exercise room was a bit like an early gym with all sorts of apparatus as she was obsessive about her looks and maintaining her ultra slender figure.

Equally interesting are the Imperial Apartments once occupied by her husband Franz Josef far more austere (relatively speaking) than those of his wife. It is a fascinating insight into a bygone era and well worth exploring. The Hofburg was the winter residence of the Imperial Family. Once Schoenbrunn Palace was built in the 18th century the court would go there for the summer months.

We did manage to visit Schoenbrunn on this visit and to do it justice I will save it for another post. In the meantime some more photos of the Hapsburg silver collection!

Imperial Silverware

Imperial cake stands

The Hapsburg Family Porcelain

Outside the Hofburg Vienna

Sisi Museum Entrance

Silver Platters

Ornate Candelabra and Jug

Horse and Carriages outside the Hofburg Vienna

Serendipity In Switzerland

rosemaylily2014

4 comments

June 27, 2014

One of the reasons we love Switzerland so much is the wonderful way you hardly need to plan anything and yet with the efficiency of the Swiss transport system it all works like a Swiss watch with precision timing. We had a perfect example of this on our recent stay at Weggis on Lake Lucerne. We decided to set off for a lazy day trip over to one of our favourite places Thun, perhaps not as well known as some of the other Swiss towns and ski resorts but a lovely place with a wonderful Altstadt and an imposing castle on the hill. We figured we’d have lunch at one of the many chic little cafes and restaurants overlooking the River Aare.

On this particular day we opted to take the short ride from Weggis into Lucerne by bus and train though we could just have easily waited for the next boat. Following seamless rail connections from Lucerne via Bern we emerged from Thun Station a couple of hours later in time for lunch. Monsieur Le Chic spied a boat docked at the nearby Quay scheduled to depart for Interlaken Ost 10 minutes later. We’d never cruised on Thunersee before although we’d ridden along by the side of the lake in trains many times and admired the wonderful views. Why not let’s go for a boat trip instead? It’s hard to put into words what a magnificent experience the next couple of hours were. Fortified with a superb meal on board we sailed along the lake on a beautiful warm spring day relaxing and soaking in the atmosphere. We were surrounded by snow capped mountains, water glistening in the sun and clear blue skies.

We continued in this idyllic fashion until we came into Interlaken West. I decided to hop off and take some photos as the boat had been moored for some time and the crew did not seem in a hurry to get going. Aha…a large concrete wall was situated between the front of the boat and the direction of Interlaken Ost – clearly we were supposed to have taken the short ride from Interlaken West to Ost by train. Hurrying back to wake Monsieur Le Chic from his sundeck snoozing lest the boat should depart again for Thun with us still on board, we scuttled off into the adjacent railway station to discover that this of course being Switzerland the connection to the Ost Bahnhof had been meticulously timed to connect with the boat and we would have to wait 40 minutes for the next one. Nestling in the shade in one corner of the car park were 3 horse drawn carriages and their drivers. Undaunted Monsieur Le Chic suggested we take a tour of the town. I was a little anxious as our time schedule was tight but after all we were in Switzerland and timing is exact. Our amiable driver took us on a delightful 30 minute tour of the town pointing out the sites and the buildings of the Old Town and had us back at the station precisely 30 minutes later as promised.

View crossing river on our carriage trip round Interlaken

Old building in Altstadt Interlaken

View up the Lauterbrunnen Valley from Interlaken

Our horse and carriage in Interlaken

Off we duly departed. On the short train ride from West to Ost we caught sight of a little mountain railway at the side of the railway line. Would this be worth exploring we wondered? Our only commitment was a booking at our favourite restaurant in Lucerne at 7.30pm. So off we went to investigate and found that the funicular railway was called the Harderbahn and went up and down to the mountain summit, the Harder Kulm, taking precisely 8 minutes up the mountain and 8 minutes down. More importantly it was open and running for business (fortuitously we were there in April just 5 days after the funicular reopened for this year’s summer season). A short walk along a pathway at the top and there we were at the Harder Kulm Lookout. Perfectly situated between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, you get the most wonderful panoramic views of the entire Bernese Oberland..magnifique!

It was one of those places that you never want to leave. We were blessed with the most divine weather and sat admiring the view from the terrace of the Bergrestaurant enjoying ice creams and drinks without a care in the world.

Bergrestaurant Harder Kulm Bernses Oberland

Jungfrau and surrounds from Harder Kulm lookout

View back to Thunersee from Harder Kulm

A painted cow at Harder Kulm restaurant

Panoramic map at the Harder Kulm viewing deck

Monsieur Le Chic Enjoying the local fayre at the Bergrestaurant Harder Kulm

This is a little corner of “Heaven On Earth” that certainly does not get as much publicity as its better known neighbours in the Interlaken area such as the Jungfrau but is well worth the short detour from the popular tourist trail up to Jungfraujoch. There are lots of recommended walking paths around the Harder Kulm area and we noticed several families bringing their dogs along for the ride too (who must have been locals). Vowing to return some day we retraced our steps, caught the Golden Pass train over the Brunig pass and back down the other side to arrive in Lucerne in perfect time for a wonderful meal at Nix In Der Laterne (which warrants a post in itself!).

As we sat enjoying aperitifs by the side of the River Reuss, Mother Nature put on one last show for us that day in the form of a spectacular thunderstorm (we moved indoors before it fully hit!). It had been a truly serendipitous day one we hadn’t planned but we just kept on following our instincts and luck along with Swiss efficiency did the rest.

View back to the Kapellbruecke Lucerne from Nix In Der Laterne restaurant

The Travel Bag Conundrum

rosemaylily2014

no comments

June 24, 2014

(L – R) Mimco light tan soft leather bag, Mimco dark green reversible hip bag, Mimco orange hip bag, Country Road black soft leather day bag , Accessorize canvas “carry all” reversible stripe bag

The perennial problem how to travel in style but be practical too? The issue of luggage is a tricky one especially as you are confronted with different regulations depending on the airline and country of departure.

Leaving Australia you can quite happily waltz past the customs officers with both a cabin bag (so long as it doesn’t weigh more than 7 kg) and a good sized handbag (think shoulder bag or day bag).

Leaving UK on the same airline (in this case Emirates) it can be a very different story. Only 1 piece of cabin baggage allowed for economy class passengers (in Manchester) which meant having to switch quickly into the queue with the less strict airline official as I certainly did not wish to be faced with the conundrum of how to squash my handbag into my already well packed cabin bag and on this occasion (a couple of years ago) I was travelling alone so couldn’t offload baggage onto Monsieur Le Chic as per normal. We’ve flown from quite a few airports most recently Zurich which we’ve used a few times and the general rule is only 1 cabin bag per person (unless you are fortunate enough to be a business or first class traveller). Certainly at Zurich they check your cabin bags carefully when you check in for the flight and you get a nice little tag to tie onto them if they are approved.

Low cost airlines within Europe such as easyJet and Air Berlin are also equally strict although you can get away with a slightly larger cabin bag and weight limit (to encourage people not to check in baggage at all). EasyJet don’t have a weight limit as such but the cabin bag dimensions must be no more than 56 x 45 x 25 cm or slightly less to be guaranteed if the flight is particularly busy (otherwise they have to be checked in to the hold). Air Berlin specify similar dimensions on their 1 cabin item but the weight limit is 8 kg. This isn’t practical if you’ve flown from Australia but are now touring in Europe. You’ve got a smaller cabin bag so as to meet regulations on most international flights and you don’t want to go out and purchase a larger cabin bag just so you can put a handbag into it and you certainly don’t want to shoe horn a very nice handbag into your suitcase. Unbelievably I once was told at Bristol airport first thing in the morning when I’m not at my best (as Monsieur Le Chic well knows) to go and buy duty free so I could put my “excess” handbag in the duty free bag otherwise I would not be allowed on the plane (easyJet to Innsbruck). Having followed these instructions to the letter I filed onto the plane with the 24 other passengers (on a plane that seated 156) with my cabin bag and a large duty free bag (containing 2 duty free Dior mascaras for my daughters Mlle Chic Fille and La Chic Maman back home and my “over the limit” handbag).

Over the years I’ve tried all sorts of different combinations for luggage. On my latest trip (2 weeks visiting family in the Uk followed by 2 weeks touring from Hungary and ending up in Switzerland) I took the following in addition to my suitcase:

1 Cabin Bag (actually a Mimco baby bag I kid you not!). It’s very practical, has all sorts of nifty compartments so useful for travel, and looks stylish enough to be a larger handbag.

1 Hip Bag – Mimco again – a birthday present from my girls. Worn across shoulder which I always like for security reasons. This was large enough so I could put essentials in like money, phone, lippy, hairbrush and last but not least my passport. It also did not get counted as an extra piece of baggage meaning I could wear it cross body in addition to my cabin bag when I was only supposed to have 1 piece of cabin luggage. The one I took was a lovely dark green quilted on one side and patent on the other. If I had been travelling in the summer I would have taken my bright orange one instead!

1 Large Canvas Bag purchased from Accessorize in the UK. This along with my trusty hip bag became my bag of choice when touring round as for whatever reason it spread the load evenly so my shoulders (or Monsieur Le Chic’s) didn’t ache. Into it went water bottles, guide books, umbrella, accessories such as hats, gloves and also the camera (that was the one draw back of my hip bag it couldn’t hold my camera). The other great advantage was that it packed away completely flat into the bottom of a suitcase for the return journey to Australia when I had to revert to my usual cabin bag.

1 Soft Black Leather Day Bag – again cross body purchased a couple of seasons ago from Country Road. I used this a lot in the Uk when staying with relatives but found when we moved on to the touring part of the holiday it was less practical as then I needed to stuff more things into it and consequently felt like I needed to make an emergency visit to my chiropractor (not practical!) whenever I had been walking around for a while. However at least being so soft it also folded away neatly into my suitcase.

This isn’t a foolproof system of course. I’m very safety aware and certainly apart from my camera did not put anything of any great value into the canvas bag (though of course it had a zip). Valuables for the most part were locked up in the safe of the hotels we stayed in and we only took what we absolutely needed for that day. My hip bag would not have sufficed if I was by myself as it did not hold that much and Monsieur Le Chic carried on him our travel documents such as rail cards and his wallet when we went out.

What never ceases to amaze me though is people lugging cases onto flights that look only slightly smaller than my checked in suitcase. How do they get them past security? We had a narrow escape last year when flying into Dubai when the family sitting behind opened up the luggage locker and about 6 cases fell out all of which belonged to them (so that’s why we had to put our bags a couple of lockers further down the plane!). There was no way any of those bags were under 7 kg. Maybe they knew something we didn’t? A secret passageway at airports for people with oversized cabin bags that avoids detection. Who knows? But in the meantime I continue my search for the perfect solution to the the travel bag conundrum (and no I’m not packing too much!!)

My trusty Mimco Hip Bag reverse side quilted

Mimco Hip Bag front view dark green patent

Winter and Summer options with Mimco Trave lCabin Bag

L – R Mimco dark green reversible hip bag quilted side, Mimco hip bag as before patent side, Main picture Mimco dark green hip bag as before, Mimco orange hip bag, Mimco dual purpose travel and/or baby bag

Sitting By The Dock Of The Lake – Weggis Switzerland

June 21, 2014

We just love Switzerland and Lake Lucerne is one of our special places. We stumbled across this little slice of heaven on earth a few years back and have come back to it on many occasions. This post is just a taster of my take on Switzerland with more to follow!

Picture Postcard Bratislava

rosemaylily2014

2 comments

June 20, 2014

This is a photo journal of my recent trip to Bratislava and follows on from my post “Bratislava A Gem Along The Danube”. It was such a lovely sunny Spring day and so I kept “snapping” away until I had collected so many photos I didn’t know what to do with them all. Here are just a few of the memories that I took away from Bratislava.

The street outside the old city walls beyond St Michael’s Gate

Franciscan Church and Monastery Bratislava

Streets leading off the Main Square Old Town Bratislava

Cafe Pressburg a charming cafe just off the Main Square Bratislava. Also has a range of crafts and souvenirs for sale. Friendly service too!

Frohe Ostern – A Viennese Easter

rosemaylily2014

1 comment

June 17, 2014

One of my dreams is to go to the Christmas Markets in Central Europe. Although my adoptive homeland of Australia has many wonderful attributes I never feel it is quite Christmas when it is hot. Somehow it doesn’t seem right to be thinking of going to the beach on Christmas day or planning what to put on the seafood platter this year. I always insist on getting a “real” Christmas tree in spite of the heat and the beautiful scent wafting through the house does transport me briefly back to the European winters of years past.

The Christmas markets will have to wait for another trip but I was lucky enough to find myself in Vienna this Easter just past with Monsieur Le Chic. With the weather being crisp and cold there was a magical feel that was reminiscent of Christmas and the Easter markets were in full swing. All the shops, cafes and restaurants had the prettiest Easter decorations on display mostly “Easter trees” which were large branches decorated with beautiful hand painted eggs and ornaments. We came across a special procession outside St Stephen’s Cathedral with a bonfire burning at the same time obviously another Easter tradition here. It was one of life’s happy coincidences that we found ourselves in the right place at the right time. This must be a very special place at Christmas too but for now “Frohe Ostern” from Vienna!