Photo's 2

Shops on Ponte Vecchio 

Balcony at Manarola

Greve swimming pool

 

Florence - I just don't understand the attraction !

Kate at Manarola

Grace on our Manarola balcony 

In Florence overlooking the Arno

Manarola - crazy town

   

Breakfast at Manarola

We Have Moved On ...

Wendy here - Well, we said good bye to our new friends in the Greve Chanti with a couple of drinks on Friday night. Much excitement as they had a snake in their apartment. Peters fair-less daughter Alice searched it out and picked it up and put it outside in the garden!!!! We are all assuming it wasn't poisonous ......  Then later that night as I was getting ready for bed I found a lizard in our room - now I don't mind lizards but I was pretty sure I couldn't sleep with him walking around the bedroom!!! Andrew to the rescue - caught it and delivered it outside. I'm pretty pleased that we saved these wild life experiences until the last night :).

We drove to Pisa - we all loved it. Parked right by the Pisa where gypsies direct you to parking, in spaces far too small for a car, then charge you for their service. We thought the car was probably safer there than in a more deserted street, but did chain and lock our bags in the boot!  Anyway we had a lovely time - and we all agreed we could have stayed longer. Got in the car for what should have been a quick hour and a half to Manarola - over two and a half hours later we arrived. Traffic was crazy - at times we were crawling along the motorway and then it would clear with no apparent reason for the hold up. A couple of wrong calls made in La Spezia (I want it on record that one was Andrews and one was mine!!), then finally we arrived.

Pisa is a very neat place
to visit.

Manarola is the second of five villages in the Cinque Terre, it has not been adapted at all for tourists, which means you can't bring your car in and there are no supermarkets etc here. It is literally built on the cliff face. Our accommodation is right at the top with wonderful views - downside is the 206 steps down to the restaurants and beach!!! Actually getting down isn't really the problem .....

On the Ponte Vecchio

We have just had our breakfast and are heading off for the shortest walk to Riomaggiore.  Andrew can finish off ....

Basilica

Florence !  The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore magnificent.   Even after seeing all the beautiful architecture in the last month,   I am still amazed that they knew how to do it in the 12th century or earlier.  Stunning Haute Couture shops (Wendy did he 'kiss the LV window' shot again) all within a two block area and the jewelry on the Ponte Vecchio was an eye opener. Needless to say that  the Devlin's went to the markets !!! and had a great time snooping around an picking up  few things.  Driving is getting easier as I become more comfortable with the Italian style - flat out and furious ! I just stick to the right hand lane and potter along.  We're heaps better at toll booths, off ramps and 'trusting' our lovely GPS voice - as Grace said - she hasn't let us down yet.  Actually getting into Pisa yesterday was a breeze.  Better go !

First of 206 steps !

Hangin' by the pool

and that pretty much summarizes what we've been up to :).  It's Andrew doing this short update.

We clearly underestimated how much the first four weeks took out of us, and how tired we really were.  Greve in Chianti was an inspired choice however, as while there are heaps of things to do in the district (especially if you love wine), there's just as much fun to be had by mooching around the village, eating, drinking and swimming.  A few days ago we met a lovely Canadian couple who are traveling with their three daughters and the husbands parents.  Kate and Grace thought that this was amazing as they have kids around their ages and so last night during dinner the five of them took off and played while we all ate and chatted.  It was a very neat night and we also managed to bump into another two New Zealand couples !! Is there anyone left over there :)

Grace and Kate playing soccer with the Canadian children

Pizza night delight !

The kids have also spent a bit of time catching up on school work this week and I have finished a book !  I think that it's probably the first 'non work' book the I've got all the way through since my last holiday - 'Jack Reacher' is a bit of a dude and very easy to read ! We have had to down load a heap of other books for Grace as she has been enjoying relaxing and reading. Buying the Kindle was another great decision and Wendy also has her nose in the iPad reading away!

Yesterday we all went to Bernadette and Peter's marriage ceremony with them and their two children.  It was conducted by the Deputy Mayor of the village (he had his sash on !) and interpreted by the wedding planner that Bernadette had found to pull it all together.  It was a wonderful experience and not something that we ever expected to do while we were away; a real bonus for memories.

Wendy and the kids are still asleep but I will get them up shortly as we want to get into Florence today to have a snoop around and a wee bit of shopping :). 

Village life

is great !  well, apart from the Italian love of church bells and their need to constantly ring them at every available opportunity - ESP in the morning.  In Montefalco I even took a wee video clip of the bell tower when it was going flat out just to remind me, because it was quite literally at the end of the garden !  Plus, to add insult to injury there is a rooster somewhere close in the neighborhood here in Greve.

Days here consist of food, wine and the pool !  Very simple and highly enjoyable.  With temperatures around the mid 30's you'd think that the pool would be warm - well no !  It takes my breath away each and every time I dive in (no incremental wading in - just wouldn't work on so many different levels).  Wendy has so far dangled her legs in, and it's not looking likely that anything else will even get close to getting wet.  Kids on the other hand just love it and once you get over the first 30 seconds of 'shock and awe' it is wonderful.  The owner of the apartments sells her own wine - €3 a bottle and it's highly quaffable !  So you can picture Wendy and I on the loungers with a wine reading and watching the children jump and splash and having a great time.  Other guests don't tend to hop in until after Grace and Kate get out !!!  Not sure what our plans for the next few days are - Florence, Assisi, pool lounger :)

Truly wonderful garden and pool area

Adorable children :)

Speaking of which, I was in the pool with the girls the other day and heard someone say " that sounds like a Kiwi accent". Amazing - 19,000 km's away in a tiny Italian village in the back of nowhere and here is a Wellington couple in the same building - ha.  They are probably around our age and they've eloped !      Their kids are over and they are getting married in the local town hall on Thursday !  It's a small world.

Amazing thunder and lightening last night - went on for about an hour and lit up the sky.  The street lights even went out for a short time at one point.  Reminded me of the lightening shows that happened reasonably regularly in Wellington.

Wendy's birthday today and it started with a phone call at 4:30am this morning - a friend got the time zones wrong !!  I'd better go and ensure that her every whim is catered for :)

Hurley burley Italy

We survived my first effort at driving in Europe - thank the good Lord.

Picked up the car on the outskirts of Rome ( by the airport) and had a 10 minute tutorial by a guy who was clearly wanting to be somewhere else and got a wee tad grumpy with my questions !  Then off we go - wrong side of the car and wrong side of the road.  Actually it wasn't so much that, as the turning into traffic at T intersections - that did my head in - esp when other cars pulled alongside me and were turning also !  A few minor hiccups as we got used to the GPS,  my driving and Wendy's navigating.  Nothing too serious, but will be funny stories to tell ( and embellished) over a beer.  Motorways are fine in fact a lot of fun in a Peugeot 308 SW diesel (wonderful car) it's just the stress of changing roads/direction as you know that if you get it wrong there is no going back for quite some time!

Kate at the festival parade

Got to Montefalco and those streets were not built for cars. Everyone was a little scratchy from the 3 hour drive and so priority was food and drink ( soothing beer for me).  We were staying in a hotel in the town square and it was their festival month and last night was the celebration of St Clare their patron saint.  Wonderful to be amongst the 'festival of light' with all it's medieval pomp and ceremony (costumes, fanfare, drums, singing and prayers and speeches).  Was a late night for the girls but one they'll remember.

Grace and Wendy at the window of  our apartment

Wendy here - yes, thank The Lord we survived getting out of Rome and through to Montefalco yesterday and then on to Chanti Greve in Tuscany today. It is so nice to be out of the big cities and into some open space. Montefalco was a wonderful wee village and we were staying in a hotel right in the square. Fantastic views, hot weather and I managed to get a massage at the Hotels Spa - so I was very happy.

Chanti Greve is another small village.  Everything is in walking distance or if we want bigger cities nothing is more than an hour away. Great apartment - and a warmish 36 degrees when we arrived. We have a pool, which makes the kids very happy. We have promised that we will not get back in the car for at least two days - another thing which made the kids happy. We are all looking forward to slowing down.

Arrivederci Rome

Girls outside the  - they found a local !

Hi, the history in Paris was stunning but Rome is easily it's equal.  Literally every turn you make there is a church or a piazza with fountaims and statues that are all magnificant. We set out yesterday to see the Pantheon ( not to be confused with the Parthenon :)  and we turned into a piazza - and there it was; no fanfare or crowds or anything - we just wandered in and checked it out.  It's beautiful ( paintings, sculptures, ceilings .... ) and is the final resting place of Raphael.  From there it was off to the Trevi Fountain (15 minute walk) - beautiful, and again, completely understated - no lining up or getting pushed this way and that. On the way home we stumbled upon a church ( one of many ) and walked in to find amazing artworks, sculptures and mosaics.  My girls found the shops, which isn't really that easy to do and contributed to the local economy then a gelato stop and home - the heat is very draining.  We tended to eat out at lunch time and have a little something homemade at night - worked well.  It was pricey to eat out and take in the sights - but well worth it.

To be fair I enjoyed the French food and peoplemore - enough said !

Kate and I went to the Colesseum today - so much history and it was wonderful to be right there !  The tour guide was a bit of a character and was actually more interested in the two single Russian girls than answering our questions (typical Italian ???)  - having said that he did a very good job at passing on his knowledge and making the 50 minutes fly by.  He did mention on quite a number of occasions .... and repeatidly, that the reason that the Colosseum is in such a state of disrepair is Bernini dismantled large sections to construct the Vatican !.  Kate and I did have the option of going on to see the Forum but it was just way too hot - gelato time !!!

My final point on the Vatican. I very quickly realized that my mum would have absolutely loved it - in fact she would have been ecstatic with all the churches and pomp and ceremony of Rome.  St Peters, Sistine Chapel, the grounds and artwork !!!!

The seven week road trip kicks off tomorrow - lets hope the GPS doesn't fail me !

Kate and I at the Colesseum 

The girls at the Trevi Fountain

Wendy and I in a back street church - which was stunning.

Photo's

Kate and Wendy in front of the papal balcony

Coffee and coke on the Champs élysées 

Girls on the 2nd floor viewing platform

In St Peters church 

Just for Borth. 

Local piazza in Rome

Biking in Versailles grounds

At Versailles 

Fountain at Versailles 

Rome

Hi, Andrew kicking off this update again.

We were all sad to leave Paris - it's a city that Wendy and I will come back to.  Great atmosphere and a sense of completeness.  I loved my 2 hours wandering around the Louvre - it passed all too quickly.  The old Palace was so beautiful ( and so enormous) and then to have it filled with all those incredible works of art is mind boggling.  Our last night in Paris was great and Kate thoroughly enjoyed skypeing her class mates - took her a wee while to wind down so it was around 1 am before everyone was nigh nighs.

Mona Lisa ...... and I

Got to the airport early as we were flying Vueling to Rome and by all accounts it was first in first served.  As it all turned out it was a great flight and no dramas but we were ultimately thankful to Wendy for getting us lined up 30 minutes prior to the flight opening.  Not impressed at all by the  'large'American family that barged their way through AND in front of us  - if they could have only read my mind they would have be every embarrassed and contrite :).   We had a car booked to pick us up ( another tip that I would thoroughly recommend - is just takes another stress out of the equation) and we were in our apartment 'quick smart'. No real sense of any boarder control - we just walked out !  Had dinner and a walk around the local piazza found a gelato shop and it's true - it is fantastic !!!  The girls ordered one each and I cleaned up the remains as they couldn't finish them, wonderful stuff. 

Hi - Wendy here.  As Andrew said I was sorry to leave Paris, it is a city you could spend a lot of time in just walking around soaking up everything that it has to offer. 

We arrived in Rome at 5.30pm to a balmy 26 degrees - it was fantastic to be able to walk around until 10pm and it was still warm. Yesterday we went on a guided tour to the Vatican - it was an early start so the girls were not impressed. We meet a nice kiwi couple and an  American couple who we got a few handy hints from regarding Rome and driving in Italy. The whole Vatican experience was pretty amazing, wonderful buildings and great to get the history from the guide. The kids struggled with understanding our guide as her English was ok but you had to really focus, so that on top of the heat and the crowds they were well and truly done by the time we reached St Peters church. The crowds were incredible - apparently 25,000 people a day go through the Vatican and I'm sure they were all there when we were!! We were constantly being reminded to watch our bags because of the number of people who pick pockets. It is something we are just not use to doing. After St Peters church the guide took us to a "cheaper" souvenir shop. I took the opportunity to go and get the girls some food. I was struggling to hold the food I had purchased along with spare clothes and reach for my change - when a gypsy lady reached over from behind me and tried to taked the change out of my hand - it was all quite surreal, and given my last four hours had been surrounded by 25,000 people (yes I really do believe they were all there when I was) I was probably abit ruder than I normally would have been. Crazy, crazy place. 

We went out again last night to the local Piazza - the girls love it because there is so much going on, people performing, music and lots of stalls selling all manner of things.

Today is off to a slower start - it's 9am and the girls are still asleep .... We are truly on holiday :).

In St Peter's Square

Merci Paris

It's an incredible city - simple as that.

It was an inspired decision ( probably by Wendy coz she was the lead planner :) to stay on the left bank as everything is literally at the door step.  Walking distance to the Louvre and Notre Dame and a 10 € cab to the Eiffle Tower and Arc de Triomphe.  Wonderful bakeries and speciality butchers and cheese mongers ( not sure that is the correct term ? ) only a block away and always interesting people to see when I did my daily trek to buy the morning breads and pastries ( in fact I'm nibbling on a particularly delicious pastry creation even now as I type - ok I'll admit also that I'm having a wine - just to get the creative juices flowing mind you :).

Early start yesterday to get to the Fat Tire Palace of Versailles tour.  On the train for 25 minutes then on a bike for 4 hours peddling around the Grounds and listening to Pete the guide bringing the history to life.  I did chemistry, biology and physics so was completely oblivious to to story of the 3 Louis'.   It was such an incredible period of history and to walk around where some of it played was quite cool.  Grace and I saw the place where Marie antoinette and Louis 16th were beheaded while on our bus tour.   After the bike excursion we went and saw the fountain display and then lined up for around an hour to get into the Palace.  Magnificant.  Not sure how they knew to do that stuff way back then - but they did, and they did it really well.  The kids we knackered so it was a bit of a dash through - pity about all the bus groups as they tended to dominate the space around the exhibits and so kids etc couldn't get a look in.  C'est la vie !   ( I also took French for 3 years but I'm not sure that Mr Stead - my french teacher would be too proud of my efforts over here - I wonder if he's even still above ground ? :).  On the train, in a cab quick slap up dinner and bed.

Oozed out of bed this morning feeling all of my 50 years, the combination of the sun, the walking and the biking did take it's toll on all of us.  Had some breakfast and in a cab and off to the Eiffle Tower.  Incredible to think that it only took two years to put up and like the London Eye, was going to get dismantled !  We went up to the 2nd level and that was enough for the crew - wonderful views of the city and a few great photos's.  Walked down the 668 steps and had a wee detour to Louis Vuitton shop to pick up a trinket for our trip memory box - hmmmmmm who knew that LV doesn't do trinkets :).  Now 3 o'clock and Kate is having a nap prior to us going to the Louvre.  She is skyping her class tonight and is super excited about that!

Hi - Wendy here now.  Andrew has said it all really but I just thought that I would add in my two cents worth :). Huge day yesterday - fantastic way to see around the grounds of the Palace, and Pete was a wealth of knowledge. Like Andrew I hadn't done History in High School so I had no idea. One of the great moments for me was chatting to Grace as we biked along and her saying that this made her want to go home and read more books on the era of the "Louis's" - that is what so much of this trip is about. As Andrew said the crew were all very tired this morning. Rushed to the Eiffle Tower - thank god for prebooked priority entrance. Our booking was for 11am - the queue was already at least three hours long!! We walked in and were taken straight through with at the most a 10 minute wait. Now Bill Manning - if you are reading this I thought of Tina all the way up in lift, I remember you telling me she wasn't fond of heights either :). Once on the second level the views were wonderful, and there were not too many people so you got a great chance to see everything. 

Borth - thinking of you today as well as I got into LV, Andrew was so funny when he discovered there is nothing in the way of trinkets that you can purchase there. The key rings were over 300 euro :). I also made it to the shoe shop you recommended - purchase made - tick! :). 

Andrew has just gone off to the Lourve - kids really tired, and are happy to have seen the outside of the Lourve. I'm happy to let Kate sleep as she has to stay up until 11pm tonight to Skype her class - and she is so excited about it, that is the most important thing right now.  I will start packing again .... Off to Rome tomorrow where it was 34 degrees at 8 am this morning .....

Photo's

Oh la La

Girls in front of Notre Dame - wonderful weather over here

Grace in Louis Vuitton - ESP for you Jules B :)

Grace and I on the Arc de Triomphe - Eiffle Tower in the background .

Moi on the Champs Élysées

Grace here !

Mum, Kate and I at the side of Notre Dame

Yesterday we arrived in beautiful Paris and our first impression of it was muscly guards with loaded guns and tazers and beggars trying to get money of you - not the best first impression of Paris!!  Then we experienced first hand crazy french driving! Yeahhh their not the best.. Yesterday and today have just been relaxing days and walking around our little neighborhood :)

Grace x

Me at the top of the Arc de Triomphe  - 284 steps later! 

Magnifique !

Left Bank

What a city (Andrew here).  it's been a wonderful day; Grace was accepted into Villa Maria today - a huge weight of Wendy and my minds.

Yesterday we walked around the local area and it was just amazing.  Cobbled streets, beautiful old buildings, churches, fountains, parks, cafe's .... are everywhere.  It does highlight what a very young society we are over here in NZ.  Not a bad thing just amazingly different.  It seems that everyone smokes, that every second shop is dedicated to food in some way, and those that aren't; sell souviners!

Notre Dame is 5 minutes walk from the apartment 

I got up early and went to the bakery and got croissants, pastries, breads and coffee.  We all loved them and eventually after much digesting we decided to go out and explore.  Ended up at a quintessential french sidewalk cafe for lunch where we sat out front and ate and drank and talked and watched.  I thought it was a great idea to have a couple of wines while the girls had lunch; and as usual I grazed on the leftovers - hey, all parents do it - come admit it :).  Continued our walk, then home for a wee snooze and while I went out again later in the afternoon, the girls stayed at home.  Quiet night of chatting and telling stories - very relaxed and needed.

Grace and I were almost the first on the hop on hop off bus this morning ( a must for all first timers to the city ).  I'd had wanted to to see the Arc de Triomphe for years so was fantastic to walk the 284 steps to the top and to look out at the city.  It was still early so the traffic was light and we didn't get to see the chaos that others had commented on - but It was neat to be up there.  We also went and had a sneaky we look at the Louis Vuitton shop on the Champs Élysées - that's and eye opener as the prices are displayed unlike the Sydney shop !  Finished the tour and back home for a wee snooze - just seems the natural thing to do !  Cheese, fresh breads and wine for a late lunch and now deciding what to do this evening.  The girls want McDonald's !!!!

Arty shot of the Seine

Wendy here - Kate and i stayed home this morning while Andrew and Grace went touring. Kate has been struggling with a sore stomach for a couple of days. We had a lovely morning lying around reading and basically relaxing. The girls and I ventured out later this afternoon for a walk to the Lourve - whilst Andrew chilled out reading a book (we must be on holiday as he never reads books!!). The Lourve is only a 15 minute walk away - and it is such a beautiful walk long the river Seine. I think I could stay in Paris for a long time as it has such a beautiful feel to it. All being well we are off a the Fat Tyre Bike Tour tomorrow. Kate is desperate to feel better - but whatever happens we are in a beautiful city and there is always something new to see. 

Paris

Hi Andrew to start and Wendy will finish it off :)

Had a neat final day in London - bounced out of bed and zapped into the city on the tube to the London Eye.  I have said it before but the tube is great once you get your head around the different lines and how to change over - also appreciate the we used it outside peak hours but it will something that i remember fondly in my dotage.

The Eye is something that I'm glad I did, but I wouldn't repeat.  Obligatory photo attached.  The girls did a wee bit of shopping and then went back home, where Wendy did 95% of the packing while I ......... sneaked off and had a few pints at a few colorful little English pubs in Soho which is kinda right in the middle of London(ish?). Those of you on Face book will have got a few posts while I was out (lol).  I got talking to a few of the locals and they were a hoot !  As my dad always said ' always pays to say hello '  I also went to Liberty (very old English company) to get some fabric for cushions that we want to make to remember our adventures by - luckily I went before having a beer coz the prices were high and I was able to make some better decisions !

I'm sitting here on the West Bank in Paris - right in the middle of an amazing old city.  Can't wait to get out and explore tomorrow.

The girls and I in the Eye

Wendy and I with iconic scenery as a backdrop :)

Hi - Wendy here. Hmm Andrew and I have different thoughts on the London Underground - yes it is very quick and efficient - but going down two very steep escalators along with a set of steps seems a very long way down to me!!! I had to remember to breath and also remind myself that London is not on a fault line!!  Having said all that I did feel like an old hand at it by the end, and the girls and I even ventured off a few times on our own and managed to get home :).   At the beginning of the week in London I really struggled and thought it was hard - when Andrew and I talked about it he thought it wasn't hard it was just busy. That made me realize that "busy" was hard for me. By the end of the week it was much easier and I felt a lot more confident and comfortable getting around. I really loved taking the girls to Hyde Park and the Princess Diana memorial - I couldn't have imagined doing that on my own at the start of the week. In summary I am quite taken with London - and I know that there is so much more to see .... Will have to save that for another time :).

Travelled from London to Paris today on the Eurostar. Amazing in just over two hours we were in Paris. Exciting arrival at train station - group of armed Police (albeit standing outside smoking, which made me laugh), getting approached a number of times before we got to our taxi for money (which made me sad). Then taxi ride made me laugh - lots of tooting of horns, no apparent concern for pedestrians on pedestrian crossings (which I must remember), and sometimes it wasn't really clear how many lanes were on the road :). Arrived safely at our 16th century apartment. Fantastic location - cant wait to get out and see more tomorrow.

Claridges

Hi, and it's Andrew again

Have had two great days since the last blog entry.  Special thanks to our friend Sue who took the time on Sunday to come in and show us around Hyde Park and Harrods.  I met up with Sue early and had a quick pint of English bitter and some lunch before we caught up with the girls at the Diana fountain.  Really neat spot in Hyde park and it was amazing to see all the kids in there interacting with the memorial - inspired choice by the artist; Diana would be very pleased.

Kate in the memorial - heaps of fun

Harrods is ..... not sure what the adjective/adverb should be !  I was thinking of 'excessive and opulent' but actually we had a great time.  Sue magicked up a Harrods directory and marched us around in true event management style :). I didn't both much with looking at anything other than the other shoppers ( truly amazing - and gives weight to the opulent option ) but did see a brief case for a mere £3.5k and Armani clothes for children where the prices were in the hundreds rather than tens of pounds. The ice cream parlor was my favorite spot; they were created with strict ceremony and were visually stunning.  I also knew that Kate and Grace wouldn't finish them and so I eagerly finished them off  Y-U-M.

Sue and the girls in Harrods

Today we headed off for Madame Tussaud's which was an experience. Heaps and heaps and heaps of people in there.  Really cool though ( once we got the jist of just putting our heads down and being assertive).  The 4D cinema was exceptional - do it if/when you get the chance.  From there we headed for Claridges ( http://www.claridges.co.uk/london-mayfair-afternoon-tea/ ) for afternoon tea.  

I wasn't too sure what I was expecting but fair to say that it exceeded everything I though it may have been.  The room was incredible; rich with colors, architecture flowers and lighting - set the mood perfectly.   We were seated in a prime spot where we could see everything and the staff really knew their job - they made us very welcome and the girls feel at ease very quickly. The food was delicious but it really was the 'experience'.  Not sure I'd do it again but very pleased that I did it once.

We've probably left way too much to cram into our last day - but we'll find out tomorrow.  Great city - it gets my vote !