The Token Traveller

The Bread that Bled

I do love a good historical religious story. They usually involve a swelling of intrigue, ceremony, and a fair amount of truth “sculpting”. In Orvieto, Umbria, there is a stunning church, built from 1330 to celebrate an alleged miracle that had the Catholic world abuzz. The story goes like this. In 1263, a passing priest,…

Jousting sticks? What does he want for them?

I’m not much into sport.The blokiness of it all; the fat-and-red-necked rough-nuts that dominate the NRL; the suspect off-field life of the AFL; the paralyzing boredom of cricket. But finally, after 40 years, I have found a sport I’d happily watch again and again. It has everything I want as a fan – pageantry, triumphant…

The Veneto Club

As well as Venice, the Veneto, in Northern Italy, offers loads of gorgeous old towns with art and history aplenty. In Padua, there is Giotto’s amazing “Scrovegni Chapel”, that you have to book to see months in advance. Commissioned in 1305 by wealthy banker Enrico Scrovegni, it was intended to be a “get out of…

Bella Venezia

I can still remember the emotions I felt when I walked down the steps of the train station in Venice towards the Grand Canal for the first time 20 years ago. I cried then, and on these, the 5th and 6th times descending the same stairs, I did again. It’s overwhelming. Venice is one of…

Il Castello

After two weeks of touring Germany and Austria, with their perfect planning, stream-lined organisation and cleanliness, we weren’t ready for what awaited us at the Castello di Roncade in Northern Italy. The location is perfect for us, with my dad’s home town of Treviso just 20 minutes away; Venice a quick train ride; and the…

“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks…”

If ONLY it was light breaking across the skies of Verona today, and not billowing clouds, cracking thunder and tumultuous, fat rain! The day started out pleasantly enough. There are two major sites that have tourists flooding into Verona. Juliet’s (alleged) balcony, and the Roman Arena. When I visited 22 years ago, and had the…

“We make savings fun and easy, whatever the amount…”

“Your dollar might go further in a Dollarmite Account”. When I was a kid singing along to that jingle, with Commonwealth Bank and advertising execs rubbing their hands with glee, I never knew that A/ it was a play on words, with the “Dolomites” being a mountain range in Northern Italy, or that B/ I’d…

Trachten

Some of the fab clothes for sale in Germany and Austria. I wish I was brave enough to take pics of the folk in the street wearing this gear. They looked brilliant!

Innsbruck

I’ll admit it. Before planning this trip, I could NOT have told you where Innsbruck was. I might have guessed it was coldish (they DID host the winter Olympics twice), but I might have popped the pin in at Switzerland, Sweden or The Netherlands. Wrong. It’s in Austria. And now that I’ve visited I feel…

The Dark Crystal

When I planned a trip to the Swarovski factory in western Austria, I guess I was expecting a “this is how we make our products” type set-up, and maybe the chance to grab a few bargain buys at the end. Wrong, and wrong! I’ve got a few Swarovski trinkets. I don’t much go for the…

Where Eagles Dare

Remember “The Good ‘ol Days”? I’m not quite sure when these “days” allegedly existed, but if you think the stories today’s media bombards us with about murder, theft and cruelty are some kind of fancy new 21st century abomination, you are a king’s fool! There have always been good people, and there have always been…

Life on the Farm

Our mini farm stay in the hills south of Salzburg has been magical. We are near the small ski village of Filzmoos, and the farm is way on top of a mountain, with just one rocky trail snaking up to it. Views go on forever, and in layers. Foreground, apple-green grass and of course our…

“The Hills are Alive…”

…with the sound of tourists being ripped off in droves! Including us. Ah Salzburg. A truly beautiful, charming, inspired city. Crowned by a fortress built in the early 1000’s, and decorated with stunning homes, it’s a gem. Most local tourists come here to walk the streets Mozart walked, but internationals like our good selves want…

Ice, Ice, Baby

Wherever we’ve been throughout Germany and Austria, people have been active. Bike-riding to work; riding surfboards on the man-made wave in Munich’s Englischer Gardens; hiking through parks and through the hills. People stride, with serious hiking shoes and poles instead of meandering along. Exercise doesn’t seem to be a chore, or a “geez, that was…

Munchen

I tell you what. I’m REALLY looking forward to the whole of Europe being back at school. I think there are currently more tourists in Munich than Munchners! While the Italians are busy gesticulating wildly and yelling at each other, there is a cool calm about the Bavarian folk. Whether they’re riding their bikes, downing…

Listen very carefully. I shall say this only once.

Everyone loves a mystery. A puzzle to solve; a riddle to answer; to awaken their inner Columbo. Our apartment in Munich served up such a puzzle. The guy that owns this apartment, and 3 others in the building, doesn’t actually live here, so the problem travellers face is, how to get the keys? Arranging a…