2007 at Holmenkollen

Whilst this posting is out of sync with the other postings I think it is worth including.

As you know, we like to travel to celebrate occasions and this was certainly special as it celebrated Pauline's 60th birthday. When planning what to do or where to go, Pauline asked if it was possible to make a trip to see World Cup Ski Jumping somewhere in Europe. On checking the weekend 17 to 18th March I discovered that the World Cup ski jumpers would be at Holmenkollen, just outside Oslo in Norway. It was easy to organise because the venue was just outside a city with an airport.

Therefore I went onto the Internet and booked two return flights from Manchester to Oslo which went via Heathrow. Next I found a suitable hotel and the deal was on. On Saturday 17th March 2007 we left Manchester Airport on the Heathrow Shuttle where we changed terminals to fly on to Oslo. The flying was great, as always, but Heathrow Airport was an experience we did not care for. The staff there are the rudest, bad mannered and disinterested people I have come across in terms of customer care. But that was not allowed to spoil the weekend.

We arrived at Oslo's airport to find it a very attractive place indeed with very pleasant and welcoming staff. As we left the main concourse we quickly found the terminus for the Flytoget which is the express rail service to Oslo. (Flytoget is pronounced "Flee to get") At Oslo central Station we took a taxi to the hotel and noticed how expensive the fare was. This was typical of Norway - but we already had a clue suggesting prices were expensive there. The Flytoget runs like silk and silently too. It is even quieter and more comfortable than the RER in Paris.

That evening we needed to eat so chose a restaurant from our guide book and took a tram there. Oslo trams are modern and very comfortable. You buy your ticket at a local shop before boarding the tram. The restaurant proved to be fully booked so we tried one across the square and they had a table. Being lovers of fish and seafood we ordered Turbot and accompanied it with a bottle of house wine. Both were excellent. We had an excellent meal served by very friendly staff who made us feel welcome. When it came to paying the bill I waited for a shock and got one. This meal for two people cost £165.00! We put it down to experience.

After breakfast the following day we made our way to central Station to catch the T Bane train to Holmenkollen. This is the Oslo equivalent of the London Underground. The train slowly climbed the hills above the city until we reached the station at Holmenkollen. From there we followed the crowds up to the ski stadium. We could see the high tower marking the start of the inrun way above our heads as we climbed the hill. Norwegian soldiers were on hand to keep order and help people find their way. But this was unlike soccer in the UK. There was no trouble and the crowds were very well behaved. The liveliest nationality were the Poles who had come to support their amazing ski jumper, Adam Malysz (pronounced Mowish). They were the largest contingent of all.

The biggest shock was that we would be sitting on cold concrete as there were no seats at all. The only spectators with seats assembled in the Royal Box with King Harald, a keen supporter of skiing. Over lunchtime in the hospitality tent we met a group of young people from Australia, Poland and Greece. We had a wonderful time chatting to them. At the end of lunch we emerged to find the opening ceremony had just begun. Way above us, but below the inrun, assembled a brass band. Each country represented in the competition had its flag carried at speed down the outrun by a skier. We walked round to our booked are for spectators and settled down to watch the event.

the earlier ski jumpers were lesser known names in the sport but eventually we began to see the stars jumping. Each time a Polish skier came down the Polish contingent cheered like mad. It was now time for the final jumper in Round One to go. It was the great Adam Malysz! The poles went wild as he hurtled down the inrun. Suddenly, on leaving the inrun he was blown by a strong rogue wind and had to fight to save himself. Instead of coming in first he came in 50th! Then, to add insult to injury, the competition was halted and became a single round event.

Other competitions were cancelled as the winds at the take off point increased and swirled around. It was time to leave. The crowds slowly left the stadium for the train station and eventually we boarded a train to Oslo. Everyone on board was in a good mood and the Poles were calling out the name of their hero. There was no violence and no drunkenness. This was very unlike the scene after a match in the UK.

That evening, on the advice of the hotel receptionist, we had a pizza at a local bar and thoroughly enjoyed our food once more. Early next morning we rose and walked down to Central Station to get the Flytoget to Oslo Airport. We had breakfast at the airport and then boarded our aircraft for Heathrow. Once more we endured the Heathrow experience and took the Shuttle back to Manchester. From Manchester Airport we drove to Rochdale for a family celebration at our son's house to mark this special day when Pauline actually attained the age of 60 years.

The next day we drove home to Anglesey and settled down into a sedate life once more. It had been what we wanted - a special experience!

Since our visit to Holmenkollen there has been only one further World Cup Ski Jumping competition there. After the 2008 event contractors moved in to demolish the ski jump and build a better one. It is due to be ready for the 2010 season.

Salzburg at Christmas

I have always said that I have been unlucky in having a birthday one week before Christmas Day. As a child I found it restricted the amount spent on my presents with the two events so close. This year saw my 65th birthday on 18th December 2008. We like to celebrate special occasions with travel. So it was that we decided to have a few days in Salzburg, the home of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart! We flew from Manchester Airport on Monday 15th December and returned on Friday 19th December.

I hoped for a magical time in Salzburg and I was not disappointed. Throughout Advent there are the Christmas Markets and also real ice skating in Mozart Plaz! We arrived at our hotel by taxi from the airport and checked into room 501. There was a TV of gigantic proportions and a minibar with pricey drinks. We found it best to place a glass each of tap water in the fridge and leave it to chill. After all, if you wanted a drink you could get one in the bar at a reasonable price. The hotel had also a 350 seat cinema, the Mozart Kino, and had an Italian Restaurant next door with direct internal access for guests. It was full of antique furniture on the landings etc. Right next to our room was a staircase kept out of use because it was adorned with the most amazing Baroque-style murals from top to bottom.

We dined in the Italian place that night and awoke next morning ready to explore the Aldstadt or Old Town. We walked in what we thought was the right direction and found Mozart Plaz with it's skating rink. The local children were having a wonderful time skating around at great speeds. One small boy was kitted out with a full ice hockey strip and shields. To the left we spotted the Christmas Market in Residenz Plaz. We had been to the Christmas Markets in Manchester staffed by German traders but this was huge in comparison and I have never seen so many different Christmas decorations. There was a large fountain protected by a great glass and aluminium frame. It must have been impressive in summer. In one place they were completely renovating a magnificent fountain and this was not to be complete until later in 2009. Great hoardings prevented one from seeing anything happening there.

We walked through the archway into what was called Dom Plaz (Cathedral Place) and behold there was yet another Christmas Market going on! The weather was quite cold so we opted for the local Christmas central heating - gluwein. It was delicious and acted as a true winter warmer. Later we discovered a 300 year old coffee house known as Tomasellis. We found its no smoking room and sat down at a table with an elderly Austrian lady who beckoned us over to join her. The tradition here was that the male waiters took orders for drinks and the ladies dressed in black dresses with white lace aprons brought gateaux. The coffee was served in the local tradition with a small glass of cold water. This goes back to the time when Turkish coffee was served and many grains entered the mouth of the drinker. The water was introduced to wash away the grains. The tradition has simply continued. The internal decorations in the coffee house were timeless with much wood panelling. The atmosphere was genteel and quiet. Just the ticket!

Near the coffee house we saw the local Fiakers drawn up in lines. These were two-horse carriages which were available to take visitors on a tour of the Aldstadt. We could not resist taking a ride and the driver gave us a commentary as we went along. He pointed out old churches and told us there were 41 of them in Salzburg alone. We drove past the Horse Ponds which had originally been used for washing the Prince-Archbishop's horses many years before. It was a magical ride and we did not regret it for a second.

On our second day we decided to take the Funicular Railway up to the Hohen-Salzburg, high above the Old Town. This is possibly the largest fortress in Europe and there was plenty to se up there. One interesting feature was the museum of marionettes. There were numerous glass cases showing beautifully crafted marionettes collectively forming the cast of an opera or musical. Close by was the church of St George which acted as the fortress chapel for all who found themselves up there in times gone by. A few yards from this was a 300 years old lime tree. As we walked round we came to the point where we were able to see the surrounding countryside. In front of us was a green area with paths forming a cross. At this crossing was a small white cottage which used to be the abode of the public executioner!

As we came round to the final quarter of the fortress we saw a full size model of a bull painted grey on one side and black and white on the other. A plaque on the wall explained this to us. Many years ago at the time of a siege of the fortress the people were getting close to running out of food. The fortress commandant suggested a plan to convince the enemy below that they still had plenty of food left. They walked the last remaining bull across in front of the soldiers below. During the night they painted the bull a different colour and allowed it to graze along the battlements. The next night they washed the paint off and painted it a different colour. The next day the bull was grazing along the battlements. This was repeated for a few days and the enemy were convinced that a herd of bulls still existed up in the fortress and gave up and left the area! To this day Salzburgers have been irreverently referred to as "bull washers"!

On 18th December (my birthday) it began to snow. We had booked on a trip up to the mountains and lakes above Salzburg. This became a tour of the locations used by Robert Wise, producer of "The Sound of Music" film. In the foggy snowy weather we saw the mansion used as the Von Trapp residence for exterior shots. It looked out over the lake into which Maria and the children fell from their rowing boat. Then we drove to a park where the city authority had relocated the glass gazebo used for the song, "Sixteen, going on Seventeen." Later we started up the road that led to the mountains and here we became stuck in the snow. Some friendly motorists helped by pushing the minibus up the hill until it gained traction again. After stopping at a village used in the opening shots of the hillsides we went on to see the church in the small town of Mondsee.

This church (more like a cathedral) was that used for the wedding scene and the whole building took my breath away! I walked to the great altar and then turned back down the aisle towards the great organ. Someone was practising on the instrument and was playing Bach's Toccata and fugue. Wow! It is only my favourite piece of organ music! We went back over the street and had a drink and a strudel in the local coffee shop and this was excellent in quality. Then we were driven back to Salzburg and dropped off close to our hotel.

That night we had a wonderful meal at a restaurant we had patronised on the Tuesday evening. It's name was the Alt Salzburg (Old Salzburg). They specialised in Austrian food and we thought it was amazing. On the Tuesday we had ordered Tafelspitz, which is a rump steak boiled with vegetables. The steak fell apart just as a quality grilled steak would do at home! On the Thursday we decided in favour of duck breast. This is a dish we often have at home and it compared very well indeed. Also featured on the menu are fish such as River Char which were tempting too. We would recommend this establishment to any visitor to Salzburg. It is slightly off the centre of the Aldstadt but only minutes away. It is built into the Monchberg which is the steep hill on which the Hohen-Salzburg sits. The staff were very friendly and we had a quality evening.

The next morning saw us taking a taxi back to the airport for our short 45 minute flight to Zurich and then our flight to Manchester. It had been wonderful. On reaching Manchester I felt a little cold as we located our car for the drive home. Two days later I was in hospital with pneumonia! But that's another story.

Greece again

Returning to our favourite island, Anghistri, this year we had devised a plan to include a visit to the island of Rhodes as we had never been there but heard much about it. Of course, we organised it in a very expensive way - but you live and learn. We booked two flights from Athens to Rhodes in the middle of our holiday. We should have used our common sense and organised a week in Rhodes with a follow on to Athens from where we could have returned to the UK after 3 weeks in Anghistri.

However, we went to Anghistri and took a week off to fly from Athens to Rhodes. One good thing was that we were able to locate an excellent cafe in the airport at Athens called the Olive Tree. This was useful on our return flight to Manchester. The quality of the food and drink there was excellent and we recommend it.

On arrival at Rhodes Airport, we took a taxi to our hotel in Rhodes Town. Its name was Hotel Sylvia and was a relatively cheap and comfortable place. Our only criticism was that the shower in the bathroom sent water all over the floor and this did not drain away immediately. Hence, one found it necessary wade when using the loo in the middle of the night! However, the location of the hotel was very good as it was only five minutes from the Old Town of Rhodes.

When we made our first tour of part of the mediaeval quarter we were absolutely amazed at it all. The walls that surrounded the Old Town were thicker and higher than anything we had seen. These walls were pierced by about nine gates, so the way in was always close by. The place dates back to 1309 when the Knights of St John Hospitaller captured the island and made it their headquarters. The Order had begun in Jerusalem and the island was a useful base camp or last stopping place for pilgrims wishing to visit Jerusalem.

You can see from the photograph that it remains quite a stronghold today. Within the city there is a street called Ippoton which is also known as the Street of the Knights. This street rises to the top of the city where stands the Palace of the Grand Masters. On either side and at the bottom of Ippoton are the various Inns. Each inn was there to accommodate important guests of the knights from each country. At the bottom of the street in a square stands the Inn of the Tongue of England which is now a taverna. The Inns of the Tongue of Provence, Italy etc are used as consulates for the appropriate country.

The head of the Order was known as Grand Master and there are a number of old pictures remaining of these Grand Masters still in existence. The Grand Master's Palace fell into disrepair over the years following its prime use. By mid 19th century its upper storey had collapsed. As recently as 1937 the Governor of the Dodecanese initiated a programme of "reconstruction". To be truthful the reason for this was the provision of a summer palace for Mussolini. As it was not possible to know the original lay out of the buildings much was assumed. When I visited the Palace in August 2008 I saw many items which clearly never had any place there at all. There were church pews to match those seen in old pictures of the establishment and many mosaics which had been taken from various Dodecanese islands to grace the floor of the Grand Master's Palace.

The stone used for reconstruction beautifully matched the surviving stone from the original buildings. The problem was that it stood out as modern because it was too smooth and precisely cut. All in all the Palace was a disappointment to me, but the remainder of the old city was quite wonderful. The entire city (or Old Town) is in use today for cultural, commercial and domestic purposes which is a good thing.

We went into the Old Town many times whilst in Rhodes and each time it was a joy to be there. But we also wished to see two places we had heard or read about. Firstly there was the ancient Lindos further up the coast. Our trip there was a disappointment because it had become "wall to wall tourism." On the other hand we certainly enjoyed our visit to the smaller island of Symi. First of all we sailed into a lovely harbour with a beautiful monastery at the middle. Above the monastery was an open bell tower and as a response to the ship's hooter the bells rang out a pretty tune of welcome.

It was possible to stay for a little while and wander round the village there. It was enchanting. Then we rejoined the ship to sail round Symi to its capital. It is an understatement to say that the entry to the harbour there is breathtaking. The entire town is built on a steep slope surrounding the harbour and much of it comprises neo-classical frontages of properties once occupied by wealthy sea captains. The rest of our time there was enjoyable as we sat down to traditional Greek food in a taverna.

We flew back to Athens having had an amazing seven days in Rhodes. We had seen the mediaeval buildings of the Old Town, the beauty of Symi and the sight of cruise ships coming and going each day. It had been a wonderful time.

On arrival back in Anghistri at the port of Mandraki I could not contact Christos, our host at Hotel Boulas. It turned out that I had the telephone number for his house and not the hotel. How were we to get our heavy suitcase up the steep hill to the village of Megalohori? Then I saw an advert for Takis, the scooter hire man. He is a good friend and I rang him to ask if he could collect us in the harbour. "Wait there and I will collect you." said Taki. A few minutes later we were being taken up to the village in his petrol tanker! You see, Taki is also the proprietor of the only petrol station in Anghistri.

Having travelled there nay times over the past 20 years we have made friends with a number of people resident on the island so we are never stuck in an emergency. Friends like this are worth their weight in gold! We stayed the rest of our time there and came home just after a weekend of heavy rain. It had been a memorable stay once more.

We started in Greece

For many years Pauline and I have had a dream of travelling to many places we have heard of but not visited. It was in 2006 on the occasion of our Ruby Wedding that we made a start. Each year we had chosen a single destination for a holiday. It was usually a case of travelling as far as Anghistri, a Greek island, just 20 miles from Athens in the Saronic Gulf.

In 2006 we thought we might like to visit other islands in Greece whilst out there on holiday. We booked in at the Boulas Hotel in Anghistri for a whole month. I knew I would become "stir crazy" simply staying there so we took the ferry to the nearby island of Aegina and bought two tickets to the island of Poros about 2 hours sail from there. On arrival we found a "tourist office" which was actually the local office of a Scandinavian tour company. As luck would have it they were able to provide three nights in a lovely hotel in Poros.

During our stay there we booked two seats on a Mini Classical Tour which took us over to the Peloponnese and toured Epidavros Ancient Theatre, Naplion, former capital of Greece, Mycenae and Corinth. Eventually we returned to Anghistri and after a few more days we got two reservations on a flight to Crete. In Crete we took a taxi from Iraklion Airport to the resort village of Elounda where we managed to get a double room for 4 nights. We hired a car locally and toured this part of the island as well as taking a trip to Georgeopolis near Chania where we had stayed some fifteen years earlier.

Returning to Anghistri we continued our holiday there until it was time to come home. We met Greeks who reminded us of the father in the film, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." They kept on explaining words we used by showing their Greek derivatives! We found good eating places and pleasant towns and villages wherever we went. This gave us a taste for more travel and two years later we had a month in Anghistri with a break in Rhodes for a week. But that is the subject of a further blog.