[minigolf]

Here’s a run down of our holiday. I’ll do my best to keep it brief, but can’t make any promises. With 10 cities in around 30 days it’s pretty clear that we could only really scratch the surface of the places we visited. Overall though, I’m really glad we got as much into our schedule as we could, even though we missed a lot, we also saw plenty. I'm going to do this one city at a time, and will go back and add pics once I have them uploaded. Apologies if this seems a bit self indulgent, but read on if you can be bothered and don't if you can't.



Cheers Liam



Rome : photo gallery
Our second visit here, our last time being on a Contiki tour in January 1997. I remembered Rome fondly from that trip and nothing has changed that after this visit. There are plenty of tacky souvenir sellers at the main sights which add absolutely nothing to the experience, but Rome is one city that can carry that crap and still leave you smiling. We did lots of walking in our one full day taking in the Colosseum, Piazza Navona, St Peter’s Cathedral, Villa Borghese and the Spanish Steps to name a few. But it was worth the sore feet, it’s a fantastic city that has shaped world history, not just Italy’s.

Highlights: People watching at the Trevi Fountain, the driving and simply being there. Oh yeah, hot chocolates and gelati!
Lowlights: Associating the sound of tacky whirring bubble blower guns with the main sights.

[minigolf]

Venice : photo gallery
We also dropped in here on the Contiki trip 10 years ago so the fact we had just one complete day which was to be spent at our friends’ wedding was not a major drawback for us. I did get to see the Peggy Guggenheim Museum this time around though, but did miss out on some other exhibitions which looked quite good. The wedding was a treat and the reception on the island of Torcello was superb, the food was divine.

Sadly though, Venice really is becoming a captive to the tourists. I would always recommend going, but be aware it really is a tourist Mecca and the city caters to the lowest common denominator. Ironic I’m saying that as I’m no better or worse than any other tourist who visits, but still, the tourists really are the worst bit about vesting here. Most of the shops sell the same stuff, it’s almost as if Venice is one big crappy chain store with hundreds of outlets littered throughout the city. And when you’re paying €100 for a dinner for 3 for food that is, frankly, only marginally better than complete crap then someone is being had. Do your best to get out of the tourist areas when in Venice, if you can find anywhere, as the food is supposedly better. Do cop the hit on the wallet and go on a Gondola ride, as really, that is what Venice is all about. We couldn’t find the time this trip, but did last time and I really wanted to go on a Gondola once again. C’est la vie.

Oh, the day we left we had a few hours to spare and we just wandered the streets. It was raining. It was cold. It was bloody horrible! In a city where every spare inch is needed to get around fighting your way through narrow alley ways with bozos with absolutely no regard for their fellow man brandishing umbrellas in your face is no idea of fun.

Highlights: The romance, the canals, the gondolas and the experience.
Lowlights: Tourists, tourists, tourists and the rubbish food.

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Nürburgring : photo gallery
I’ve covered most of this in earlier posts while away. However, to briefly relive the experience I will say that this is something that you should really try and do. It won’t change your life or make you a better person if you do go, but it will reward you with some the greatest experiences you are likely to have in car. Do make sure you read up on the protocols of letting faster cars through. Especially keep an eye out for motorbikes as they can be in your mirrors very, very quickly. Do make sure you drive within your limits. You might vaguely learn the track in a few laps, but you won’t learn the correct lines unless you can spend weeks, or years going there. There will always be someone quicker so leave your ego at home. Do find the time to get to a good spectator spot to watch the cars speeding past. The best places we found were near Ex Muhe at the village of Adenau, and also Pflantzgarten with good vantage points just off the B412. The über cars are great to watch, but often the best thrills are from the guys that know the track like the back of their hand. So if you see a crusty old Astra, Golf or 3 series punting it around pretty hard keep an eye on them as it’s a good bet they will know what they are doing.

If you plan on taking a rental around the Nordschleife be even more careful. When enquiring with the rental company do try and get a copy of their rental agreement so you know where you stand, but do not ask about coverage on the Nürburgring specifically as the more people ask, the more likely they will add clauses to their contracts excluding insurance coverage at the Ring. It is a public road, but watch out for clauses forbidding use on closed toll roads. Either way, just make sure you return the car in one piece and without any dents or scratches and without Nordschleife maps or stickers in the car! You don’t need the most powerful car in the world to enjoy the experience. This is not the time or place to have your first drive in a 911 for instance, whereas an Audi A3 2.0TDi would be plenty, or even an Mercedes-Benz SLK200, just don’t get an Auto.

If you want a ride in the BMW Ring-Taxi plan very, very early. As far as I can tell it’s nigh on impossible to organise from Australia if you’re on a tight schedule. The Ring-Taxi only runs on Sundays and your best bet is probably to try and make it on a Sunday and see if any ticket holders have spare seats. We were there on a Wednesday so no joy on that front, however, I would have easily parted with €100 or more for a ride if possible as it would be an experience of a lifetime.

If you’re a fanboy then have dinner at the Tiergarten Hotel in the village of Nürburg, it’s more than likely that Sabine Schmitz will be working the behind the bar. Even if she’s not it’s a cheap place for food with pretty honest grub to be had.

If staying overnight, do stay at Pension Diana or Haus Marvin in Dottingen, they are well located, very well priced, absolutely lovely people and fantastic hosts. Just checking the pics on the wall at Pension Diana of people who have stayed there is worth the money! Do consider staying for a few days and using this as a base to check out the Rhine Valley, the scenery is superb and some of the roads around Nürburg are fantastically twisty and probably not that busy either.

Highlights: Duh! Everything.
Lowlights: Can be a drag watching your mirrors if the track is busy, best to go out early in the morning or late in the day if you can.

[minigolf]

Berlin : photo gallery
What an amazing city! Honestly. Clearly the city owes plenty, both good and bad, to the Berlin Wall and what is stood for. You will have no problems finding old bits of wall to look at. Best to check out the East Side Gallery if you can, it’s a bit out of the way, but has over 1km of graffitied wall left standing, much of it restored by the original artists. If that’s not your bag you’ll no doubt come across the Potsdamer Platz which has a nice little display about the Wall outside the entry to the train station, including brief notes in both German and English. Also take note of the row of cobblestones starting from here that indicate where the wall once stood. One of the positives to come out of the fall of the Berlin Wall is the amount of prime real estate that has become available in the city centre. Much of it has been left as public open spaces, but the city has gained a new lease of life since the Wall came down with some wonderful new architecture springing up throughout the city. The Sony Centre and Potsdamer Platz probably the highlights here, along with the new glass dome addition to the Reichstag. Also make sure you check out the Holocaust Memorial just up from the Brandenburg Gates, it is quite simply one of the best pieces of public architecture you will see. So subtle, yet so powerful at the same time. Also worth a look are the VW and MINI dealers in the city centre, if only for the amount of merchandise available that we can’t seem to get in Australia.

Highlights: Modern architecture, Holocaust Memorial and the Bauhaus Archiv for the designers out there.
Lowlights: Can’t really think of any!

Side note
On our Autobahn blitz from Nürburg to Berlin we stopped in at Volkswagen’s Autostadt in Wolfsburg. IML337’s advice was to spend a full day there, and while we could not afford this with our tight schedule he was absolutely right. We literally spent one hour there and basically walked in and out of each pavilion in less than 5 minutes. We certainly did not do the Autostadt justice and there is heaps more to see than we saw. For the uninitiated the Autostadt is basically a theme park celebrating all things motoring with a focus on VAG products. The architecture here is well worth a look even if you’re not into cars that much.

Oh yeah, driving on the Autobahn is a bit of fun too. Forget the fuel bill and just let your car rip when you can. For the record we couldn’t eek much more than 225km/h out of our rental. Do keep an eye out for traffic jams though, at warp speed you close in on motionless traffic very quickly!

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Copenhagen : photo gallery
Maybe it is due to all the hype we get over Princess Mary, but I was kind of expecting to be a mini celebrity in Denmark once people found out we were Australian. But they simply didn’t seem to care, which is fair enough I guess! I even had some malarkey made up about going to school with her as well to wind up the locals, but never got the chance to let the porkies out. Enough of that. Apart from the dodgy weather Copenhagen was lovely. Check out the obvious sights like Nyhaven, including Hans Chrsitian Andersen’s old digs and make the effort to see the Little Mermaid as well. But also savour the new architecture here too. The Library extension is simply stunning and the hot chocolates in the café there are to die for. Also worth a look is the new Opera House which has a dramatic cantilevered roof line. The Rundtower in the old city centre is a pleasant stroll too and worth the reasonably priced admission for the views it gives over the city. Also well worth the effort is a canal boat tour, the guide will give you plenty of background info about the city.

Highlights: Rundtower, the Danish Design Centre and the Library.
Lowlights: Don’t stay at the DGI-Byen Hotel!

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Stockholm : photo gallery
Set amongst lots of small islands the old island of Gamla Stan is probably the highlight here. A bit touristy in parts, but certainly worth the effort. The gentle stroll over to the island of Sodermalm repays with the views over the city centre and Gamla Stan. We did another boat tour here too and that was quite enjoyable. The recorded tour guide accessible through headphones was good value without being too dry. The snippets of ABBA songs was a nice touch too. The National Museum also has a good range of Scandinavian design related stuff. This was certainly a city we needed more time in.

Highlights: National Museum and the showers at the Hotel Rex!
Lowlights: Where is the ABBA Museum?! We didn’t find an IKEA store!

[minigolf]

Oslo : photo gallery
Maybe it’s because I had no expectations for it, but maybe it’s just a great city. Whatever, I really enjoyed Oslo. The Norwegians tended to be very friendly and I’d love to come back here again. The National Gallery is the home of one of my favourite paintings, Edvard Munch’s The Scream, and seeing this in the flesh was a real bonus. I don’t know if many of you are into art or not, but I was really nervous about seeing this piece and while I didn’t know exactly which room it was in, the gallery map gave me some clues. I always made sure I entered each possible room with trepidation so as not to ruin the moment. Fortunately, I didn’t notice it at first so stumbling across it was perfect. Amazing! To think that was painted late in the 19th century just blows me away. Munch’s varied styles are also quite stunning. He was all class that Munch bloke! The old fort overlooking the city is pretty cool too. Much of the old docks are being rejuvenated and this is a good place to spend a few hours shopping, people watching or eating. Just be careful when eating in Norway, it costs an absolute bomb! We had some great meals here though, and after Venice it was nice to actually have some quality food for the stupid money we paid!

Highlights: The Scream and the old fort.
Lowlights: Expensive eating.

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Bergen : photo gallery
Situated on the west coast of Norway this is a beautiful city. The train ride from Oslo provided some stunning scenery, with frozen lakes and snow capped mountains being the norm as Bergen drew closer. We did encounter some pretty bad weather while we were away, and sadly Bergen was the worst of it. Still with 270+ days of rain every year it’s best to go prepared if Bergen is on your itinerary. The Floi Banen (cable car to mountain top) is pretty cool and the fish markets in the middle of town also quite interesting. Whale meat anyone! The old World Heritage listed buildings along the wharf are the obvious and exploited tourist attraction here, but don’t let that put you off have a look anyway. From here we also did a one day trip along the scenic railway from Myrdal to Flam. Then caught a ferry back to Bergen. We had hoped to get an even more scenic ferry journey through the fjords but there was a ferry strike on which put paid to that, so in the end we were quite lucky to score any ferry trip at all. The weather was still pants, but this couldn’t possibly take away from the scenery. It might be better on a nice clear day, but it was still absolutely stunning making our way through the fjords back to Bergen. Also of note was the P&O Oriana docking in the tiny village of Flam while we were there. She looks massive when docked at Circular Quay, so imagine how big she looks in a village in which all the residents would comfortably fit on the Oriana itself! Quite a procedure watching her dock and moor as well.

Highlights: Myrdal-Flam railway and ferry ride through the fjords back to Bergen.
Lowlights: Miserable bloody weather!

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London : photo gallery
While overseas last time 1996-97 we lived in, or just outside of London, for 7 months, so much of the tourist guff was not really on our list of things to do. We did however catch a flick at the Odeon in Leicester Square, and at £17.50 per ticket I guess that qualifies as a tourist thing to do! Even after 10 years it was really nice being back in London and it was amazing how quickly we picked up where we left off. Our Underground “tube eyes” were back in no time! A great place for museums and galleries and the Tate Modern and V&A were on our agenda and both were fantastic. The renovations at the old power station that is now the Tate Modern are very impressive. The general wayfinding and signage here at the Tate Modern are very good too. Lots of ideas for me here! Only regret is we didn’t have time to check out the shop as we had to make tracks to the Chelsea Flower Show. This was one of those things you are glad you made the effort to go to, but probably wouldn’t do again. That said it was the least I could do to pay back mrs minigolf for her patience at the Nürburgring, among other car related activities during our holiday. When we went to the V&A museum we only had time for the Modernism exhibition currently showing, and this was really, really good. Easily the best exhibition we saw while away and after all the design stuff we had looked at in Scandinavia it was the perfect end to our time in Europe.

Hmm, there was one more thing we did while in England, what was it. Oh yes, we made a half-day trip to Oxford to visit the MINI factory. Best to either leave the detail of this for another post, or at least for the article I have promised I will write for NSW’s clubMINI magazine. Suffice to say it was a great experience and I just kept thinking how much our own Oracle would have been beside himself taking in all the facts and figures while watching the production line in operation. It is genuinely astounding at how close you are able to get to the cars while the line is working. For the record 34 cars were made while we were in the Assembly hall! Thanks once again to MINI2's Harpo for taking care of Charmayne and I while in Oxford with such willingess and hospitality.

Highlights: Tate Modern, V&A, the Oxford MINI Factory tour and being interviewed by ChelseaTV when being a fanboy at Stamford Bridge!
Lowlights: Not having more time, especially for a London Eye tour.

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Dubai : photo gallery
Excess. That is the best word to describe this city. It is mind blowing at how much it has changed since we were here on our way home in 1997. More to the point it is mind blowing at how much more it will change in the next 10 years. The development in Dubai really is only the tip of the iceberg. The current airport, still in a jumbled mess of construction, is only the temporary airport with the plans for the “new” airport enabling it to take in more air traffic and passengers than Heathrow, JFK and Charles De Gaulle in Paris combined. Absurd really when you think about it. So while being amazed at the excess of the city what better to do than while away the time at the Grand Hyatt with it’s 4 tennis courts, 12 restaurants, cinema complex and boutique shops! It cost us a fortune, but was money well spent after a month on the road. To demystify a few myths, the shopping here is not that great if you’re looking for a bargain. There’s plenty of shopping malls to be had, but the prices are nothing special. Chasing the tourist dollar has put paid to that. Even 10 years ago my uncle, who lived in Dubai from 1989-2003, was complaining that the bargains in 1997 were rubbish compared to when he arrived there in the late 80s. So expecting a good deal there in 2006 is wishful thinking. The Duty Free Shopping at the airport, while probably marginally cheaper, lacks the range and diversity available even at Sydney’s airport. To reinforce a few myths, it is freaking hot!

Highlights:Dubai Museum, the Grand Hyatt and getting home!
Lowlights: Shocking excesses and not having the time or inclination to check out one of the worst excesses, the indoor skiing facility.

[Harpo]

Some really top shots there Liam.

I like the amazing angle you captured the gondola at, and the kid with the pigeons was right up there with Cartier-Bresson.

[LMB]

Great read, great pics, great stuff.

[AndrewH]

Nice write up Liam Now that you have got that out of your system, you'll have lots of time at lunch today to listen to me regale you with MINIkhana stories - KIDDING I hope you took detailed notes about all the facts and figures that they told you at the Oxford plant cause I want to know everything there is to know about production of the Mini

Oh, what's the story with this one - clubMINI.com.au on a poster in Europe??

[minigolf]

Well spotted Andrew, that's one of the billboards at the Nürburgring Nordschleife entry car park.

I wonder how long it will stay there?!

[poki]

Very entertaining read there Lima

Top work to the mystery sticker person too