World Tour - craigandcorrine

Las Vegas, M&Ms and a big hole in the ground

craigandcorrine — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We arrived in Las Vegas on the bus from hell, it was the hottest bus in the world, well that is probably a slight exaggeration, but it wasn't pleasant. We checked in to The Luxor and then went in search for food. The casino in the hotel was not as impressive as we thought it was going to be. Maybe it is because we have a casino at home so it wasn't really anything new for us.

The next day it was an early start to go the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam, it didn't take that long to get the dam which didn't look as big as we imagined it was going to be. Although you can't actually get as close to is as you used to be able to since there are always threats to it. Security had to search the bus before we could even drive over it. Not only does the dam provide water for many people it also provides electricity for LA. From there it was a long drive to the Grand Canyon which included a couple of stops in very unusual places. We even saw “coon hats” which seemed to be fury hats with some sort of animal tail attached to the back of it.

We finally arrived at the big hole in the ground, it was a great sight to see. It looks just like it does on post cards, which make you wonder if you are looking at a giant back drop. After seeing two different places around the canyon it was time to head back to Vegas, but the fun did not stop there, five minutes from our stop the bus blew a water hose. Another bus and driver came to our rescue and we were back to the hotel. We had a bite to eat with a new friend that was on the tour with and also had a cocktail that made Corrine rather ill. There was cream on the top and that is the only thing that we can think that made her ill during the middle of the night.

The next day we walked the strip and checked out the was going on. We picked up tickets for Cirque du Solei, Mystere and had a great time at the show that night. The performance was stunning and every act that came out was better than the one before. The show blurred the lines between human and animal with the way that the performers moved and the things that they were doing such as climbing up poles like monkeys.

As we were leaving the theater extremely satisfied we were handed coupons for buy one get one free cocktail at the bar where we happened to have lunch just next to the theater. We figured lunch was good we will go and have a quiet drink there. The coupon said one per person. After two cocktails each the bartender who happened to look like Toadie off Neighbours told us to go grab some more so we could continue to get half price cocktails. We did and thats when the night took a turn. There was also a competition for the bar tenders to see you could throw the cocktail shakers around the best when making a cocktail, for some reason which eludes our memories this turned into free shots for everyone in the bar, one was given to us in a glass and the next was given to us poured into our mouths straight from the bottle by the bar tender who was standing on the bar at this stage. The bar eventually closed and we hung around with our new friends that we had met for a while longer. It was time to make our way back to the hotel which was at the other end of the strip. We caught the bus but somehow missed our stop. We ended up a 45minute walk past our hotel. When we finally went to bed it was close to 6 in the morning.

The next day after less than three hours sleep. Crawled out of bed and made our way down to the all you can eat buffet. You pay $30 and you can keep going back all day. After picking at breakfast which we were sure our very hungover bodies were going to reject we went and had another look at the strip including the Coca-Cola and M&M's store. At the Coke Store we bought a sample tray of all the different soft drinks of around the world. There were some very strange things on the tray. After trying them all we decided it wasn't the smartest idea in the state that we were in. (we are not talking about being in Nevada either). From there we went to the second M&M's store of our American Leg of our trip. Even though the Las Vegas one is the original and the apparent best we both thought that the New York one was better. We checked out the old Vegas where all the wedding chapels are and even saw the chapel that Britney Spears got married in.

That night we went to the Criss Angel BeLIEve show, it was so good. Corrine is in love. The illusionist is a master and every trick he did kept us wondering how he did it. The show combined just enough comedy with the magic. Even though our bodies were screaming for sleep we ignored the screams and went and checked out the Mirage Volcano show and the Bellagio fountain show. Both shows were quite impressive and certainly worth a look. We then walked back to the hotel to get some sleep before the early bus departure for Anaheim.

LA - Round One

craigandcorrine — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We arrived in LA after flight made very long by awful passengers behind us, they were a teenage brother and sister who's mother was sitting next to them but didn't care that they were hitting and kicking each other and our seats at the same time. Craig had to say something to them it got that bad, the mother of the brats gave Craig a dirty look.

It was a flying visit to LA starting with an NHL game at the Staples Center which was fantastic. Unfortunately LA Kings lost to the Edmonton Oilers is a 10 round shoot out. We went back to the hotel tired and ready for a good nights sleep.

The next day we went to Universal Studios and checked out all the things to see there including the back lot, we were not lucky enough to any celebrities though. Highlights of the back lot would have to be the Desperate Housewives Wisteria Lane set, and the war of the worlds set where the plane crash is. We also saw where Jaws was filmed. It was very interesting to see some of the tricks of the trade. We went into the “warehouse" to see where Back Draft was filmed and saw the place “on fire”.

We checked out some of the rides, there was no lining up for us because we bought front of the line passes, something that I would recommend for an extra $20 each. the Simpson's ride was very good considering we didn't move anywhere, it is a 3D screen and a “car” that you sit and shakes and jolts you around. The Mummy ride was pretty crazy with a sudden jolt then you go backwards. It was a warm up for what is to come at Disneyland.

New York, New York, Yankees, Knicks and Rangers.

craigandcorrine — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We left Europe and headed towards the USA. We left from Frankfurt in Germany, going through baggage screening Corrine's bag got taken aside. There was a butter knife in there left over from one of our long train journeys. The man screening the bag was very good and was even going to let Corrine take it on board with her. We let him keep it.

Once in NY we struggled our way to our hotel with our bags which weighed 21 and 26kg. The subway was one of the most scariest thing that we had ever experienced. We finally got to the hotel with out any stab or gun shot wounds. Yay we had survived our first 45minutes in The Big Apple.

It was time to eat so we headed to a burger joint that we had heard that was good. The place offers 50 different types of burgers. After struggling through the menu and after asking lots of questions, there were so many strange words on there. The food lived up to it's reputation.

After an early night and a very good night's sleep we went out for breakfast and hired bikes for a cycle around Central Park. We saw lots of squirrels. Since it was Superbowl Sunday we headed into Times Square, we were lucky and snagged a spot at the ESPN Zone, which is a bar/restaurant. We didn't really understand but we had a great time. Everyone seemed to be very happy that the Giants won, and every one was saying what a great thing it is for New Orleans.

The next day we went up the 82 floors to the observation deck of the Empire State Building. The elevators were very fast. It was extremely windy on the deck and you couldn't spend much time up there as it was so cold. We also made the ferry trip to Liberty Island, home of The Statue of Liberty. The statue really wasn't as big as we imagined. We also both thought that Lady Liberty looks like a man in a dress.

We went and had a look at Times Square and discovered that there is a whole store dedicated to M&M's! Could you even get a better shop?? After catching a stand up comedy show that was in a basement starring Craig Carmean, and getting made fun of by the comedians we stopped by a street vendor selling kebabs on the way back to the hotel, (just like in the movies) We grabbed one and it was fantastic and full of late night kebab goodness.

One thing that New York has to offer is sports! We started our sporting tour off with as mentioned above in a bar for Superbowl Sunday, we continued it with a tour at Yankee Stadium including going into the players locker room and the dug out. It was by far the coolest thing we did while in New York. Even though neither of us really follow baseball we will be coming home as fans of the Yankees. That night it was off to see the Knicks play at Madison Square Garden. The home team blew a 16 point lead in the 4th quarter and went down by 4 in overtime. We thought that the atmosphere was going to be a lot more intense that it was but it did pick up in the 4th and overtime. We are also the proud owners of a big bright orange foam finger that we bought at the Garden.

Our sporting excursion did not end there, we found the NHL store and marveled at all the merchandise that one can buy, including a golf putter that looks like a hockey stick. The next night we went to a game to see what this crazy game is all about, we still don't know. Since the game was not a sell out we decided to upgrade our selves to better seats. We sat down and a kid next to us threw up!! Karma is a bitch, although we must have done something nice cos we moved closer to the rink (using the spew kid as an excuse) and ending up talking to some really nice people who gave us a couple of Rangers beer cups to take home with us, all because we were from Australia.

Our trip to New York had finally come to an end and it is now off to LA for a couple of nights before going to Vegas and Disney Land.

Blog You Later.

Red Lights and Bum Bum

craigandcorrine — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Our final night in Europe was in Frankfurt. Another long train journey but we arrived with spirits high, a little tired but spirits high. After forgetting to write down the address of the hotel, the first time in all of Europe, we set about navigating blindly the 5-10 minute walk from the central station. We read the hotel information display and found an address. Karlrhustrasse was the street name we were looking for. We had a good look on a big map as we left the station and headed towards Karlstr. This was where our 5-10 minute walk turned into a good 30-40 minute walk, including a stop at an English Pub for directions, walking through the local red light district and finally returning back to the train station carrying all our luggage. Turns out Karlstr. stands for Karlstrasse not Karlrhustrasse!

We went back to the English Pub for tea where Craig had a meat pie and chips and Corrine enjoyed a nice seafood salad. Aside from the meals with our families this meal would be one of the best we had in Europe. On the way back to hotel we called into a supermarket and a couple of items caught our attention. The first one was Dickmans puddings but the one that really caught our eye was the Bum Bum icecream. It was cold outside but like two little kids we decided we couldn't resist buying one each and trying it out. Our first Bum Bum experience was quite an enjoyable one.

Off to the airport and head off to New York City.

Blog you later

Vaduz – Liechtenstein

craigandcorrine — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

After briefly seeing the country on the way through to Feldkirch and only 20 minutes away by bus we decided to visit Vaduz, the capital city of the 6th smallest country on the planet. It was a nice walk around the city (it only has 35,00 residents) and is amazing that a prince who lives in his castle up on the mountain overlooking the city still rules. We did read that once a year he opens the castle and invites all the residents of the town to join him for a drink. Was quite strange seeing postcards of him in all the souvenir shops.

Also we visited the Prince's winery and tasted some local wine and even saw some Australian wines showcased with other wines from around the world in the Cellar. Saw some strange looking horse statues and enjoyed the balmy weather of 8 degrees which saw us eat lunch outdoors and earn the name “Vikings” according to one of the locals.

Blog you later

Feldkirch & Kegelbahn

craigandcorrine — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

What looked like a complicated journey from Ispra to Feldkirch with train changes at Milan, Zurich, Schaan, Buchs proved to be a breeze. Maybe this was due to the Italian food given by Mario and Liboria. 2 bottles of prosecco (sparkling wine), some cheese, bresola and salami. We had a great feast on the train whilst watching the lakes and mountains pass by,

Feldkirch, Austria is a little town that is close to the Switzerland, Lichtenstein, German borders, a total change from what we are expecting when we head to the mayhem of New York over the weekend.

It was another place where English was not very common at all we navigated around the town quite well on the buses and footpaths. It was a very quaint little town with a medieval square one of the highlights. Also for those who are travelling through smallish towns, don't trust the churches as a location marker as we found out. What Craig thought may have been church across the road from the hotel, turned out to be wrong and we had to wait another 15 minutes in the cold for the next bus. Although this was a great time to let the beer, just purchased from the supermarket, chill off in the ice on the footpath. Ended up being a sign that the beer was very ordinary and the worst Craig had tasted all trip.

On our final night we went to the basement level of the hotel and found the local Kegelbahn alleys. A game with nine pins (all attached to strings, no need for fancy machines) and smaller balls than ten pin bowling, provided for a couple of hours entertainment. We even got to witness a local competition happening on adjacent lanes. For the record Corrine's name goes down as the Copes Kegelbahn Champion and gets her name on the wall alongside plaques from competitions dating back to the 60's between Austria, Germany and Switzerland held at this venue. It is a shame we had to rub her name off the blackboard and leave it clean for the next players.

Blog you later

Pasta, Pizza, Pizzoccheri and Polenta

craigandcorrine — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Deciding we needed a holiday within our holiday we headed towards Ispra in Italy, town where some of Craig's relatives live. After a marathon 10 hour – 3 different trains – journey we got picked up at a train station by Giambi and Luca, some of Craig's Italian cugini (cousins). After the formalities of the hugging and kisses on the cheek (3 in Italy) we headed off to Ispra. 'Casa di Mario e Liboria' was our accomodation for the three nights over the weekend. We got a great feed that night of pasta, schnitzels and potatoes, and as always we finished with some good chunks of cheese. We also got a quick refresher course in Italian with Luca and Robi (Giambi's wife) doing a bit of translating and teaching...

After a nice sleep in, and waking up to temperatures above zero whilst being in mainlaind Europe, it was time for some more of Liboria's wonderful cooking, Pizzoccheri. Strange sounding name, strange looking pasta but lots of potatoes, pasta and plenty of cheese make up this pasta dish.

We stuffed ourselves to the brim and decided we needed to walk some of it off so we headed into Varese, the local city. Giambi, Robi and Luca showed us the sights of the city, some shops and we stopped by a local cafe for some hot chocolate. For those that have not tasted European hot chocolate, imagine melting a block of Cadbury chocolate, pouring it into some mugs and serving with a hefty blob of whipped cream on top. Very rich but also very nice.

That night involved going out at a local restaurant with some of Giambi and Robi's friends and having some more traditional Italian food, rissotto and pizza with sausage and potato chips on it.

Our final day in Ispra involved a healthy serving of Polenta (mmm, more cheese) for lunch, a nice walk near the lake, saying hello to more of Craig's family, eating some freshly made pastries by Giambi and finally watching a game of football with a drink in hand. Juventus ended up drew 1 all but a great day to end our trip to Ispra.

Next stop Lichtenstein, the 6th smallest, country in the world. We will actually be staying in Austria, near the border as there are not many hotels in Lichtenstein, can't blame them really, as the country is only 6km wide!

Blog you later

The Washing disaster and beer

craigandcorrine — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We made it to the beer capital of the world. Munich, famous for Oktoberfest. After being on the train all day we got to the hotel. What we did then will surprise everyone. Rather than go and check out one of many beer halls that Munich has to offer we washed our clothes. Thats right we did laundry.

Which turned out to be a disaster of epic proportions. We found out that we didn't need to travel to get to a laundromat, the hotel had washing facilities. We loaded up the machines and grabbed something to eat. Then it was time to dry them.... We loaded the wet clothes into the dryer turned it on and went to our room to watch a movie. Two hours later when the clothes were meant to be nice and dry Craig went down to collect them. The clothes had some how become wetter or so it seemed and the dryers would no longer work After dragging all our clothes, that were still literally dripping wet upstairs and spreading them out all round the room so they could dry, it was then that we noticed all our white clothes were an awful shade of pale blue. We determined that it wasn't anything that we had done it was the dodgy washing machine and dryer combo. We finally got to go to bed after 1am. Our room also happened to be one of the smallest rooms we have stayed in the whole trip.

The next day with some of the clothes still dripping we made our way into the heart of the city and took in the sights. We booked a food and beer trip for the evening and then went to see what Munich was all about, beer halls. We checked out Hofbraeuhaus, the biggest beer hall in the world. Where real men drink beer by the litre. We also had a traditional Bavarian lunch. Bavarian food consists of pork, whether that be in a sausage, meat loaf or roast form. On the side there is either dumplings, sauerkraut or potatoes.

That night we went on a tour to learn about where beer all started. We learned that in the medieval times beer was made by monks and it was classed as a food and not a beverage. We also learned that Oktoberfest was originally set around horse racing and other such events. We also sampled different types of beers and more sausages...

The next day we went to the Dachau Concentration Camp, this is where we learned about Hitlers coming to power, we were also informed that one year he was given the honour of being Time Magazines Man of the year. We had a look at the gas chambers and crematorium, even though the crematorium was used a lot no one is sure how much the gas chambers were used as Dachau was never used as an extermination camp. Most of the inmates died due to other reasons such as hypothermia, typhus and from malnutrition. One thing that we found surprising it that we can thank Hitler for the Olympic torch relay. He decided that it would be a good idea and to make it look like the world was one to have the torch travel around to give the feeling that the was no division in the world during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Next time you watch the Olympic Torch relay think about this.

Our final day in Munich saw us having a look at the 1972 Munich Olympic Stadiums where Shane Gould won two gold medals in the pool for Australia. This was also the Olympics where there was a terrorist attack on Israeli competitors. It is also the only 20th Century architecture that is a landmark in Munich.

On our final night we went back at the Hofbraeuhaus beer hall for a drink and some food. As the hall got busier we shared our table with two Germans who introduced us to the spirits on the menu. It was a very enjoyable night that included music, dancing and beer of course. It was a shame we met our new friends on our last night in the wonderful city. We are sure if we had met them earlier they would have taken us under their experienced beer drinking wings. It always does seem the way when traveling though.

The hills are alive with the Sound of Music... well, underneath the snow

craigandcorrine — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Our only stop in Austria was Salzburg, a town famous for being Mozart's birthplace and one of the greatest movies of all time, The Sound of Music. Yep thats right, the 1965 Musical starring Julie Andrews about the Von Trapp family who escaped the war. We had a look at the Abbey that Maria actually belonged too and where Maria and the Baron got married in real life. A couple of the scenes from the movie were actually shot there. The opening scene where Maria is running late for mass.

We also checked out the Mirabell Gardens where most of the scenes for Do Rae Mi where filmed with Maria and the children skipping around fountains and running through tree lined footpaths. We also saw the statues that are in film. Our only regret was that we did not see it in all its glory during Spring or the start of summer when all the flowers would be in full bloom.

Aside from The Sound of Music factor that did feature heavily on our stop in the cute cobblestoned streets of Salzburg we had a look at the Medieval Fortress Festung Hohensalzburg. Which dates back 900 years. The fortress was built on the highest part of the city and offers really spectacular views of the city and the mountains, unfortunately for us we didn't come at the best time of the year for clear views to the mountains. While in old fortress we learned that if you did not have a crazy moustache you were probably not likely to ever be a ruler of Salzburg. This is bad news for Craig if he does want to try and become a ruler since he has trouble growing any facial hair.

After a morning strolling through the winding paths and checking out some of the very strange statues that are in the city we are heading to Munich which is going to be full of stein drinking frivolities including a trip to an Aussie pub for Australia Day.

Zakopane ... Zako-Where???

craigandcorrine — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We thought we needed a break from our regular sightseeing and decided to get away from it all in a small Polish skiing town called Zakopane. Which is two hours south of Krakow by bus. We arrived at the bus station and wisely caught a taxi to the hotel. Had we made our way by our selves we would have certainly gotten lost.

After checking into the hotel we checked out the closest ski run to the hotel, it was less than a five minute walk away. We made sure we knew where to go to hire ski equipment and booked a ski lesson for the next day.

The next day we made the short walk up to Polana Szymoszkowa and got decked out in ski boots and all, and went for our lesson. It is not as easy as it looks. We spent more time on the ground rather than upright on the skis. The young kids (who were shorter than our skis) were putting us to shame as they went whizzing past us in a blur. We went back to the hotel feeling rather defeated but determined to get better at our second lesson the next day.

Since skiing is such hard work and leaves you feeling very hungry even if most of the time you are actually on your bum, we went into town via a chair lift then a funicular to have some lunch and check out all the sights. The town was really nice with market stalls lining the streets. We had a great time browsing and checking out what was on offer. This became our pattern, spend time skiing then make our way into town for something to eat.

The next day after a much more successful lesson, it was time to brave the slope all by our selves. It was very scary but we did well with only Corrine falling over the once. By the end of the week we had finally gained a little bit more skill and a lot more confidence. We were finally enjoying our selves as we were skiing rather than being frightened for our lives the whole way down.

If Zakopane sounds familiar it might be because you follow such sports as ski jumping, during our stay here the World Cup Ski Jumping was on, so we went and checked it out. We learned that the Poles are crazy for their countrymen who are competing. The streets were full of vendors selling scarves, crazy hats. beanies and horns. We made our way up to the run (we think that is what it is called) and joined the hoards of people cheering. A few locals after finding out that we were Australia started treating us like we were celebrities, they were taking photos of us, gave us shots of vodka and even painted the Polish flag on our faces. It was great fun.

We realised why people in very cold countries drink vodka, it sure does warm you up. It does make for interesting times walking down the icy footpaths though. We had never seen so many people who all seemed to be drunk off all the shots of vodka that they had been having fall over. It was very amusing.

Our stay in Zakopane has been wonderful, even though not many people speak English everyone we have come across have been so accommodating and have gone out of their way to help us. We will always remember Zakopane with great fondness.

Cruising Cracow

craigandcorrine — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

From Prague we visited Krakow, it took two trains. The second train we went on we did not think that we were ever going to get to our destination. The train was so old and rickety plus the heating did not really work. We breathed a sigh of relief once we finally arrived at the station.

Getting to the hotel was an easy walk. Then it was time to go and search the old town for food. We ate our first ever Georgian meal, it consisted mainly of cabbage and bread like products.

The next day we made our way to the Wawel Hill to the Castle and Cathedral, in the middle ages the hill is to said to have a dragon living in a cave underneath, a man tricked the Wawel dragon into eating sulpher by stuffing animal skins with the chemical, the dragon died and Krakow was safe once again. The Cathedral was very impressive, we got to see the crypts of saints and people who once ruled the city. Krakow's biggest export would have to Pope John Paul II who was the bishop at Wawel. There is a statue of the late pontiff and even some of his clothing that he would have worn as the Pope in the museum. The catholic community of Krakow are very proud of their home grown pope. Which is evident everywhere.

The next day we went to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, which have written a whole separate blog about if you want to check that out.

As we were getting off the tour bus Corrine rolled her ankle quite badly which put an end to our evening plans on hitting a pub or two. We will try again at a later stage.

On our final day in Krakow we went to Kazimierz which was once the thriving Jewish Quarter until WWII, the area is still trying to find its feet. The name Kazimierz may familiar to you since that is where Steven Spielberg filmed the movie Schindler's List. This is the actual town that Oscar Schindler actually had his factory and hired hundreds of Jews to make pots preventing them from certain death in concentration camps. Unfortunately for us the factory was not open so we could not have a look.

We both really enjoyed Krakow, it is a very beautiful city.

Our next stop will be to Ski, fingers crossed that there will be no more injuries.

Blog you later.

Auschwitz-Birkenau

craigandcorrine — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Arbeit Macht Frei - Work Makes you Free

Not for over a million Jews, political prisoners and others that were sent to death at the largest Nazi death camp that was used during the Second World War. This is where we visited today, it was a tough day. Not something that we can say that we enjoyed but something that we are finding hard to describe it is an experience that we will come away from never regretting and one that we think everyone should try and do, that way you can have a tiny glimpse of what millions of people had to endure. Even if fate did not take them to Auschwitz-Birkenau but to another camp. Even after spending a day there we still cannot comprehend what life would have been like for those poor souls who had to suffer through it.

We were going to put this blog with our Krakow one but thought that it deserved to be on its own.

We arrived at the infamous gate and walked through it all the time realising how lucky we are to be able to walk back out. You could not help but feel an overwhelming sense of sorrow, that only got worse as we saw material evidence of the atrocities that occurred not so long ago right where we were standing.

Glasses, combs, hairbrushes,artificial limbs, suitcases, shoes (around 10,000 pairs) and even pots and pans were piled high only showing a small percentage of what was really taken from the lives of people. Every thing that could be recycled was taken and that included human hair, which was reused for items such as blankets, clothing and rugs. A huge pile of human hair was on display, about two tons once again a small percentage of what would have been stored in warehouses. This isn't even taking into account the hair that had already been used for items including womens stockings. Unless you have seen it there is no way to describe the quantities that were there.

Something that struck us both was the shoe polish that was left behind, it made us really appreciate the fact that the people that were taken really believed that they were going to the East to start a new life. Would you take shoe polish to your death?

We got to see the gas chamber where people were sent to their death, some didn't even last a day, they were taken straight of the trains and marched to the gas chamber, these people were told that they were going to go for a shower and were even given soap to stop them from being suspicious. For the people in the camps that were no longer useful they knew what was about to happen to them, they were to frail to fight. We saw where the bodies of the dead were cremated, sometimes the crematoriums were running 24 hours a day just to try and keep up with the load.

It was a life changing experience and we know that we have missed so many things in this blog, but even writing about what we saw would never give justice to what you experience and get to take away with you while visiting.

A castle a clock and cheap drinks.

craigandcorrine — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Our train out of Berlin took us to the beautiful city of Prague in the Czech Republic. We were continually amazed at the intricate beauty of the baroque and Gothic buildings that defines this city.

We had a look at the famous Castle that overlooks the city and imagined that we were the king and queen. We even had a look at the dungeon that held the prisoners and even the medi-evil devices that would have kept the criminals restrained ... OUCH

We went on a Ghost Tour and learned about some of the executions and the like that happened in the middle ages and even saw where the Knights Templar Prague Headquarters used to be.

The astronomical clock was an awesome spectacle with all the dials ands hands although neither of us could tell the time from it. On the hour two little doors open and statues of the 12 apostles rotate. A moving statue of a skeleton "rings" the bell.

Unfortunately the Tyn Church was closed while we were there due to Climatic Reasons, we can only guess what that actually meant.

One thing we did see a lot of were fire engines racing along to remove ice and icicles that were hanging down from building that were melting and causing dangerous hazards for the people driving and walking underneath them. It was very strange to see since we come from a part of the world that never sees snow.

After walking around on slippery train platforms, roads and footpaths it was in Prague that Corrine fell victim to the slippery-ness while stopping to let a car go by she slipped and fell, the only injury was pride.

The beer and vodka in Prague are so cheap, it is cheaper here to buy a pint of beer than it is to buy a bottle of water at home. Beer is so important to the Czechs the hop vine even features on the Coat of Arms.

Blog you later.

Blizzards and Berlin

craigandcorrine — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Another Train Journey, another major European city, Berlin the stop this time. After settling into our Best Western accommodation (almost felt like home except for the white stuff on the ground outside the hotel and the freezing cold weather) we ventured out a visited a German Pub for a meal and a German beer.

After advice received in Amsterdam, our first museum stop was the German Historical Museum. We saw that Germany did in fact have some history before the both World Wars but that history involved what seemed to be a lot of different wars, including a 'thirty year war'. Got to touch some medieval clothing and see a lot of clothing, posters, letters and military weapons from over the years.

We then visited Checkpoint Charlie and its museum. This point and area was one of the major crossing points between East and West Berlin whilst the wall was up. It was amazing to read some of the stories and tales of the lengths people went to get from East to West Berlin.

Night time in Berlin and it was ghost tour time. We met up with our night watchman and he took us around the Nikolai Quarter, the home of Medieval Berlin and recounted many stories of what happened back in the day. We got to finish the tour off with a drink in the oldest Berlin Pub dating back to the 16th century. For those who are interested in medieval history of Berlin check out www.baerentouren.de

Next day the snow had started to fall again and we decided to go on a city bike tour. We had half expected it to be canceled due to the weather but Tom our tour guide warned us that it was going to be bloody cold and there will be some bad jokes. He was right on both accounts! What started off as light snow falling turned into the closest thing to a blizzard we have seen, however Tom gave us a great insight into the history of Berlin and we visited all the major sights, including Hitlers Bunker where he committed suicide, the only watch tower left standing that soldiers kept watch in to make sure no one escaped from East to west while the wall was up and of course the Berlin Wall, what small part of it that is left standing anyway.

Corrine will never forget Checkpoint Charlie after her little incident. She managed to lose control of the bike and fell over doing the splits, because of the slippery surface it required both Craig and another man to help her back on her feet. For those who visit Berlin in the future be sure to check out Fat Tire Bike company. www.fattirebiketours.com/berlin We had a great time and it was well worth being in the freezing cold.

Next door to the hotel was a little kebab shop that had some great food. It was there Corrine decided that she wuvs wodka.

For those heading to Berlin thinking that all Berlin has to offer is pubbing and clubbing you are going to miss out on a load of stuff. Berlin has a fantastic history both very old and very recent, make sure you check it all out.

Tomorrow we head off to Prague.

Blog you later

Beer and red lights

craigandcorrine — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

After traveling a few hours and swapping trains a couple of times we were finally in Amsterdam, the city famous for it's coffee shops as well as it's red light district. We got into Amsterdam in the evening and by the time we got to the hotel there was not much to do except for a walk through the red light district, this is what we did.

I must say it would not have been as seedy if there were no tourists walking around and gawking at the girls. We even saw a guy leave a little shop front looking very sheepish. We found it rather daunting walking down some of the alley ways that the shop fronts faces, with the girls calling out and trying to beckon would be clients. We found out that the reason for the “red light” is because many years ago when sailors had finished a long stint at sea they came into the town to look for some entertainment and the women that were available used to wear little red lights around their necks.

The next day we went to the Anne Frank museum which was an incredible experience, the museum is the house that Anne Frank and her family hid out until the day that they were taken away by the Nazis to different concentration camps. Unfortunately Anne only died one month before liberation, thinking that she was the only one left surviving from her family. Her father survived the was and it was him, Otto Frank that decided to try and get Anne's diary published. Since the 60's the house has opened it's doors to countless tourists wanting to see and in turn paying respect to Anne and her family. If you are ever in Amsterdam this is a must see.

We then got to see more of Amsterdam's past when we visited the Amsterdam Dungeon. This was an interactive and educational ghost tour. It included a mini ghost train styled roller coaster to finish.

Next was the Heineken Experience where we toured the original Heineken factory and got to see how the Heineken brand has changed over time. Included free tastings which went down very well.

To top the day off whilst walking towards the Heineken Experience we got to experience walking around the streets of Europe whilst it was snowing. Such a weird feeling but totally cool. There was enough snow by the evening that little snowmen were appearing all over the place.

Now off to Berlin where the weather reports are saying it will be a maximum temperature of -6 degrees. Looking forward to it.

Blog you later

Paris

craigandcorrine — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We made it to Paris on the Euro Star. We went through snow covered fields through the North of France which was very pretty. Once we got to Paris though there, was no snow to be seen. Only very cold wind.

We got to our hotel, no view of the Eiffel Tower from our room but it was clean and a place to rest our heads after walking around all day. There was no fridge but we made do, Corrine came up with the great idea to keep our drinks out the window to keep them cold. Make sure you check out the photo. It worked great too.

Our first full day saw us get up early to go to the Louvre as it is free entry on Sundays. We had a relatively short wait in line, only about twenty minutes which we spent people watching. Once inside we checked out the Egyptian section, the second largest collection in the world, only to Egypt. We then made our way to see the most famous lady in the whole of Paris, Mona Lisa, the crowds surrounding the famed painting were unbelievable. People were pushing and shoving, We don't think that they realise that she is not going anywhere. One lady even put her hand on Corrine's shoulder and pulled her out of her way to get to the front. It was ruthless!

Next stop was the Eiffel Tower where we joined the masses and climbed up the stairs. A few hundred steps later we were at the viewing platforms on the tower. The journey back down was a little bit easier. We failed to see what was so romantic about it, waiting in line with thousands of other people then climbing up with your legs getting more and more tired each step then once on the viewing platform with loads of other people. It was so cold that everyones nose was running. NOT ROMANTIC AT ALL!!!

As night settled in on Paris, we saw the Eiffel Tower under lights then we traveled to the Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elysees. Where we walked down the street and took in the atmosphere.

The next night we checked out the outside of Moulin Rouge which was very pretty. After wandering the streets of Paris it was time to go back to the hotel and rest up for our journey to Amsterdam.

Blog you later

New Years Eve

craigandcorrine — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Happy New Year!!

We spent New Years with Corrine's family at her cousins House. It was a good night with three of her five aunts and uncles there. One that she had not even met before.

A lot of booze was consumed, a lot of bad photos of people were taken, a lot of hugs given and received. A few tears were also shed with the promise of trying to get the whole family together for another new years in the future.

It was a great night and it was sad that it had to end.

Blog you later.

Hopping around London with Froggy

craigandcorrine — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Jumped on the train to the home of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, thats right folks ... London.

We didn't chose the best day to go considering it has been the only day it has rained while being in the U.K. It rained all day and into the night.

Our first stop was to have a cup of tea with Lizzie, but the old bird double booked so we watched the changing of the guards instead. Disappointed that Lizzie had forgotten that we were coming we did the next best thing, caught up with Jay an Aussie friend for lunch in a pub.

After saying our farewells it was time to see if London Bridge was falling down. Thankfully it wasn't and we wandered over it in the wet. Onto Westminster Abbey which was the highlight for Corrine. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos inside and it was to wet out side. When you see the abbey on T.V you don't realise that there are so many nooks and crannies. We got to see the tombs of many famous and historical figures including Sir Isaac Newton.

After our trip to Westminster it was time to head on over to Leicester Square to meet up with another Australian friend, Christian or as we all know him - Froggy. We did something that is typically "Froggy" which was have dinner and go to a show. We saw Avenue Q which was fantastic. We had such a good time it was a real shame it had to end.

After spending the night at the Frog Mans it was a quick trip into Harrods and then back to Newmarket to count in the New Year.

Blog you later.

Christmas in Wales

craigandcorrine — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Christmas this year was spent in the most unusual fashion.... cold.

Christmas Eve was spent in Cardiff watching iceskaters at the small fair that is set up called the Winter Wonderland. We even tried our luck at a game of ring toss and it seems luck was Craig's side (when the operator wasn't looking) and won a small bear. We threw some grinches and had a hot chocolate. After it got dark at about 4-30pm it was time to head back to Bridgend.

We woke up on Christmas day with our fingers crossed that it was going to be a white one. We had no such luck. There has been no new snowfall to make snow men out of. Instead we called all our loved ones back home in Australia which we guess comes a close second.

After lunch it was time for presents! We got unexpectedly spoilt but the highlight would have to have been watching Corrine's cousins toddler playing with all his new toys.

The next day we got to see some of the Welsh coastline, and lots of sheep, we hadn't seen any up until then. Neither of us had worn so many clothes to go to the beach but it was a good excuse to wear our new gloves, scarves and beanies that we had been given for Christmas.

Now it is time to go to Merry ol' England

Blog you later.

Exploring Cambridge

craigandcorrine — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Yesterday we rugged up and headed for the university town of Cambridge in the UK. The historical town is close to where Corrine's family live so it was a short bus ride in. Most of the ice on the paths had melted so it was easy to walk on the cobblestone paths.

We checked out the sights of the old colleges and even went for a ride on a punt, (Cambridge's answer to the gondala) along the River Cam. Even though Cambridge University is celebrating it's 800th birthday most of the building are older than that. One even being built by Henry the 8th.

The colleges have been home to some famous people over time, including Sir Isaac Newton, A A Milne (the creator of Winnie the Pooh) and even Prince Charles. One of the libraries houses original illustrations from Winnie the Pooh and first editions of Shakespere. I don't think they are available for loan though. It is said that Shakespere even got a lot of his insperation from Cambridge, it is easy to see why.

Cambridge is a very pretty town and we are going to make a big call and say it is probably one of the most romantic spots in the world. If you are in the area go and visit.

Blog you later.