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2006 US trip

March 2020

As our house sit in Salir do Porto drew to an end we were getting news of Portugal going into a State of Emergency and closing its borders. 

Before Covid 19 was a thing we made the hard decision to head towards home stopping in Thailand for a couple of months on the way. We therefore booked Thai Airways flights from Rome to Bangkok for April. Rome was chosen as a departure point because we didn’t know where we would be at the time and Rome is kind of central with many flights from all over Europe. 

We had no more house sits booked. As you could imagine, no one was traveling! We needed a place to rent until April and then fly from Lisbon to Rome. San Martinho do Porto is a sleepy fishing village with a picturesque ‘half moon’ shaped bay and is extremely popular with locals in the summertime. Fortunately for us it was winter time so finding a place to rent was not too difficult. Inevitably, we received confirmation from Thai Airways that our flight was cancelled, understandably as the situation in Italy was catastrophic at the time. Things were looking grim, the apartment we were renting short term was going to be needed for longer than we originally anticipated. Not all bad news because it was a comfortable, newly renovated apartment in a prime location, with a stunning uninterrupted view of the bay. The owners obviously were aware that there would be little to no chance of renting to anyone else so we were able to negotiate a good monthly rate.

With our flight to Thailand cancelled and the Covid situation getting worse by the day we were facing the reality of being in Europe for the foreseeable future, so we were going to need to lease or buy a car. We had already leased two cars for six months each time and the cost of just one lease was almost as much as buying a reliable older used car, so we set about searching for cars. It quickly became depressing as we were to learn that cars are much more expensive in Portugal than other parts of Europe. We even considered for a little while, the idea of buying a Motorhome and ‘wildcamping’ along the plentiful coastline Portugal has to offer. That idea was quickly quashed after we inspected a few and decided that unlike our American RV we have at home, European vans are too small and we’d have been pushing our luck living in such close confines 24/7.

After an extensive search we finally settled on a 2007 Renault Megane station wagon in very good condition with low kilometers for its age. The young guy who owned the Stand (car yard) seemed to be a genuine family man and we were surprised that he accepted the first offer we put to him. The day we had arranged to pick the car up was the day after lockdown was announced. We had to discreetly meet him at the yard so he could open the gates and prepare the paperwork etc. The transferwise payment from our Australian bank had not even hit his account as we drove away! Couldn’t help but feel sorry for the guy as it was probably the last car he sold for a long time. We then had to drive the two cars to Lisbon Airport to return our rental and then back to Sao Martinho do Porto where we battened down the hatches and locked down only leaving the apartment to buy groceries.

It was a creepy feeling, we could see most of the sleepy fishing village from our window and it’s virtually deserted streets with the exception of the GNR (Guarda Nacional Republicana) car that circulated the village with its loudspeakers blaring out the message to stay at home in Portuguese. Initially there was a lot of uncertainty as to how difficult the lockdown was going to be so we stocked up on canned food and dehydrated meals (yummy). Everyone remained reasonably civil and thankfully they didn’t empty the shelves of toilet paper!!! It soon became apparent that the supermarkets would remain well stocked and we weren’t going to be missing out on anything. The way things were managed was admirable with strict limits on numbers of people in shops at any time, disinfectant at every entrance and security guards situated at the door of larger stores controlling the people lined up outside, respectfully, distanced and masked.

During our daily walk one day we saw a tractor on the beach towing an agricultural sprayer and wondered what they were doing. Surely they’re not fertilising the sand? Upon questioning we learnt that they were spraying disinfectant! The next day from our window we saw a modified fire truck with spray nozzles mounted front and rear spraying the road before mounting the pavement and spraying them too! If that wasn’t enough there was a truck following with a guy handling a lance to spray benches, rubbish bins and anything else that didn’t move. From that point on we had to be very careful when we timed our walks because you didn’t want to be caught on the streets when they came around for risk of being fumigated.

The Australian government was recommending that all of its citizens abroad return to Australia immediately and a lot of friends and family questioned why we weren’t coming home. We had given it a lot of thought but it was easier said than done, to ‘just come home‘. There were limited flights available, inflated ticket prices and a high risk of being bumped. We had already experienced a flight cancellation with Thai Airways who had since grounded their entire fleet due to financial difficulties so we were unlikely to receive a refund or a credit. Then there was the high risk of contracting the virus on a plane or at any of the numerous airports we would have had to transit to get home. We felt confident with how the Portuguese government was handling the situation and the cooperation of the public. We were in a lowly populated area, paying low rent, had access to good low priced food and wine not to mention the abundance of fresh seafood. The scales were leaning heavily toward staying put.

Twenty minutes away was the larger city of Caldas da Rainha. We would visit every two to three weeks to give the car a run and buy groceries that weren’t available at our local supermarket. Obidos, the medieval town and Nazare, famous for its big waves also were nearby and we managed to visit both before lockdown. There was so much more we wanted to discover in the area but we had to be patient and be grateful for the idyllic beaches and cliff tops we had at our doorstep.

Our next house sit was back in Barcelona. A return sit that we enjoyed twelve months prior. As there was a little over a week between the sit we completed in Lisbon and our next one in Barcelona, we took the opportunity to visit San Sebastián, a world renowned town on the Bay of Biscay in Spain’s mountainous Basque Country. A place we had heard so much about and had been trying to get to since we arrived in Europe. A flight from Lisbon to Bilbao got us to within an hour’s bus ride to San Sebastián. Instead of continuing our journey the moment we landed, we booked a hotel in the centre of Bilbao for a couple of nights to check it out. So glad that we did as it is a stunning city. Home of the famous Guggenheim museum and allegedly has some of the best Pintxo bars in the region (Pintxo being the Basque version of tapas). We walked for hours marvelling at the incredible architecture, riverside, artwork and fresh food markets making several stops at Pintxo bars along the way. 

The one hour bus ride to San Sebastián turned out to be closer to three by the time we caught the local bus to the depot and then navigated ourselves to the correct ticket window and then to the appropriate gate, but we managed to get on the correct bus and arrived at our hotel near the bay, and walking distance to the old town, where we would stay for a week or so to discover all San Seb had to offer. Admittedly most of the people that recommended the place to us usually visit during the summer months when I’m sure the beachside has far more appeal, but we were thankful not to have to fight the crowds to get into the numerous restaurants and Pintxo bars. On the downside, some of the restaurants we wanted to try were closed for the off season but there were more than enough to ensure that we did not go hungry!

San Sebastián is definitely an absolutely amazingly pretty place and a gourmet’s paradise. We had been given advice for some of the best baked cheesecake to try and where to get the best Pintxo, and they were all outstanding. If you were to factor in some sunshine and warmth it is definitely worthy of its glowing reputation, but for my part, I preferred Bilbao as it struck me as a genuine traditional city with loads of charm, and as Linda would probably summarise my preference, cheaper Pintxo.

Our flight to Barcelona was from the small airport just on the outskirts of San Sebastián right on the border of Spain and France so we didn’t have to go all the way back to Bilbao. We landed at El Prat (Barcelona) on time and were greeted at the airport by Bob and Gina, who’s apartment and pooch we would be looking after for a second time. We caught up on each other’s adventures of the past twelve months over a nice dinner and a few fine bottles of Tempranillo before driving them back to the airport early the next morning to board their flight to Dubai where they would be spending time with their grandchildren, as they had done the previous year.

The sun drenched apartment in Castelldefels, Chewie, the handsome rescue dog and time spent with Bob and Gina were what drew us back. Long walks along the nearby beach and coffee at the beachside cafes was going to be a pleasant way to spend a couple of weeks. We even afforded ourselves a day in town, this time visiting Gaudi’s ‘Parc Guell’ which was quite an experience. A day in downtown Barcelona wouldn’t be complete without lunch at a restaurant we proclaimed as one of our favourites last time we were in the amazing city. I also very nearly experienced being pick pocketed by a couple of shady characters walking too close behind me. If it wasn’t for a good hearted local woman walking the opposite direction spotting them and yelling aggressively at them, they would have had my phone for sure. That experience caused us to go shopping for a ‘man bag’ much to my dismay but necessary when travelling in parts of Spain unfortunately.

It was early in February when we flew from Barcelona back to Lisbon. We noticed some people wearing masks in the airport thinking it looked a tad strange – little did we know what lay ahead!! 

We were to commence our next house sit in Salir do Porto which is part of the Silver Coast in central Portugal, about an hour and a half drive from the airport. We picked up a rental car and headed north avoiding the toll roads, choosing the scenic route as we had ample time on our hands. While we were driving through the small town of Vila Franca de Xira we were waved off the road by the police into a car park that was crowded with people. In all the driving we had done throughout Europe to that point we had never been pulled over. We soon noticed that a large number of the crowd were children, a group of them approaching my window behind a police officer who began talking to me in Portuguese until I interrupted him to apologise that I did not speak the language. This seemed to have annoyed him a little as he waved a woman amongst the crowd of children to come forward (apparently a teacher) to interpret for him. In broken English she announced that it was ‘National Hug Day’ and they were asking if I would get out of the car to hug a group of school children. Somewhat bewildered and happy I was not getting a ticket, I got out of the car and did as the teacher asked. Another memorable travel experience just because we were too lousy to pay the motorway toll! I don’t know for sure but I’m pretty certain that would have been the last ‘National Hug Day’ for a long, long time.

The house-sit in Salir do Porto was for the lovely couple we sat for the previous year in Curzon, France. They had since relocated to Portugal with their two adorable standard poodles (one of which is a giant!). Sadly their third elderly spaniel had passed and did not make the transition to their new life in the sunshine on the Silver Coast of Portugal. We were going to enjoy a few weeks walking the energetic pooches along the coastal cliff tops and on the golden beaches while soaking up the local charm of the welcoming locals. Unbeknown to us at the time, that we would be settling (isolating) in neighbouring Sao Martinho do Porto for the next four months! 

Wow. That was a massive attack of ‘writer’s block!!!!

Let’s go back to November 2019 when we could travel freely and not have to wear a face mask. That was when we loaded our last blog ‘A week in Riga’, it seems like an eternity ago. And with good reason, it’s been two years!

Since that time we served our first lockdown in Portugal, travelled to Germany via Gibraltar, Spain and France for the European summer. We spent a month touring Poland before returning to Portugal earlier this year where we’ve been locked down once again! One would think that lockdown would be an ideal opportunity to catch up on a blog but for reasons I cannot explain, I just couldn’t motivate myself to set aside long walks on the beach and generally doing nothing, to sit in front of a keyboard. 

Riga was the last trip we did during our six month long housesit in Germany. We knew it was going to be difficult saying goodbye to our hosts, now friends and the welcoming neighbours that ensured we slotted into life in Hude as well as two non German speaking Australians could do.

It was early in December when we were packing our bags to fly to our next house sit in Pamela, Portugal, just south of the Capital, Lisbon. Having returned our leased car a few months prior we took the train to Hamburg where we would stay for a couple of nights before flying to Lisbon and enjoy the traditional Christmas Markets that are taken very seriously throughout Germany with Hamburg offering one of the best.

Our celebrations drinking gluhwein and eating bratwurst, raclette cheese and many other healthy foods were disrupted by a message from Ryanair to advise us that our flight to Lisbon had been cancelled! Just twelve hours before we were due to fly. Up until that point, we had experienced numerous flights with Ryanair that were faultless. We were beginning to wonder what the negative reputation was all about – we were now learning quickly. There was no explanation, just a blunt text message. We had to arrange another flight quickly as we needed to meet our commitment to our next house sit host. After a stressful web search while seeking refuge from the cold in a bar, we secured a couple of seats on TAP, the Portuguese carrier, at around six times the price of our original flight.

We finally arrived in Lisbon, albeit late as we discovered why Ryanair might had cancelled their flight. The rolling strikes and the ‘yellow vest’ brigade shenanigans in France had been causing major disruptions, this time it was the turn of the air traffic controllers to ‘down tools’ at short notice which meant no one could fly in their airspace. As a result, our TAP flight had to skirt around France by flying towards England, over Cornwall and down along the Atlantic coast to approach Portugal turning what should have been a three and a half hour flight to almost five!

We could only assume Ryanair didn’t want to take the loss of the extended air time and took the decision to just cancel flights affected by the strike.

Our patient host Annette was waiting at the airport to take us to what would be our home for the next two months to look after three well behaved cats while Annette travelled to her native Scotland.

Before Annette left, we spent a few days in Lisbon rediscovering the city we had visited five years prior. It’s a colourful city that has kept its charm. The notable difference was that there was a lot of restoration of many of the old buildings and the addition of some trendy hotels and restaurants. The most memorable was a traditional multi storied bakery that was well known for its excellent ‘Pastel de nata’. You know it’s going to be good when there’s a long line of locals waiting to be served. We also managed some time in Setubal, a nearby port city and wine region with numerous seafood restaurants.

We had not long started our house sit before I received a call from my sister to say that our ageing mother was not doing so well and would not be with us for much longer. I had said goodbye to my Mother two months earlier during my brief visit to Australia. I knew then that it was most likely the final farewell as we had celebrated her ninety sixth birthday while I was there and she was beginning to become frail. When Linda asked me what I was going to do I said that I wasn’t keen on doing the long haul again as it becomes more and more taxing the older you get and I’m prepared to admit that I’m no spring chicken. “Don’t regret anything” was her advice and she assured me that she could handle the three feline on her own – it wasn’t as though she had to walk feisty dogs or anything! so we hastily organised a flight for me to leave within a couple of days. A further call from my sister to say that mum’s condition was declining rapidly had me on the phone to shift my flight forward. “Tonight?” I repeated while talking to the airline. “Ok that will have to do if it’s my only option” I replied. I could hear Linda gasp in the background. We were supposed to go out for a ‘Christmas Lunch’ the next day as I wouldn’t be there for the festive day. “Well be better go now” I suggested and we drove in the teaming rain to a nearby seafood restaurant that was highly recommended and enjoyed a really nice time before Linda drove me to the airport later that evening. The shitty weather had gotten nastier but we arrived on time, although her traffic affected journey home took almost as long as it did for me to fly to Dubai! And as the flight was late getting away because of the storms, I missed my connecting flight to Melbourne having to stay at a nearby hotel until the next flight.

Fortunately mum was hanging on and I eventually arrived at Phillip Island where my sister had been caring for her for the last few years. Understandably she wasn’t looking too well but she was aware of my presence which made the whole ordeal worthwhile.

Mum hung around to celebrate Christmas with us and passed peacefully on New Year’s Eve 2019. She always had good Instincts. I think she knew what was in store for 2020!   

I returned to Portugal after a whirlwind two weeks that included Christmas, New Years, a funeral and a birthday. It was emotional and exhausting but I had time to reflect on the long flight back and concluded that it was one hundred percent the right thing to do. Linda, on the other hand had a lonely time in what was an unusually cold spell and was kept busy carting wood from the garage and stoking the fire which was the house’s sole source of heating. It was good to be back. Needless to say I was on firewood and cat feeding duty for the remainder of our stay.

What we have loved most about being in Europe is the close proximity to so many exciting destinations and what makes it even more attractive is the cheap airfares. Ryanair had €21 fares to Riga, about a two hour flight from Bremen. We had not been to Latvia before, we have been to Tallin in Estonia and we enjoyed our time there. Latvia, being a former Soviet Union country like Estonia, we had expectations of it being just as nice.

Our neighbors in Hude offered to look after Carlo the cat while we were away, as we looked after their rabbit when they went to Sweden earlier in the year. We flew on a Monday and returned on Friday giving us a good amount of time to explore the city. 

We started off by doing a walking tour of the city. The arrangement was to meet our tour guide with a bright yellow vintage suitcase at the rear of St. John’s church and we had no trouble finding her. Our tour guide was a young girl from regional Latvia and was very proud of her heritage.

Amongst visiting many landmark buildings we were taken to the market halls, which are apparently the largest fresh food markets in Europe- the Valencians told us their market was the largest so I think someone is telling porkies!

It was actually an informative tour and our guide spoke authoritatively with confidence and pride. She was rudely corrected by a Russian couple a few times but she carried herself well and managed to put them back in their box without making too much of a scene. The rest of us were left wondering why they bothered doing the tour when they already knew everything! It was a ‘free’ tour but at the end, most of us put a generous amount of money in the hat- we don’t think the Russians did!

The tour ended at around lunchtime. The cold weather together with the long walk had built quite an appetite. When we separated, our tour guide pointed us in the direction of where we could find some restaurants but we ended up in a park with no restaurants in sight. I took a chance and asked a passing woman if there were any restaurants in the direction she came from, and to our surprise she spoke English and was very helpful. After a brief chat, we learnt she was originally from Russia. It was quite a surprise to us as most Russians we have come across seemed to be more like our friends in the tour group! The woman in the park was refreshingly cheerful and happy to chat. We went directly to the restaurant she recommended and she was spot on. It was as traditionally Latvian as it could get and busy with locals from nearby businesses. It took a little working out but after watching a few people ordering we established that you can select from the many mouth watering trays of food and the plate would be weighed after each addition to determine the total price. It was quite novel and a great way to sample many different dishes at a very reasonable price.

Our apartment was in the old town right by the river. An extremely old building as you may imagine. Our initial impression of the entrance hall and stairway to the fourth floor wasn’t brilliant but we have learnt from previous stays in period buildings around Europe, that there is no effort in restoring and heating the common areas and once the door to the apartment was opened, we were relieved to see it was cheerfully renovated and toasty warm. So warm in fact, it was almost tropical- and not adjustable!

Our days were spent walking and exploring the charms of the city. Forty kilometres actually. Pretty good effort I thought especially considering we were wearing boots and the cobblestone roads raised the difficulty factor.

We were entertained by a Korean film crew producing a medieval movie in the old town complete with stunts on horse drawn carts and convincing props. The cast and crew were actually staying at a hotel near our apartment and we can confirm that they party as hard as they work during the day!

Linda convinced me to go along to hear the pipe organ in the Dome Cathedral. Apparently it’s the second largest mechanical pipe organ in Latvia and was highly recommended. Ten Euro a head to listen to the thirty minute performance! I couldn’t stand sitting in church for an hour every Sunday as a child- and I didn’t have to pay!  So you can imagine I was a little reluctant but it was pretty impressive- even though we couldn’t see the woman playing from where we were sitting and had to settle for a projected image of her on a large screen.

A walk back to the markets to wander around at our own pace was the order for our last day. A host of merchants in one of the large halls offered all sorts of delicacies so we sampled a few, and went back to some for seconds. The traditional local drink, ‘Black Balsam’ is also available and plentiful in the hall so we tasked ourselves to sample all the variants.

When it was time to head to the airport, we were so acquainted with the city we effortlessly found our way there using public transport in plenty of time to have dinner before boarding our flight back to Bremen, where we were picked up by our friendly neighbours and driven to Hude to continue in our duties of  looking after Carlo.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable week enjoying a new city. We hope to also visit Vilnius in neighbouring Lithuania some day. If we stay in Europe long enough, I’m sure we will.

People ask us about how we get our house sits. This is the main website we use. https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/refer/RAF147238/
If you use the link above you will also get a discount on membership.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.
Enjoy

.

We received word when we were in France that we had to move our motorhome from the warehouse where it was stored at home. It was a message I was loathing. We couldn’t just ask someone to move it for us as it was packed to the gills with our personal belongings that were, towards the end of our travel preparations last year, just thrown in with little to no order, and boxes were stacked to the roof! To be fair, I did say we’d be away for twelve months and we were pushing eighteen by this stage! They did offer to put the move off until the end of the year but we didn’t want to be committed to that as we were likely to be travelling a further twelve months, or more, depending on what opportunities were thrown our way.

Our own pooch Merlot had also outstayed his welcome with the people that were looking after him while we were away. His carers looked after him well and he was much loved but they had since got their own puppy and it was all a bit too much as Merls has become a bit of a grumpy old man in his old age (happens to the best of us!). There were also a couple of issues that couldn’t be handled remotely so as we were settled in a long term housesit  and had just the one cat to look after, it made sense for me to shoot back while we had the opportunity. Catching up with some friends and family was a bonus, especially as my mother’s ninety sixth birthday would be celebrated while I was there.

We co-ordinated my flight with the expiry date of our leased car. It had to be returned to Frankfurt, about a five hour drive to the south, so I set off with a large suitcase containing our surplus luggage. The next stage of our travels was going to be by air, so we needed to slim down. 

I was flying Qatar airlines so I would be stopping off in Doha. The first leg of the journey was easy as it was not a full flight and I had the luxury of four seats to stretch out on. The food service was good, offering a variety of options on the menu. I selected the lamb and as I was about to tuck into it the stewardess returned with a meal asking if I was Laurence Briffa. She told me that I had preordered a ‘low fat, low carb’ meal. “Ahhh, that would have been my wife” I replied, “And she’s not here so if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather have the lamb, thanks”. She seemed a little bemused and I did offer to eat it as well if it was going to cause any problems but she took it away.

The next sector from Doha to Melbourne was fully booked so we were shoehorned into our economy seats for the fourteen hour haul but fortunately it arrived on schedule in the evening and I was able to smoothly pick up a rental car, drive to St Kilda, where I was staying, and get a good night’s sleep.

I needed the rest as I was staying in Melbourne for the first week with appointments and chores lined up with few breaks, and the spare time I did have was spent getting the motorhome prepared for relocation.

Understandably, the motorhome’s engine battery was flat but the storeman at the warehouse it was stored in, helped me get it started with some heavy duty jumper leads. Once I had all the boxes rearranged and stowed suitably, I set off to Grantville with my little buddy ‘Merlot’, who I picked up towards the end of my busy week.

Grantville is a small town in South Gippsland on the way to Phillip Island, where my sister and nieces live and care for my elderly mother. I had prearranged a storage space in a shed of a firewood yard. Murray, the jovial proprietor offered to drive me and Merls to San Remo where my niece would pick us up and drive us the rest of the way to the ‘lsland’. He had a couple of deliveries of firewood to make along the way so I took some cold beers from the fridge of the motorhome and we acquainted ourselves over a couple of coldies in the tip truck- it was good to be back in Oz! (I also couldn’t pass up on a piece of fried flake and a dimmo!)

As I mentioned earlier, it was my mother’s ninety-sixth birthday so we had a family gathering to celebrate the occasion and I was really happy to be there for it. Quite a milestone given her hard upbringing. Surviving WW2 in Malta which was given an absolute hiding with constant air raids, raising four children without the aid of parents, losing her mother at a young age and starting a new life in Australia. Although I was telling someone recently that I was no trouble as a child- not once did I ask for an iPad!!

I spent the best part of a week at Phillip Island. Relaxing from the busy week prior and from preparing the motorhome for another storage stint- We hope to travel across to Western Australia in it some day but we will need to have a major garage sale before we can do that.

It was nice spending time with my nieces and their growing children. When I was leaving to head back to Melbourne for a few more days before returning to Germany, it was difficult saying goodbye to my mother. Goodbyes are never easy but given Mum’s age and her frail condition, the reality is, it will probably not be too long before I receive a call that would be harder than someone asking to relocate the motorhome! Obviously I’m hoping she will be with us for many more years, but age catches up with everyone! Thankfully, she is well cared for in a loving environment and has seventeen great grandchildren around to keep her young- not all at the same time!!!

I enjoyed my last few days in Melbourne. Picking up things I had ordered and catching up with more family and friends. I filled my empty suitcase with chocolate and wine and even enjoyed some sunny spring days- I was keen to soak it up because I wouldn’t be seeing the sun for a while back in Germany. The flight back to Frankfurt was tolerable (thanks to the odd Bloody Mary!!!), but the five hour train ride, with two changes, to Hude was torture. 

A bus, 2 planes and  3 trains- 37 hrs door to door! Being back with Linda, and the aroma of freshly cooked curry as I walked in the door made it all worthwhile.

People ask us about how we get our house sits. This is the main website we use. https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/refer/RAF147238/
If you use the link above you will also get a discount on membership.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.
Enjoy.

We arrived in Hude, the location of our next house sit after our 1300km drive from France. It is a part of Germany that is quite familiar to us as it is approximately thirty kilometers west of Bremen, where Linda’s mother was originally from. It is also about twenty kilometers east of Oldenburg, a smaller city but just as charming as Bremen. We were initially concerned about how we were going to cope with being settled in one place having been so transient for twelve months but as I write this we have just completed our six month stay in Hude, and it has been absolutely brilliant. Our hosts Michael and Christine have a beautiful house in a semi rural setting. They made sure we were familiar with the immediate area and showed us around, and introduced us to the neighbours who have been fantastic, and really have made us feel welcome. The six months have flown by- I even managed a short visit back to Australia to take care of a few things while Linda stayed behind to look after Carlo, the handsome, sometimes playful, no nonsense cat that was a joy to look after.

Hude is a small municipality in Lower Saxony with a population of around 15,000. We initially thought that we might have to drive to either Bremen or Oldenburg to do our shopping but were pleasantly surprised to learn that Hude boasted five supermarkets, which I thought was a staggering amount for the population. There was even a weekly local fresh food market, but we still drove into Oldenburg occasionally to visit the Bio (organic) supermarket and the Asian grocery stores.

We were also very close to the Dutch border and did a day trip to Giethoorn one day, which is a peaceful car-free village in the province of Overijssel. It’s known for its boat-filled waterways and centuries old thatched-roofed houses. We hired a battery powered boat to tour the canals and managed not to embarrass ourselves with our boat skills, unlike many others had done by smashing into local commuters and going the wrong way in the one-way system! It was a cracker of a summers day and we enjoyed a leisurely lunch sampling the local cuisine. 

Another day trip was to the Island of Langeoog, one of seven inhabited East Frisian Islands in the southern North Sea. It was about an hour and a half drive to the north and a forty five minute ferry ride. The only cars on the Island were electric vehicles which were mainly used for deliveries and emergency services. An old style train transported us from the ferry to the centre of town. Bicycles are by far, the most common means of transport on the island. There are 1,900 permanent inhabitants but I’m sure there were more than twice that many bikes! We did our our tour by foot once we got off the train, It seemed to be a very popular holiday spot for locals. It was a very local atmosphere- we didn’t notice too many foreign tourists, and the restaurant we had lunch in didn’t even accept credit cards which almost became awkward.
We concluded a fab day on the island by having a drink at a gin bar. Langeoog is known for its variety of speciality, locally distilled gins so it would have been wrong not to try a few!

A trip to Bremerhaven is something I had wanted to do for years but had never had the opportunity. We were advised not to expect too much from the city, and some Bremen residents even like to distance themselves from the place. But like all Harbour side locations, it had appealed to us. We were also told that the Emigration Museum was worth visiting, and it was: In the museum, there was lots of information about German’s that had emigrated to other countries over the last 300 years. There is even a  portion of a ship from the 1880’s that was replicated including the dock which was eerily realistic. We climbed the gangplank and a walk through the sleeping and dining areas convinced me that I’d much rather the twenty three hour flight to Australia in an A380 than spend six weeks on that ship. We even found records of Linda’s mother, Trudi’s departure to Australia in 1958!

We enjoyed some memorable day trips to both Bremen and Oldenburg and had become familiar with them, strutting around like locals. A Saturday in Bremen to watch the Freimart float procession was priceless. The floats were 40’ trailers towed by trucks or tractors, decked out in a variety of themes and were packed to the gills with revellers dressed in traditional costumes and grooving to the pumping music. Just about all of them were throwing sweets to the crowds and at least two of the floats were fashioned as a bar, and were pouring beer from barrels passing them out to the crowds- definitely an ‘only in Germany’ experience!

 After the parade, most of the crowd headed for the enormous beer halls which reminded me of my ‘Oktoberfest’ experience in Munich when travelling with my mates. Only this time I was drinking from smaller vessels and in far less volume- just as well because you had to pay to go to the toilet! I couldn’t believe it- the best part of an Australian dollar every time you had to go and the serious punters were guzzling beer by the litre. If they tried to do that in Australia the boys (and probably some girls) would be peeing back into the steins! We had arranged to meet Linda’s niece and one of our neighbours at the beer hall and it turned out to be a great afternoon listening to live music and watching people dancing on the tables. Quite a lot of beer and wine was enjoyed, and Linda was sipping schnapps from little bottles she found in her hand bag! She also assisted the girls to ‘souvenir’ a couple of wine glasses and a stein- can’t take her anywhere.

I have mentioned Linda’s grandmothers ‘gingerbread house’ in a previous blog. It’s a charming little house on about five acres of treed land on the other side of Bremen. With the passing of Linda’s mother last year half the property was left to Linda and her siblings and the other half is retained by her aunt in Germany. We found out on our last visit that the property is not expected to carry much value as there are strict limitations as to what improvements can be done to the property and it can only be occupied as a ‘weekender’. Since then, Linda’s cousin’s daughter and her husband who have horses, expressed an interest in the property to house their horses and spend weekends there. They have made some improvements and we are delighted that she is interested in keeping Hastedt (the name of the community) so that it could retain the family history. We had been to visit Jana and Max a couple of times to enjoy their hospitality in the warmth of the wood fire heated cottage.

Linda also has relatives (from her father’s side) in Essen, approximately three hours drive to the south. We hadn’t been to see them since 2014 when they put on a great feast and gathered the many relatives (who all live within a square kilometer from each other.) They are a great bunch of people and really know how to enjoy themselves. Heinz, the husband of Linda’s cousin is the host of the ‘get togethers’ and he really is a character. His english is limited and obviously my German is just a few words but we manage to get along famously. On our last visit we stayed the night which was just as well because we needed to recover from Heinz’s homemade schnapps, which we had thoroughly enjoyed. This visit was just a day trip as the end of our time in Germany was looming close and we had lots to do, but they didn’t disappoint and put on a lunch spread which we enjoyed with the gathered nearby relatives. I had a few beers with lunch but I think it was a good thing Heinz didn’t bring his schnapps out otherwise we wouldn’t have got home to feed the cat!

We always enjoy our visits to this part of Germany, especially Bremen. There is a lot of history there and some amazing buildings. This time we explored another new area called the ‘Schnoor’, which is a maze of lanes lined with little 15th and 16th century houses.

We have really loved our time in Hude. The local medical centre was even a nice experience- some thanks to our European health cards. The doctor’s sense of humour was hilarious. We asked him if he would sign a document for us on one occasion- he obliged but said that we needed to bring chocolate next time! (far better than paying ninety Euro to the Aurstralian Embassy). Even sitting in the waiting room was pleasant: every time a new patient walked in they greeted everyone with a ‘Moin’ (which is the novel Northern German greeting) which is followed by a chorus of ‘Moins’ from the waiting group. You can’t walk past anyone in the town without exchanging ‘Moins’. It really is a friendly place to live.

Just about everyone gets around on bicycles. The bike paths are separate to the footpaths and God forgive you if you walk on the bike path- you will be told. The cyclists obediently follow the road laws and car drivers respect the riders, always giving them right of way. It’s perfectly normal to see people of all generations cycling to the supermarket to do the shopping, rain, hail or shine. 

Germany is also famous for it’s Weihnachtsmärkte (Christmas Markets), which happen in most towns. WE tried to visit as many in the area and managed to get to the markts in Hude, Oldenburg, Bremen & Hamburg. They are very popular and visited by many people from all over Germany as well as tourists from around the world. You can find all kinds of products from foods, clothing, alcohol and carnival rides, all housed in traditional little wooden buildings.

As I mentioned earlier, the neighbours have been brilliant. We have been taken to local events and traditional restaurants that we would not have experienced otherwise. We had been invited to their houses for dinners and afternoon tea and had them over to ours. Our host’s Michael and Christine return soon and we are looking forward to sharing stories, drinks and food together before we head to Hamburg for a few days, from where we fly to Lisbon to start our next house sit. 

We are surely going to find it difficult saying goodbye to our new friends in Hude.

People ask us about how we get our house sits. This is the main website we use. https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/refer/RAF147238/
If you use the link above you will also get a discount on membership.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.
Enjoy.

We arrived in Bergamo from Malta early enough in the afternoon to get a few kilometers under our belt. We were heading for our next house sit in Anduze, just north of Montpellier in France. As the most direct route took us right through Monaco we took the opportunity to spend a sunny weekend on the Côte d’Azur- why wouldn’t you?

Linda performed her magic on the internet and found us a converted boat shed in the gated Marina of Èze, just a short train ride from the Principality of Monaco. Although we were one weekend too early for the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Formula E race was taking place that weekend. As I had been to the Monaco F1 race in 2014 I wasn’t bothered about missing it on this occasion and it was a good opportunity to experience the ‘electric’ version, as I can’t imagine I would have gone out of my way otherwise.

The boat shed was brilliant. The perfect party pad! A man cave on the water if you like. As we rolled up the door the sun shone directly into the dinning area. It was well furnished with a long dining table, adequate meal preparation area, a bed settee, a large screen television and bathroom. It was tastefully decorated in a nautical theme complete with display fishing rods and, although I can’t recall exactly, I’m sure there would have been some fish netting as well.

We woke to brilliant sunshine the next morning rolling the door up to see some fashionable locals boarding their yachts for the short sail to Monte Carlo harbour for the day’s racing activities. I on the other hand, walked the kilometer or so to catch the train into the principality! It was Saturday so I had gone in to watch the support races and practice sessions. The crowds were similar to the F1 event but the track was a shortened version missing the legendary tunnel section. There was something else noticeably missing- the deafening noise! Even though the speeds and grip levels are similar, it just didn’t seem the same watching the cars ‘werrring’ around. It left me a little disheartened realising that this was the future of motorsport and the days of thundering noise and the aroma of racing fuel were almost over. At least I have permanent ear damage as a constant reminder of the ‘good old days’! 

I decided not to go in for the main race on the Sunday opting instead for a short scenic drive along the coast into Nice with Linda to do some shopping, and in the afternoon we went for a long walk on the beach followed by some home cooked local delicacies and beverages in our boatshed. We were later entertained by the alcohol fueled racegoers returning to the marina after their day in Monaco.

It was a nice weekend but monday morning had arrived and we had to get to Anduze to start our next house sit. Tish and Tim were our new hosts, they are originally from the UK but have been living in France long enough to be considered locals and shared their house on a sizable plot of land with their two dogs and three cats. Tim and Tish were retired. Tim having been in the automotive industry has maintained his passion of the motor car having a collection of restored and project cars scattered around the property.

They were off to Sardinia for three weeks so we were charged with looking after the pooches and felines as well as maintaining the garden. The lawn area was extensive and spread over three tiers but fortunately they had an articulated ride-on mower which made the job for me more fun rather than a chore, even though it was springtime and you could almost watch the grass grow!

Anduze is a small village in the south of France, and we were about three kilometers from the centre. Even though there were supermarkets nearby we enjoyed going into town, especially on market days so we could make the most of the fresh produce and all the French gastronomical delights. The two dogs, Noodle the poodle and Merlot the Bichon enjoyed their walks in town too. For normal morning walks, I’d put them in the car for a ten minute drive to the river where they could run free along the fast flowing rapids rife with trout and salmon visibly swimming upstream. It really is a picturesque part of the country and the brisk walk was usually rewarded by some fresh croissants I would pick up from the bakery on the way home. As you could imagine, we were enjoying this lifestyle immensely. 

We enjoyed several day trips to nearby towns including Sommières, a historic village that has a Roman bridge, a medieval centre, and a fortified gate. We spent a pleasant Saturday morning roaming its streets and markets.There were numerous bars along the river and we thought it would be nice to have some lunch but we soon realised that all the bars only serve drinks and many of the patrons eating at the tables were actually indulging in the food they had bought from the market! “Great concept” we thought so it was back to the market stalls for some food to go with our drinks by the river.

Another day trip was to Palavas-les-Flots, a seaside town just outside Montpellier. It was really a hark back to the town as I had stayed there when travelling with a mate some thirty years ago. We walked and walked the streets of the old town and the beach area but nothing was coming back to me – obviously I drank too much back then!

While in the area we also visited a medieval town named Aigue Morte, which was a small Templar walled town- the foundation of the city is said to be from around 102BC, but the first tower in the swamps was built in 791. The walled town was picturesque and almost looked like a movie set. It was also very popular with the tourists!

Tish and Tim returned from their holiday in Sardinia and we enjoyed a dinner we had prepared for them, which has become the norm- We have made it a point of having our hosts return to their home in as clean or cleaner condition than they had left it and to have a meal ready for them, as we well know that the last thing you want to do after a long journey is to cook.

We packed our little Peugeot and made tracks for the 1300 km journey to Hude in Northern Germany where we would be spending the next six months house sitting one cat! We had been living out of a suitcase for twelve months by this stage – how were we going to cope with being settled in one place for six months?

People ask us about how we get our house sits. This is the main website we use. https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/refer/RAF147238/
If you use the link above you will also get a discount on membership.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.
Enjoy.

Of all the Ryanair flights we had taken over the last year, we can’t fault the service. Sure, like all budget carriers, they try the ‘add on’ extra for luggage, extra to be able to choose your seat, extra for a cabin bag and priority boarding etc etc. There have even been sarcastic suggestions that they will soon be charging to use the toilet! 

We have never paid to choose our seats as we have found that the cabin crew are chilled about us switching seats. In fact, we have got to learn that if we are the last to board, the exit rows with extra legroom are generally vacant (because no one wants to pay for them) so we just help ourselves to them knowing that nobody is going to come and claim them. All the flights have been on time or close to it. Except this time. I must say that it was not the fault of Ryanair, the ground staff are generally provided by local agencies and in the case of our flight from Bergamo, it was a total balls up. They lost track of who they had scanned onto the plane and I could sense it was going to be a problem. They actually scanned me twice and others had slipped through without being scanned at all so once we were all on board, the inevitable search for some passengers was made. They started searching by seat number but that was never going to work as hardly anyone was sitting in their correct seats, including us, legs stretched out in the exit row. So they announced that they would be coming through the cabin to sight everyone’s boarding pass to ensure everyone that should be on board, was on board. We eventually took off – about two hours after we should have.

The late arrival didn’t bother us as we knew exactly where to go to get the local bus to Floriana where we would be staying, and I even had time to go to the clinic to get some blood tests done. The apartment we booked was one that we had stayed in before. It was small but in a convenient location. We only booked it for three nights hoping that we would have completed all that we had to do and then we could rent a car and stay in a quieter part of the island for the remainder of the week.

Our mission for this visit was to get Linda’s ‘Identity card’, having already completed her citizenship and is now a fully fledged ‘Malteser’ complete with Maltese passport. The Identity card is an important item to have if you are living in Malta as you can’t do anything without it. Another important part of our mission was to obtain our ‘Euro Health Cards’ which would entitle us to healthcare throughout the European Union. We had previously ordered mine online as I already had my identity card but it was going to be a challenge for Linda to get hers as we had to first receive her Identity card! 

Long story short, my health card was issued but got lost in the mail, Linda successfully applied and received her Identity card, then applied for her health card and received it the mail – all in the week we were there! Me on the other hand, thought I could just go into the office and pick up a replacement card- Not so! They insisted they would only mail it – so we were at the mercy of Malta Post again!

We had done all that we could do in Valetta, so we got our rental car and moved into a more relaxing apartment. In the four visits of the previous twelve months, we had hardly ventured outside the Capital so we were going to enjoy some time driving around the island to see how much it had changed.

Prior to the latest visits, it had been about twelve years since we were last in Malta, and even then it had been a relatively short visit. I had spent a year on the island with my parents during the seventies, so there were some enormous changes since then. We drove all the way (and I say that loosely as nothing is too far in Malta) to Mellieha and to where the ferry goes across to Gozo, then back to the city of Rabat where my mother and her sister, as young girls, were placed to seek refuge during the second world war.

We found an outdoor eatery to have lunch and it was very pleasant in the sunshine – until that is, a sewage truck pulled up out the front and started pumping! That promptly got us to get back into the car to complete our circumnavigation, past the Dingli Cliffs and around to Marsaxlokk and Marsaskala to visit my cousin Rita and her husband. Rita had not long been diagnosed with a brain tumor, which was a bit of a shock. Sad for many reasons, Rita was a bit of a linchpin for the family and an important care provider to her elderly mother and her Aunt. (Update- We recently received the sad news that she passed away, RIP Rita. Life can be cruel.).

My health card had still not arrived and it was the day before we were due to leave. There was a very good chance we were going back to Italy without one of the main things we had come for. We had arranged to meet the people that were staying at the address we were using for our mail, on the morning of our flight to check if it had arrived, but we decided to drive past the evening before as we were in the area. Driving into the capital of Valletta can be difficult for a number of reasons; the streets are extremely narrow and in some areas, turn into steps without much warning. They are also very steep in places and parking is near impossible. On top of that, there is a congestion charge and permit required in certain areas that is monitored by cameras at all entrances. I had no choice but to leave the car in the middle of the street while I checked the mailbox. The current occupants were not home but I could see a letter just out of fingers reach. I thought if I stood on my toes, held my tongue in the right direction while forcing my hand into the slot, I’d have half a chance of grabbing it with the tips of two fingers and extracting my hand without dropping it to the bottom of the mailbox: Bingo!, I got it and it was addressed to me and yes, it was my health card, Hooray. We were so happy we felt like doing a happy dance in the middle of the street but there were a few cars backed up with horns a blazing so we got in the car, drove out of the city and looked for a bar to celebrate our good fortune in.

Our flight back to Bergamo was on time. It appeared it was not a full flight so we were pretty sure we would bag some good seats. We hung back trying to be the last on board but it seemed a young French couple were working the same strategy as us and there was an awkwardly slow walk across the tarmac in an attempt to be last onboard. They were goood, as they avoided all opportunities to pass us. That is until I asked Linda to stop and pose in front of the plane for a photo. Bam, they had to pass us then and we were able to claim the last vacant row of exit seats!

See you next time on Côte d’Azur where we booked a boat shed for the weekend!

People ask us about how we get our house sits. This is the main website we use. https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/refer/RAF147238/
If you use the link above you will also get a discount on membership.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.
Enjoy.

The drive from Zurich to Lake Como was only three hours according to ViaMichelin- but that didn’t take into account the traffic snarl up in the Alps! We thought there may have been an accident in the tunnel that connects Switzerland to Italy because we were stationary for a long time. Watching the snow coming down was a novelty however, and seemed to ease the pain of being stuck in a traffic jam. Eventually the traffic cleared and we were moving again.

It was nice to be back in Italy again, our third visit in the time we’ve been away. I was looking forward to pasta, pizza, prosciutto and mozzarella cheese. We had booked accommodation on the outskirts of Lake Como and it took a bit of getting to because it was on a one way street. Eventually I got frustrated trying to find the correct way to get to it so I did what most drivers in Italy do, and went up the wrong way! It was pretty basic accommodation but we were exhausted from our journey over the Alps and just needed a good night’s sleep so we could have a good look at Lake Como in the morning.

The drive down the hill coming into Como the next day was quite a sight. So much so, I had to thread my way through the numerous lycra clad cyclists to find a park at a wayside stop to take the view in. You hear about places and how beautiful they are but sometimes you arrive and your expectations are a little too high. Not in this case, it really was a stunning sight. Once we got to the centre of town and parked the car we set about walking around the charming city starting off at the water’s edge. It did feel ‘high society’ the way people were dressed and the general presentation of the shops and restaurants. We had lunch in an open air restaurant in a piazza and it wasn’t too ridiculously priced – maybe because we had become used to Switzerland prices!

I could see that Linda was being drawn by the vacuum of retail temptation with all the brightly lit boutique stores so it was best we made the hour and a half drive to Monza and settle into the apartment we booked for a few days. It would be our base to visit the city of Milan and for me to check out the legendary motor racing circuit Monza is famous for.

The apartment was perfect for what we needed, a washing machine so we would have fresh laundry for our upcoming week in Malta. A secure carpark so I didn’t have to drag everything inside, a big Carrefour supermarket nearby, a well equipped kitchen to cook our favourite meals and most importantly, a comfortable place for Linda to hang out while I was at the circuit! 

After a quick shopping trip, I drove the short distance to Parco di Monza. The excitement was reaching fever pitch!. The park was actually commissioned by Napoleon’s stepson Eugene de Beauharnais during the French occupation of Northern Italy (I’m just trying to make this sound interesting for the non enthusiasts!!!). But really, there’s a Royal Palace within the park! Also housed in the park, is the historic ‘Autodromo Nazionale Di Monza’ that’s what I was interested in, the ‘Temple of Speed’ as it’s known. There was a club event going on so I was lucky to see some action on the track. In fact there was all sorts of family oriented motorsport activities going on around the complex. I was keen on doing a bicycle tour of the 5.8km track but unfortunately it was not available that day (probably something to do with cars roaring around the track!), so I did the tour of the track facilities anyway which I found interesting. We were taken through the press facilities, the unique podium that hovers over the main straight, the hospitality suites and even shown Bernie Ecclestons office (he still has a lucrative business running the ‘Paddock Club’ even though he has sold the commercial rights to the sport to a US media group) and the tour ended with a lap of the track in a ‘people mover’, which was not the most exciting way around the track but at least I got to see it.

I was hoping there would be somewhere within the track I could watch the Azerbaijan Grand Prix the next day, but sadly there wasn’t, and I was given the name of a bar nearby that shows it on a big screen. So, Linda had another quiet afternoon as I packed my ipad and headphones (so I could get english speaking commentary) and headed for the pub after lunch. It turned out to be more of an upmarket cafe than the ‘bar’ I had imagined so I must have looked a bit odd staring at the big screen with my headphones on (not that it bothered me). There was only one other person watching the race and she was an attractive well dressed African woman. She was actually originally from Ghana and brought up in the UK as I found out when we started chatting after the race. She was living in Italy operating her business as a wine merchant! So there I was, chatting to a woman for hours who knew all about F1 and made a living selling wine – I almost forgot I was married! When I suggested I should be getting home she said that we must have lunch the next day and that she would like to meet my wife. I wasn’t exactly sure how Linda was going to feel about having lunch with a woman I’d been chatting with at a bar all afternoon but like a good sport she came along and we all had a really nice lunch talking about all sorts of things including travel – and motorsport.

With Monza done, it was time to visit Milan. The best way into town was to park at an outer suburban station and get the train in, which took us directly to the Milan Cathedral, otherwise known as the Duomo, one of the largest cathedrals in Europe. Linda was keen on doing the tour that took you to the roof, where you can inspect the cathedral’s many spires, statues, and gargoyles and admire tremendous views of Milan. I wasn’t that excited about handing money to the catholic church for the privilege of walking on its roof and besides, after Familia Sagrada in Barcelona, it was going to be hard to impress me further. So Linda did the climb on her own while I chanced upon a ‘bakers festival’ happening in the piazza. I promptly invested in some tasty pastries and coffee so I could sit under a statue in front of the Duomo and absorb the atmosphere.

We didn’t get to see the whole city, after all it is the second most populous city in Italy after Rome and we didn’t have that much time but we did roam around the immediate area of the cathedral and admired the magnificent grand buildings and cobblestoned streets before getting the train back to the burbs to collect our car. We also spent time in the old town of Monza. As our apartment was on the outskirts, we took the advice of others and ventured into the historic town. The history of the place was amazing and was represented by the different types of architecture. It seems everyone had a hand at ruling the city during the centuries. It turned out to be one of Linda’s favourites – and I thought it was just a race track!!! 

Our flight to Malta was from Bergamo, about a forty minute drive from Monza. Ryanair rarely fly out of major airports which is how they maintain cheap flights. It’s not inconvenient if you have a car, in fact it’s easier to access and cheaper to park. We spent the night before the flight at a hotel near the airport so all we had to do the next morning was to park the car and take the shuttle to the terminal.

Standby for some more thrilling red tape drama and a sightseeing tour of Malta.

People ask us about how we get our house sits. This is the main website we use. https://www.trustedhousesitters.com/refer/RAF147238/
If you use the link above you will also get a discount on membership.
If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.
Enjoy.