Salzburg

I don't know about you, but when I think of Salzburg I automatically think of the "Sound of Music". So does Anni. So of course, when in Salzburg we went on the Sound of Music tour! It was hmmm. I guess because I got really wet in the ran, or insulted by the weird tour guide who was atleast 60 and tried to flirt with Anni, or just because it was such an anticlimax, especially to the amount of money she paid. But, in saying that, it was well worth it, and you couldn't go to Salzburg without doing it.

Salzburg in itself is an amazing city. So many windy roads and amazing views and fantastic food! And the tricky water place? Well, Anni and Cam decided they weren't going to pay for the entrance, so they snuck into the gardens out the back instead. OH MY! I would recommend this place. So big, so amazing. Definitely a must. If it's nice and sunny take a bike too.

Hillsong Conference Europe

My life has been a bit quite full of staying at home time of late, and Anni has been very lazy in updating my blog, so you will have to forgive her and allow her to backdate with the blog entries of the fantastic cities we've visited.

But to keep this current, I just got back from attending the Hillsong Conference Europe at the 02 arena here in London. It was huge!

Anni was volunteering at the conference this year (our home church is Hillsong London, which meets at the Dominion Theatre every Sunday and I have actually been to a few services!). Her team of "welcomers" were really friendly people and willing to go that extra step to make people feel... welcome! It was amazing to have my photo taken with people from so many different countries and see so many people in love with God.

So keep coming back, Anni will get around to posting some blogs about the rest of our Europe jaunts post Vienna, and in two weeks we're going to the Diksmuide Beer Festival... mmmm, beer!

Vienna

Hallo people! Love from the land of the golden deep-fried schnitzel!
For the last few days I have been relaxing (and drying out) in Vienna, whilst Anni has been hitting up the sights and going on a coffee tour. Not much to report on, just taking it easy. But am loving my nice clean clothes. I am not, however, liking all the nakedness in this hostel room! ahhh... fun times. Tomorrow we go to Salzburg! Sound of Music tour here I come!

Busabout Stop 3 - Cesky Krumlov

Sorry about the lack of updates; the regular access to free internet is not easy to come by in Europe.
So far Anni and I have been to Berlin, Prague and now we're in Cesky Krumlov, about to climb on a bus for Vienna.
Berlin was grand. The stories and the history was so incredible, and the way in which they have overcome that and instead of being ashamed they are open and honest is an amazing testament to the awesomeness that is Berlin. I really hope Anni wants to go back cause we didn't get to see much at all. I really want to see the East Side Gallery.
Then Prague... hmmm. It was cool, like being in a large disneyland castle, but yeah. It was cool. Our tour guide for this one wasn't that convincing.
And then... Cesky Krumlov! It has been the BOMB. Absolutely relaxing. No large amounts of sightseeing, but the sights are worth seeing and are incredibly breathtaking. Anni, myself and several others took a raft down the River Vltava and went "Pub cruising"... basically you get in a raft and row in between different pubs along the banks. We got absolutely drenched! I am so soaked, hopefully there's a drier in Vienna. I think I soaked up half of the river in my body. hahaha, kinda funny but.
Also, sorry about the lack of pictures but we haven't been able to upload them. Keep checking to see if we can get pics up, they are very very funny.

Athens

Athens was HOT! All this time in London has made me forget what awesome heat is like! Good thing that the room we stayed in had airconditioning or I could've melted.
So we stayed in the renowned "Athens Backpackers", or actually, the studios around the corner. However, we did manage to climb up to the rooftop on the backpackers and saw the sunset (as was highly recommended by several people!).
I wasn't supposed to have my photo taken at the Acropolis, however, I wasn't told this till we were on the way back down, so I have had my photo taken. Why can't I have my photo taken, you ask? Because apparently I am a toy. No toys or flags allowed to be photographed up there.
The tourist train was lots of fun, just going around in circles around Athens. Very lazy but lovely.
And the ice cream was always yummy.
So now we are in Mykonos, because tomorrow we go on an 8-day tour around the Cyclades. 'twill be brill!

Lyme Park

Anni finally took me home.

Home?

Ah, Pemberley!

Lyme Park was the setting for Pemberley in the 1995 BBC mini-series adaptation of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" (My surname also being inspired by the talented author).

It was a 605km round trip from London, but overall the M1 is very scenic and the drive through the Derbyshire Dales was incredibly spectacular. The camera does no justice to the beauty that is the English countryside, nor does it provide the refreshing smell.

Also, it was great to get out of London for a change! Sometimes it feels like you get cabin fever staying inside the M25 too long.

So now it's a bit of a wait until our big European adventure! So far we've got a Greek odyssey and an Italian jaunt, with a big gap in the middle for spontaneous adventures... I am very looking forward to it!

Turkey

So eventually Anni and I got to Turkey. The weather was amazing (I think I even got a bit sunburnt)!

Gallipoli was incredible, beyond words. Anzac cove, The Nek, Lone Pine and Chanauk Bair are so close to each other, and yet so much blood was shed over the land. It was weird how we were walking along and suddenly there was an open trench in which the men were fighting from.

I think the most somber moment was reading the headstones at Lone Pine.

This trip has made me remember how blessed I am to be an Australian.