Sunday, October 30, 2005
Some views of Ephesus in Turkey
It is hard to imagine that so many years ago the Romans could build cities in which there were wide marble streets and so many impressive buildings - yet they did.
What is even more impressive is that they managed to create sanitation that is enviable in many places around the world even today.I have a feeling that one of the reasons for the longevity of the Roman Empire has something to do with cleanliness being next to godliness!
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Travelling to Capri?
It is from this location that most people set out to catch the ferry that takes them across to the island of Capri. Note that people on coach tours will HAVE to transfer to a smaller bus as the ferry is only a small one!
Ever had one of THOSE days?
When I first saw this figure in Pompeii I automatically thought it would present me with an opportunity at some point to run a caption competition.Anyone with suggestions?
Some examples to get you thinking!
"I was just sitting here minding my own business . . ."
"Geez, I said I wanted peace and quiet but this is ridiculous!"
"My mother always told me I would end up making a public display of myself."
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Campervans
Love 'em or hate 'em they DO get you there. This was ours in Europe hired from Mcrent in Germany - cheapest country in Europe for hire.Get a bike on the rack or a scooter and your mobility problems are minimised. Find and use Stellplatzes in Europe and you can stay overnight for NOTHING with services paid for on a user pays basis.
See how you like it and make comments here.
St Emillion France
When you travel to France and have the opportunity to visit St Emillion don't just visit the wineries, take the time to visit the town and head down into the main square to see the sights as well as enjoy the food and the wine of the local restaurants.
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Airport Tips
Working your way around airports can be a messy business. In the first place, there are so many people running around the place at any time of the day or night that it is crowded. The signs are not necessarily in your language and of course trying to articulate exactly what it is that you want is likely to be difficult if you do not speak the language. The chances are that you have arrived at this airport after a lengthy flight and so you are tired, possibly hungry, possibly dehydrated, possibly feeling dirty and unwashed indeed anything but well rested and well prepared to deal with stress.
So what do you do? Panic?
NO UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES PANIC!
The first rule of staying calm in desperate circumstances is to realise that you are definitely NOT the first person to arrive at this airport and think that you cannot find something or cannot make yourself understood. There have been countless others before you and staff members have been trained to provide assistance to passengers and will be able to find someone to speak your language even if they cannot speak it themselves. They have also been trained to try and make sense of your questions.
All you have to do is to find the information counter and ask for assistance in the language that you are most comfortable in.
Generally all that you have to do is to assemble your thoughts and ask the questions in a logical sequence. This is something you might be able to prepare before departing on your journey.
For example:
Generally if you prioritise your questions and are able to articulate them to the person at the information counter you will be able to get a swift response which will assist you with your needs. Do try and formulate all of the questions which you are likely to need answering in the calm confines of your home and ensure that you have these questions listed and immediately to hand when you arrive. My technique was to place a sheet of questions together with my passport and my tickets so that whenever I arrived at an airport and had to find both my tickets and passport I would also immediately have my questions available in case I needed to ask them.
After travelling frequently, you will find that most airports while they are laid out differently will all have the ubiquitous information counter, have a set of international signs for things and will all be trying desperately to ensure that you have a good experience of their airport so that you can tell your friends and so promote tourism to their country.
Happy tripping!
So what do you do? Panic?
NO UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES PANIC!
The first rule of staying calm in desperate circumstances is to realise that you are definitely NOT the first person to arrive at this airport and think that you cannot find something or cannot make yourself understood. There have been countless others before you and staff members have been trained to provide assistance to passengers and will be able to find someone to speak your language even if they cannot speak it themselves. They have also been trained to try and make sense of your questions.
All you have to do is to find the information counter and ask for assistance in the language that you are most comfortable in.
Generally all that you have to do is to assemble your thoughts and ask the questions in a logical sequence. This is something you might be able to prepare before departing on your journey.
For example:
- I am travelling on to <insert destination> on <insert flight detail information and time> can you tell me where I have to go to catch my flight please?
- I am staying at <insert the name of your hotel, hostel etc> is it possible to catch a shuttle to this location or are there public transport facilities to there and if so can I get a map with a schedule, or where can I get a taxi?
Generally if you prioritise your questions and are able to articulate them to the person at the information counter you will be able to get a swift response which will assist you with your needs. Do try and formulate all of the questions which you are likely to need answering in the calm confines of your home and ensure that you have these questions listed and immediately to hand when you arrive. My technique was to place a sheet of questions together with my passport and my tickets so that whenever I arrived at an airport and had to find both my tickets and passport I would also immediately have my questions available in case I needed to ask them.
After travelling frequently, you will find that most airports while they are laid out differently will all have the ubiquitous information counter, have a set of international signs for things and will all be trying desperately to ensure that you have a good experience of their airport so that you can tell your friends and so promote tourism to their country.
Happy tripping!
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Comparative Airline Experience
Comparative Airline Experiences
There are obviously multiple choices in airlines, fare combinations and of course ways of getting to and from Australia. In our case we wanted to go to Britain first for a few weeks and then head off to the continent – specifically Frankfurt in Germany, to pick up a campervan and then head off and see things.
The only option which was possible for us was a combination with the Star Alliance requiring that we use Singapore Airlines to Singapore and then from there travel with Lufthansa.
Having travelled with both airlines before, I have to say that my response to this option was less than enthusiastic. Let me be clear, Singapore airlines are among the finest in the world. Their service even in economy class is absolutely first rate; their food is terrific; their ability to provide personalised video and other services directly to your own seat is exceptional. Lufthansa on the other hand offers a lesser service and unfortunately was the carrier of ‘choice’ for the longer part of the journey.
Unlike passengers of Singapore airlines, Lufthansa treats its economy class passengers as if they were in ‘cattle class’. I am not referring here to the penchant that Germans seem to have had for transporting people in cattle trucks during WW II, however they do NOT offer the choice of videos and other services at your seat like Singapore airlines and they do not appear to have service personnel whose entire existence seems to be based making your journey comfortable. They do not provide some of the little luxuries that are available on Singapore airlines – like a tooth cleaning kit, a set of on board slippers and most importantly their luggage allowances are smaller than those of their service partner Singapore Airlines.
That said, both airlines appear to have a good safety record and so there is a better chance that you will actually arrive at your destination following the journey than with some airlines I have had the dubious pleasure of travelling with in the past.
The seating in the economy section of both airlines is of course less capacious than either business or first class. However, since both airlines use the Boeing 747 for transporting their passengers (at least at present) it is noteworthy that the seats on Singapore Airlines are not only more comfortable, but are wider than those available on Lufthansa. RECARO seats are simply better able to provide lumbar support to passenger on the long journeys where comfort and physical well being are both essential ingredients for travelling pleasure.
Let us now come to airport hub facilities. At Changi airport there is a hotel actually inside the terminal so that people who have to stay over for a more than 8 hour connection with their next flight can arrange a room and sleep there to get rid of jet lag or simply to get comfortable for the next leg of their journey. No such comfort awaits the passenger who arrives at Frankfurt airport.
All in all on a comparative analysis – if it is at all possible to make a journey to Europe using Singapore airlines – take it! If it involves it’s partner Lufthansa – look actively for another alternative.
There are obviously multiple choices in airlines, fare combinations and of course ways of getting to and from Australia. In our case we wanted to go to Britain first for a few weeks and then head off to the continent – specifically Frankfurt in Germany, to pick up a campervan and then head off and see things.
The only option which was possible for us was a combination with the Star Alliance requiring that we use Singapore Airlines to Singapore and then from there travel with Lufthansa.
Having travelled with both airlines before, I have to say that my response to this option was less than enthusiastic. Let me be clear, Singapore airlines are among the finest in the world. Their service even in economy class is absolutely first rate; their food is terrific; their ability to provide personalised video and other services directly to your own seat is exceptional. Lufthansa on the other hand offers a lesser service and unfortunately was the carrier of ‘choice’ for the longer part of the journey.
Unlike passengers of Singapore airlines, Lufthansa treats its economy class passengers as if they were in ‘cattle class’. I am not referring here to the penchant that Germans seem to have had for transporting people in cattle trucks during WW II, however they do NOT offer the choice of videos and other services at your seat like Singapore airlines and they do not appear to have service personnel whose entire existence seems to be based making your journey comfortable. They do not provide some of the little luxuries that are available on Singapore airlines – like a tooth cleaning kit, a set of on board slippers and most importantly their luggage allowances are smaller than those of their service partner Singapore Airlines.
That said, both airlines appear to have a good safety record and so there is a better chance that you will actually arrive at your destination following the journey than with some airlines I have had the dubious pleasure of travelling with in the past.
The seating in the economy section of both airlines is of course less capacious than either business or first class. However, since both airlines use the Boeing 747 for transporting their passengers (at least at present) it is noteworthy that the seats on Singapore Airlines are not only more comfortable, but are wider than those available on Lufthansa. RECARO seats are simply better able to provide lumbar support to passenger on the long journeys where comfort and physical well being are both essential ingredients for travelling pleasure.
Let us now come to airport hub facilities. At Changi airport there is a hotel actually inside the terminal so that people who have to stay over for a more than 8 hour connection with their next flight can arrange a room and sleep there to get rid of jet lag or simply to get comfortable for the next leg of their journey. No such comfort awaits the passenger who arrives at Frankfurt airport.
All in all on a comparative analysis – if it is at all possible to make a journey to Europe using Singapore airlines – take it! If it involves it’s partner Lufthansa – look actively for another alternative.
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Travels In Hungary
One of the central hubs for communication around town in Budapest is the Moszkva Tér (or Moscow Square) where people gather each day to transfer from buses, to trams, to trains, to the underground and to trolley buses. On the northern bank of the Danube it is currently a friendly place to visit. In former years, it also used to be patrolled by the Soviet military as it was a central hub for their soldiers. In addition there used to be a bakery (which is just out of shot) that used to make some of the finest bread in Budapest. In the 1970's and 1980's it usually had a queue out of its front door that was at least 50 yards long.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Castillion La Battaille
This is the place folks where the English finally met their match - the French!Yes, this is the place where the English finally lost the 100 years war.
Alas it was photographed just when the Australians were losing the ashes back to the English after 17 years of ownership. I won't be discussing 'just desserts'
Friday, October 07, 2005
Traffic sign in France
This is one of the more unusual traffic signs to be found in France. Captured on the banks of the Dordogne river near Castillon le Battaille (where the English finally were defeated in the 100 years war) it represents a remarkable warning to all of those who drive on to the riverside pier that driving over the edge of the pier can represent a problem - as if that was not obvious enough to anyone with any sense.
Bless the French - they do want to make sure that there are no language issues!
The slightly bent corner on the right hand side MAY well represent a slight problem did take place once - no doubt someone not familiar with roman letters.
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