Italy 2011

 

For our next holidays Vivienne had decided that she wanted to have a cappuccino in Italy for our next holiday so being a man who always listens to his wife off we went.  We prepared by taking Italian lessons and I read four of the detective novels by Donna Leon which I can highly recommend.  They are set in Venice and give a good insight into the Italian character.

We flew Austrian Airlines, who were giving the best deal in business class, and started with three days in Vienna staying at the Nestroy Wien arriving early in the morning.  I had missed out on a trip to a Heuringer Inn the last time we went and this time I was determined to go.  So off we went taking the tram on a Friday afternoon to Heiligenstadt a pretty village outside Vienna.  Unfortunately no inns were open (they open around 5pm) and Beethhoven's house was closed.  We found a pub called Joe's Sports Bar, had ham and eggs for lunch and returned to Vienna city.

After that inauspicious start we had a great time.  We had done the major sights last time in Vienna so this trip we went to the Albertina Museum and Schloss Belvedere.  Both times we had lunch at the museum restaurants which were very good, particularly the Albertina.  The other highlight was attending a concert on Saturday night at the Hofburg Palace.  There are a number of kitsch concerts offered in Vienna but this was terrific.  No quasi Mozart costumes and the hall was packed with about 80% of the audience local Austrians.  A great night.

Monday we flew to Italy, hired a car and GPS and started our trip.  The first part was comprised 5 nights ticking boxes in the bucket list.  We visited Perugia, Assisi, Urbino, Ravenna and Bologna.  We soon learnt the drill which was to drive straight into the town to the hotels, disregarding any signs saying restricted entry.  We unloaded luggage and got permission from the hotel to park in the centre, and generally overnight parking at 33% of the cost.  The order of the day was arrive at the hotel in the afternoon, freshen up, walk the town and perhaps see one sight, have a drink watching the passegiata, dinner, wake up the next morning, see a sight, check-out and drive to the next town over lunchtime.  Ratings are out of 5

Town	Hotel	Restaurant	Sight
Perugia	Brufini Palace 5	La Taverna 10/5 best meal we had in Italy	National Gallery of Umbria 5
Assisi	La Fortezza 4 great if you like hills	La Fortezza 4	Duomo – lots of catholics great Giotto frescos
Urbino	Italia 4	La Taverna del Leone 4	Palazzo Ducale 5
Ravenna	Centrale Byron 4	Capello 1 overpriced and not that good	The mosaics 10/5
Bologna	Orlogio  4		Plazza Magiore 5

All the above towns are worth a visit but I was particularly taken with Ravenna.

The next stop was Segrimonio in Monte a small village outside Lucca where we were staying in a luxury farmhouse complex with two other couples from England, our good friends the Arnolds and Mayers.  We took trips to Pisa (must see but lots of tourists) , Viareggio, Barga, Villa Reale and walked the walls of Lucca.  We had three great meals: Osteria Veccio Pazzo near Villa Reale, Restaurant Ricardo in Barga, and Osteria Baralla.  Everyone recommends Trattoria de Leo and it was packed when we went but I thought it overrated.  However to me the highlight of the stay in Lucca (along with the town itself) was having three evening meals in the villa dining al fresco in the Italian style.  Ann and Jan did great final meal and I cooked everyone an Australian BBQ and my spaghetti bolognaise.  The weather was brilliant, blue skies 35 degrees plus during the day and 25 degrees plus in the evening.

We then took off to Amalfi staying in the centre at the Hotel Lidomare.  The drive along the Amalfi coast was spectacular, if somewhat tortuous.  The original plan was to use Amalfi as a base and drive to various locations.  However we decided two drives along the coast was going to be enough (one in and one out) so we ending up changing our schedule.  We took a coach up to Ravello the first day, boat trips to Capri and Positano the next two, and stayed in Amalfi for the fourth.  Capri was probably the highlight (think Mykonos with Italian style) but the other places all had their highlights.  Unfortunately the Blue Grotto in Capri was closed because of the weather but we had a good lunch at Verginello.  We lunch at the Cafe Bruno in Positano (the fish antipasto and view are brilliant).  Amalfi is more of town and has a good passegiata.  We had two great meals at Il Tari and the Trattoria de Gemma is worth a visit (but reserve a table if you want to eat on the balcony.)

Then it was on to the final leg: Rome.  On the way we up we stopped at Pompeii.  Unfortunately when we arrived the ticket collectors were on strike and although we tried to game the system by going to another entrance (and failing miserably) we finally got in along with another 10,000 tourists.  I was disappointed with Pompeii which comprises lots of red brick ruins.  The good stuff (the mosaics and frescos) have all been moved.

Using the web I had found an apartment to rent Vibiana owned by an Australian, Jennifer Pudney, who was a former lecturer in English literature at La Sapienza University founded in 1303 and the largest university in Europe.  The apartment was located near Termini rail station, on the junction of Vias Bixio and Giovanni Giolitti.  Gritty is how would describe the area but the apartment was clean and spacious and inexpensive and close to the university area in San Lorenzo. 

The first day we hired a guide, Peter Kilby, on the recommendation of a golfing associate Charles Vowell.  You can learn about Peter at the following website http://www.perfectraveller.com/.  He picked us up at 10am (somewhat bemused at our location as I am sure most of his clients stay around the Spanish Steps and took us on walk around the less visited places in Rome.  He is very informative and very good.

He has also a number of audio files which on his website which you can download.

On our tour we covered some of the Pigna Rione walk and the Capitoline Museums in the Piazza del Campidoglio.  My favourite story from the walk is that the unbelievable bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius on his horse (copy in the square original inside) was only saved from melting down by a Pope was because for centuries the Catholic Church thought it was a statue of Constantine, the first Christian emperor.  Any we had a great time in particular visiting a number of churches that are famous in history but relatively free from tourists.  The next day we went to the Galleria Borghese using Peter’s tapes as our audio guide.  The two tapes are probably his best in that he takes you to the major sites in the museum (you are only allowed in for two hours) and gives a tremendous insight in to detail of the sculptures and paintings.  You must book on the internet before you go the Galleria Borghese – we went on Saturday and people were going there to be told the next admittance time was Tuesday.  Even if you don’t use Peter personally, if you are going to Rome, download his Galleria Borghese tapes and go there.

We then ticked off various sights.  We went to the Colesseum, which had a queue over kilometre long.  The trick as outlined in Lonely Planet is to first go to the Palantine (10 people in the queue), buy the joint ticket, walk through the Palentine park and then straight into the Colosseum  The Trevi fountain was packed, standing room only, but we threw in our coins.  The Pantheon is well worth a visit.  Piazza Farnesi is stunning, Piazza Navona and Campo De Fiori have degenerated into tackiness.  We went across the Tiveri river to visit Castel San. Angelo but given the number of tourists in Rome we decided to give the Vatican a miss.  On our last day we visited the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme which holds the finest collection of Roman remains in Italy.  Only a smattering of visitors but probably one of the finest collections of statues, mosaics and frescos I have ever seen.  You really got an insight how rich and opulent Roman society and how much the decline into the dark ages really was.

So there you are; four weeks in Italy and we did not visit Venice, Florence or the Vatican.  It was hot but thankfully we were there when the A$ was at a high so relatively cheap.  Great trip and I now have Italy out of my system.

Chris Golis Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence website: www.emotionalintelligencecourse.com Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/ mobile: +61-418-222219

Hawaii & San Diego May 2011

This was a trip borne out of the Australian dollar’s new found strength.  Each year I try to visit my sister’s family in San Diego.  This year I had not worked out a trip when suddenly I discovered that Hawaiian Airlines flies direct from Sydney to Honolulu and then flies direct from Honolulu to San Diego.  Thus we would miss LAX.  When the A$ broke though parity I decided, like nearly every Sydneysider I know, why waste the opportunity to travel?

So I suddenly organised a trip: Kauai (5 nights), San Diego (6) and Maui (3) playing 7 games of golf with Vivienne.

In Kauai we stayed at the St. Regis Princeville overlooking Hanalei Bay, easily one of the best hotels and most spectacular locations I have ever seen.  As you have breakfast on the terrace, you see rainbows on the mountains.  I have put some photos up on Picasa.

My wife and I play stableford against each other and we played Makai, Poipu Bay and Makai again.  Both are terrific courses: Makai has just been renovated and you play Poipu Bay back 9 along the cliffs.  Vivienne won all three games and I will say in passing that her handicap is 25 and mine is 24..  We generally ate at the St. Regis Hotel but had two great meals outside.  First was at The Eastside in Kapaa and is highly recommended.  We also had drinks and a meal at Neide's Salsa and Samba.  This has had far more mixed reviews on Trip Advisor but after a game a golf, and four Happy Hour margaritas at $6 each, any meal would have tasted great.  After its renovations Makai is now a great course and another highlight was seeing a baby albatross.

We then flew to San Diego and spent 6 nights with my sister’s family.  She threw a party on Sunday which was night Bin Laden was shot.  When I said this would guarantee Obama’s election half the party (Republicans) left.  The only restaurant we used was The Prado at Bilboa Park which is part of the Cohn Restaurant Group which I had never heard of but I understand is quite successful in the USA.  It is good pub and recommended.  It was a good week to be in the US  with the Royal wedding of Will & Kate, Trump’s collapse over the birth certificate and then the Bin Laden shooting.

We played two rounds at Torrey Pines which is another PGA course spectacularly set along the California coastline.  Great course, small greens with quite ferocious rough very close to the greens.  You have to use a ‘flop’ shot to lob shot out of the rough and then stay on the green.  Phil Mickelson is the master of this shot and once you have played Torrey Pines and realised this is the course he learned to play golf you understand while he is so good at it.  Vivienne again beat me but even funnier was we were playing with two other golfers on the first day from interstate.  On the back nine Vivienne scored 20 points while the other two both picked up on six holes.  Parting words “we were not just beaten out there by your wife, we were crushed.”

Back in Hawaii, we stayed three nights at Kapulea villas, again on the northeast corner of Maui.  We played the Plantation Course twice which is equally spectacular and another PGA course.  Appleby has won three times here and Ogilvy twice.  The weather, which in Kauii and San Diego had been beautiful, turned turbulent.  It was warm, but windy and showery so carts were restricted to the paths.  Finally I broke through and beat my wife and repeated the win the next day.  So I wasn’t bagelled which after the first 5 rounds was becoming a distinct possibility.

On the food front we ate the first night at the Bay Tree at the Ritz Carlton which was pretty good but the next two nights at the Pineapple Grill which was excellent.  The Pineapple Grill is also run by Cohn group and is a great pub.  The service is exceptional.  I left my credit card in the bill folder and they tracked me back to our villa within 30  minutes to go back and collect it.

Summing up a great trip, made even better by the weather.  Kauii is the wettest place in the USA, with 11.7 metres of rain on Mt. Waialeale.  Sydney gets 1.2 metres per year.  My sister went on her second honeymoon and had 5 days of non-stop torrential rain which is why she lives in San Diego which gets 0.3m annual rain.

Chris Golis Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.emotionalintelligencecourse.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/ mobile: +61-418-222219

UK July 2010

You can see some pictures here at http://picasaweb.google.com.au/cgolisau/UK2010#

We arrived in London on Wednesday June 23 via Bangkok and Frankfurt on Lufthansa (great deal and good service).  Immediately getting into the swing of things Virginia (Vivienne’s sister) and Pierre (husband) hosted a dinner party attended by a number of Vivienne’s old Welsh friends.  This was the first of 30 non-alcoholic free nights.

The next day I had lunch with Ken Ghata at the Travellers Club in London.  Ken not only bought my book but also has recommended it. 
After lunch I went to the British Library at Kings Cross which I confess is unappealing building on the outside but it had a wonderful exhibition called Magnificent Maps: Power, Propaganda and Art which was recommended in the Australian Financial Review.

That evening we caught up with the Mayers and Arnolds at Annies
Just behind Strand-on-the Green which has become a local institution which serves excellent tucker.

On Friday we drove down to Cornwall to the cottage we had rented at Rinsey Cove.  Lovely cottage and combined with great weather meant it was a terrific 7 days.  (The irony was that the owners were in Sydney freezing to death).   Rinsey Cove is between Porthleven and Penszance.  We walked to Porthleven (3.5 miles) finishing with a Newlyn crab salad at The Ship Inn, and then went back another day to watch England be humiliated by Germany at The Harbour Inn.  Other highlights were watching West Side Story at the Minack Theatre.  which is a open air theatre on the Cornwall coast.  This brought back memories because in July 1968 I acted on the Minack stage in The Crucible in the major role of Judge Hathorne. We did the other tourist things such as visiting St. Michaels Mount and the seal sanctuary.  On the tennis front After halving the first day 1 set each Pierre  beat me the second day in a titanic set 8-6.  However the best memory for me was sitting out in the garden in the afternoon or evening, sipping rose and enjoying a very pleasant meal conversation. 

After the week in Cornwall we started on our drive to Edinburgh.  First stop was Gurrow Point, home of Peter Mackie and Sally in Dittisham Devon.  Dittisham was described by the Times as the best riverfront village in Britain and Gurrow Point comprises a magnificent house in 80 acres at least a kilometre of prime river frontage.  Sally and Peter were terrific hosts and besides a great lunch and dinner, it turned out that an old boyfriend of Vivienne’s and his wife were running a B&B across the river so the next day we hopped in the boat and motored across for coffee.

We then spent a night in Bath, eating at the Beaujolais Bistro Bar which was absolutely buzzing.  The Lonely Planet guide to Britain says if you have only one day in the UK then the place to visit is Bath.  As an old Sulian few things beat walking around Bath on bright, sunny Sunday morning around the Circus and Royal Crescent and then strolling through Victoria Park.

We visited my parents’ grave and then went on to the Vale of Glamorgan to visit the graves of Vivienne’s parents.  We stayed the night at the The Great Barn Guest House, Lillypot, Bonvilston,  which is run by Nina Sue and David, again related to Vivienne.  The Great Barn is a great place to stay.  That night we had dinner with Vivienne’s good friend Jane Taylor at a Loch Fyne restaurant on the Cowbridge bypass.  While it has had mixed reviews our meal wasn’t bad.

We then went to meet Nick Gomershall and his partner Brigitte at The Oxfordshire Golf Club for a game of golf followed by a great BBQ at his home.  Again a terrific meal followed the next day doing some video clips etc.  Nick distributes Empathy Selling in the UK. 

That night we went to dinner at the Sir Charles Napier pub in Chinnor.  This is one of the great pubs of England; the food and scuptures were brilliant.  Napier was the man who, after relieving the siege of Sind, sent Queen Victoria a telegram reading simply ‘peccavi’ or I have sinned.   Nick (a former LBS alumni) and JoJo Cross were also came and we had a fabulous night with yours truly finding some great bargains on the wine list.  We had a superb Argentinean Malbec for only £19.

The next day we drove to the Lake District.  We spent two nights at The Punchbowl Inn in Crosthwaite
This pub was voted the best pub in England by readers of The Times and 2009 Pub of the Year by the Michelin Guide.  The food and ambiance were again excellent..  This was followed by one night at The Drunken Duck in Ambleside. 
Personally I would have rated it on a par with the Punchbowl.  Either way both pubs are well worth a visit.  Neither Vivienne nor I, despite growing up in Britain, had never visited the Lake District. It must be the most attractive area in England, and now I understand why the Romantic Poets loved it.  Of course the weather must be a challenge but that did not seem to stop the walkers who were everywhere.  We did our walking playing golf at the Windemere Golf Course.

Finally we made our way to Edinburgh which again was a first visit for both of us.  Edinburgh is certainly worth a visit but by now we were in northern latitudes and the weather was noticeably bleaker and the days longer.  The sun rose at 4:30am and set around 10pm.
We now commenced the playing of golf starting with 4 rounds in 4 days at Carnoustie (very tough), Gullane (easier but not by much), North Berwick (until you have lobbed over a wall onto a green you have not lived), and Kingsbarns (spectacularly beautiful but the weather was awful.)  The round at Kingsbarns was played on the same Wednesday St. Andrews was hosting the Champion of Champions contest over 4 holes prior to the start of The Open.  It was not held because the weather was so bad.  Meanwhile about 30 minutes drive away yours truly (Vivienne wimped out) played 18 holes in my new rain jacket from the Lake District.
38 points and the best round I played all week!!

While staying in Edinburgh we had dinner at Greywalls  which abuts the 9th tee at Muirfield.  Our hosts were Giles Weaver (another ex LBS alumni) and his wife Ros.  The grandfather invented Horlicks and with the proceeds of the royalties bought Greywalls and Ros ran the hotel until recently.  Now it is managed independently and has a Chez Roux restaurant which is part of the legendary Roux Brothers operation who are the finest chefs in England.  I had Albert Roux’s Soufflé Suissesse for starter and I can safely say that it was the best starter I have ever had in my life.

We then moved to Anstruther staying at the Craw’s Nest Hotel.  We spent three days watching The Open and played rounds at Ludin Links (dangerous – one of my playing partners took a direct hit by golf ball) and Gleaneagles (site of the 2014 Ryder Cup).  My take on St. Andrews is that it is small (94 acres compared to 150 acres for the normal golf course), flat so not suitable for spectators (the best strategy is to sit in a stand and watch the field go through) and easy when there is no wind but a killer when it is blowing (but so is any golf course). The shape is typical links (out for nine holes and then back) except holes 7 to 11 are played crossing one another.  However it was great fun to go there and it is not often you see Tiger Woods get a double bogey.  (definitely not a happy camper).

We finished the trip with a great dinner at Rusacks hotel which looks over the 18th and 1st holes.  Vivienne won the ladies competition.  Great 10 days and well done to Mike and Bede of Teed-Up who organised it.

In summary:

Go to Britain in the summer; the weather can be very good and the countryside is stunning.

Cornwall, The Lake District and Edinburgh are well worth a visit.

The food has improved unbelievably and given the exchange rate very good value indeed.

While gloomy about the future most people are happy Cameron has got in believing the government needed to be changed. 

Chris Golis Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence website: www.thehummhandbook.com

North Island New Zealand 27 Feb - 2 March 2010

Here we go again - Up In The Air.
This trip was a short excursion to the North Island of New Zealand to play four rounds of golf. The trip was organised by Club 19.
You can see some pictures on http://picasaweb.google.com.au/cgolisau/NorthIslandNewZealand#

We arrived in Auckland on Saturday night and had a quiet meal for two at a tapas bar
called Tasca in Vulcan Lane. Recommended. Great buzz in Auckland on a Saturday night and there were some stunning women walking around. Changed my mind about going there for the world cup in October 2011.

We played Muriwai Links the next day. The Tsunami from Chile was a fizzer and the next evening we met up with an old friend of Vivienne's who took us to Moreton's bar and restaurant in St. Heliers. Great meal only spoiled by the cheers of the New Zealanders as they managed to beat Australia in a T20 match using a super over and the score was tied.

The next day we played Gulf Harbour and then caught the coach up to Paihia on the Bay of Islands. Our driver there was a Maiori who told his name meant Toenail in English. Great character.

We played Kauri Cliffs which is ranked #49 in the great courses in the world, built by a US Billionaire and truly formidable. Scared me I can tell you. That night we ate a Pure Tastes which was excellent.

The next day we flew to Napier via Auckland and the did what everyone does after two flights and 3 games the previous 3 days and go for a wine tasting tour.

Naper is cool town, destroyed in 1931 by an earthquake and re-built in an Art Deco style. We ate at an Indian calle Sangram which was if quiet. Everyone in town was at the one-day cricket match being played in Napier which New Zealand again won, which we heard about from our driver for the whole day.

The next day we then played Cape Kidnappers outside of Napier, ranked #25 in the world and probably the most spectacular golf location in the world. Some of the pictures are worth looking at. We were very fortunate that the weather was spectacular for the whole week which certainly made all the difference.

The highlight of the day was Brian Ireland, a founder of Club 19, scoring a hole in one. He started playing golf at 15, is now 75 and this was his first hole in one. He is going up on the roll of honour but even funnier was that Alan Border and Greg Blewitt were playing golf the same day. Alan Border sought him out and said that it was the best thing to happen to an Australian all day!!!





Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219

Central America February 2010

Pictures are available at the following website: http://picasaweb.google.com.au/cgolisau/CentralAmerica2010#

We started by flying (flight 1) to San Diego on Jan 28 where my sister was having her 60th birthday party 12 days early. Great night, restaurant followed by a comedy show. We also went to Torrey Pines Golf Course where the PGA was holding an annual tournament. Highlight of the day was a plane flying around over the crowd towing a banner saying “Tiger, we miss you, San Diego Strippers.”

We (Wendy, Vivienne and I) then flew to San Jose, Costa Rica via Phoenix (flights 2&3) where we stayed next to the Airport and got up the next morning to back track to Guatemala City (Flight 4). We then took a taxi to Antigua where, when we arrived, the taxi driver said (they must all be linked to ask this question) where is the hotel? I mentioned that as I was living in Australia and that this was the first time I was in Guatemala I did not have a clue. (In my weak Spanish) Nevertheless We found it. Antigua has the deserved reputation of being the best preserved Spanish Colonial City in Central America. Surrounded by 3 volcanoes, no building is more than 2 stories high with very thick walls due to the repeated earthquates. Indeed we learned the architectural style is known as Earthquake Baroque. We ate at the Sabor de Tiemp (great atmosphere and good value), Las Atinoches (great service –we were the only clients), The Tartines (great balcony view) and Bistro Cinq (again very buzzy and where I had my first of many glasses of Rum Zapaca, a 23 year old rum which is superb.)

We attended a great lecture by Elizabeth Bell, the queen of Antigua on Friday night and the next morning did her city tour. She is terrific and had organised our Guatemalan leg. Antigua should be on everyone’s bucket list.

The second night we got up at 4am to catch a minibus back to Guatemala City where we bypassed the airport and ended up in an empty hangar at 5:30am. Gradually people started appearing and at 6:30am we got into a small plane and flew to Flores (flight 5) in Northern Guatemala to catch another bus which took us to Tikal, home of the Mayas and totally spectacular. There we saw our first howler and spider monkeys.

Tikal is another place you have to have on your bucket list.

Two nights at the Jungle lodge combined with two tours by Antonio Cortiz, whose father was the native guide who discovered one of the Tikal temples. It was again an unbelievable experience. We also drank the hotel dry of wine.

We then flew back to Guatemala City (flight 6) where we overnighted at the Biltmore Express which is a 3.5 star hotel twinned with the 5 star Westin (sort of like Jetstar and Qantas). You enter the Westin through a magic portal and can charge meals etc as if you are staying there. We had a very sumptuous 3 course Italian meal, with 3 different bottles of wine (total cost $100) at Quo Vadis on the basis the next 13 days would not be full gastronomic highlights. This was a correct forecast.

The next morning I had to go buy replacement walking shoes as my beloved Timberland Walkers which had lasted 10 years and around 20 major trips finally collapsed. The 0.5km walk from the hotel to the main (and very heavily guarded) shopping centre was interesting for the number of people who you saw who you were sure were going to mug you. Probably the scariest walk in our lives. That evening we flew (flight 7) back to San Jose to meet with the rest of our touring party, our guide Osvaldo (known as Ozzie) and our driver, Julio. There were 10 other people doing the tour, 4 couples and two single women.

Our first Sunday in Costa Rica was fascinating it was the National Elections which are held every 4 years. There was a terrific party atmosphere and surrounding the schools (which were the polling booths) were gaggles of supporters wearing T-Shirts and waving flags. There are 7 major parties in Costa Rica and to be elected the front runner has to get at least 40% of the vote in the first round, or otherwise there is a two person run-off the following week. Laura Chinchilla was elected the first female president of Costa Rica in the first round.

After visiting the mandatory coffee plantation (Vivienne now has an addiction to chocolate covered coffee beans) We set off for to the north eastern side of Costa Rica, namely the Sarapiqui Rain Forest Lodge. There we did white water rafting, followed by a jungle canopy walk on hanging bridges the next day. We ticked off our first sloth and toucans plus an unbelievable variety of birds. We were also introduced to the mandatory ingredients of every Costa Rican meal: Gallo Pinto, the national dish of fried rice and black beans.

Then we went to Casa Luna Lodge, in La Fortuna, near the Arenal volcano in the centre of Costa Rica. where we spent another two days visiting a local school and having a local lunch with a family and then another family learning how to make empanadas. Everyone was meant to bring gifts such as crayons and workbooks. Vivienne and I went top of the pops because having brought nothing with us we went out and bought a big piñata which we stuffed with candies. We also visited some hot springs at Baldi and then went to see if Arenal volcano was flowing lava. We were very lucky and caught an eruption. Unforgettable sight.

Then we headed due north to Cano Negro Lodge, near the Nicaraguan border. Nicaraguans are the main source of cheap labour in Costa Rica and there are many illegal immigrants. While at the Lodge we did our first boat cruise in the morning which was a spectacular 3 hour trip seeing an unbelievable variety of bird and animal life. On the way to Cano Negro we visited an aboriginal Costa Rican village where Wendy had another birthday party. Our Indian guide was holding a walking stick shaped like a snake which had red,black,yellow, and black bands. I asked Ozzie what sort of snake it was and he said a coral snake, the most poisonous snake in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica the saying is RANA es muerto which means RANA (rojo, amarillo, negro, amarillo) is death. In English the saying is red and yellow, kill a fellow.

We then headed over the mountains to the Buena Vista Lodge in Guancanaste. There we did our first zip lining and did a horse ride to more hot springs followed later by another canopy jungle walk. More toucans, more howler monkeys, more sloths. Walking back to our lodge from dinner on the first night Vivenne and Wendy were walking ahead and suddenly Vivienne let out a blood curdling scream. She had nearly stepped on a snake. Wendy suggested I pick it up an throw it into a bush. I demurred point out the red, yellow and black bands, saying this was the most venomous snake in Costa Rica and I did not think it would a good idea to pick it up.
That night Vivienne kept getting up checking to see if the snake had got it. As it is so warm the snakes are nocturnal.


Our penultimate two days were spent in Jaco on the Central Pacific Coast. Jaco is a surfing and game fishing town. We did another boat ride on the Tarcoles estuary (38 different birds in 2 hours, crocs, howler monkeys and this time we saw Scarlet Macaws. We also visited the Manual Antonio Park which has spectacular beaches and saw more sloths and scarlet macaws. The area is home to a large number of American immigrants and is quite rich.

We returned to San Jose and had our farewell dinner. Costa Rica is a great country and it was pleasure to travel with experienced American travellers. Ozzie was a terrific guide, really knew his nature and was an unbelievable spotter. The comparison with Guatemala in terms of the people and security was stark. On the other hand the cultural part of Guatemala makes it well worth a visit.

We returned to Los Angeles and stayed overnight at The Huntley Hotel in Santa Monica Beach. I saw more beggars in one day in Santa Monica than I did in two weeks in Costa Rica. On the other hand if you want to say in LA overnight I can recommend The Huntley. Great boutique hotel, only a $30 taxi ride from LAX, (don’t be stupid like us and take the recommended Super Shuttle). The Penthouse restaurant is fantastic although Vivienne and I doubled the average age on entry. The next day you can spend wandering up and down Third Street Promenade telling the panhandlers to get a job. We had brunch at the Brooklyn Deli and a happy hour meal at Locanda del Lago. Both were excellent value.

Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219

Mornington Peninsula November 2009

Final post of the year for this blog. Go to http://picasaweb.google.com/cgolisau/
if you want to see the pictures. We went to the Mornington for four days playing Cape Shank, Moonah Links, The Dunes and the National. Club 19 did the organisation and six games in four days was the schedule. We played 4 as two games in one day is too much for yours truly even if on a cart. Also the final game of the final day was the Old Course at the National which I regard as the best course in Australia and I did not want to be too tired. This year the date was delayed by six weeks to November 13-16 in the hope of better weather which was certainly the case. We had one very brief light shower, otherwise it was perfect conditions for golf.
We stayed at the Sorrento Hotel which is a terrific spot and ate there the first night, Loquat on Saturday (4 star) and Bamboo (in Rye) on Sunday (3 stars).
If you can stay in Sorrento the Mornington Peninsula is great for golf and pinot noir.


Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219

Queenstown NZ October 2009

We went to Queenstown 17-24 October 2009. The raison d'etre was for Gary Tilsley's 60th birthday celebrations. He had decided that his 60th would be in the form of a golf tournament on his birthday (Tuesday 20 October) and that only couples who played golf would be invited. Fifteen couples made the trip which meant a full on week. We played golf five times and every night was viewed through a wine glass of Central Otago pinot noir.

Wishing to use up my frequent flyer points, Vivienne and I flew to Christchurch and drove down to Queenstown. The drive is regarded as one of the great drives in the world and lives up to its reputation.

Once you get up from the Cantebury Plain you start seeing some wonderful scenery starting at the turquoise Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki. The Southern Alps dominated by Mount Cook are spectacular. You then drive over the Lindis Pass followed by a spectacular run through the Kawarau gorge to Lake Wakatipu and Queenstown.

My wife and I really enjoyed it but I must admit that doing it twice in one week reminded me of the Japanese saying about Mount Fuji. If you don't climb it once you are a fool but if you climb it twice you are an even bigger one.

We played five rounds of golf: Kelvin Heights, Jacks Point (very good course but very exposed and can be bleak if the west wind is blowing down the lake), Arrowtown (where the Tilsley Tournament was held), Kelvin Heights again (this time with a cart) finishing with Millbrook which normally costs $140 but because of introductions it was only $40. Millbrook is probably the most forgiving.

The one day off from golf was Wednesday when Vivienne and I drove up beside Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy. You can see how bleak the weather was it was from the photos.
http://picasaweb.google.com/cgolisau/QueenstownNZ2009#
However again the scenery is spectacular.

We only had four meals out. Two were at Gary's local restaurant V-Know which is very good. We started with a curry as Nadia's which according to the taxi-driver was alway full with Indians. It was the night we were there but even though it had the best recommendations of the Indian restaurants in Queenstown I would not put it top of my list. The other meal we had was at the Botswana Butchery which was pretty good.

Queenstown is spectacularly beautiful but is on latitude 45 degrees south, about 3 degrees south of Hobart. It can be cold so rug up if you go.


Chris Golis
Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence
website: www.thehummhandbook.com
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis
blog: blogs.bnetau.com.au/aussierules/category/improving-your-eq/
mobile: +61-418-222219