Travel Blog Europe 2019

We left on Wednesday 5 June and returned Sunday 7 July.  The trip was divided into 5 sections.

1.     London for a week staying with Vivienne's sister's family

2.     Barcelona for 4 days

3.     Cruise Barcelona to Rome

4.     Rome for 4 days.

5.     Cruise around Malta and Sicily.

London

We arrived to be told the weather had been beautiful for the past two weeks.  For us it rained every day; it was cold and bleak; you begin to understand how the UK produced so many great novelists and poets.  On the other hand it was a good time to catch up with old friends.  I supplied the alcohol at two lunches at clubs where I had reciprocal rights via my membership of the Union, University & Schools Club (UUSC).  On Friday we had lunch with old Cambridge friends and their wives at the Oxford & Cambridge Club.  On Tuesday I caught up with old London Business School friends at the East India Club.  Both events were most enjoyable.  We also had meals at Le Vacherin and Annies in Chiswick and Daylesford in Westbourne Grove.  All this eating was great training for the next four weeks.  After we left London had a heatwave.

Barcelona

Mercifully after London the weather was sunny and warm.  It had been at least 17 years since we were last in Barcelona and I had forgotten how attractive a city it is.  We stayed at the Circulo Ecuestre another reciprocal club with the UUSC.  It is conveniently located on the corner of Balmes and Diagonal on the edge of the Eixample neighbourhood of Barcelona, home to many of the iconic Modernista buildings.   The first day we spend wandering that area and finished up with a terrific dinner in the Rambla de Catalyunya in the street café associated with the Hotel Murmuri.  The second day we caught the metro down to the Barri Gothic, visited the cathedral and wandered around the old town and had lunch at the Plaza Reial finishing the afternoon with a stroll down the Ramblas.  In the evening we had dinner at Cheri another great restaurant just around the corner from the club.

On the final day we did a Barcelona Architect tour which was great.  Rafeal was our guide and provided a terrific explanation of what drove Gaudi and the other Modernista architects.  In the afternoon we took a taxi to the Barcelona Cruise terminal (the largest in the Med) and caught our ship to Rome.

The only problems we faced in Barcelona was on the last evening when yours truly slipped off a kerb while fetching Vivienne some breakfast pastries from a gluten-free bakery we found.  I managed to avoid a face plant, landed heavily on my right shoulder and causing it to freeze up.

Cruise Barcelona to Rome. 

This was a 7-day trip aboard the Oceania Riviera.  This was our third trip on Oceania boats which we like because they are small.  The Riviera has 1,200 passengers compared for example to Oasis of the Seas with over 6,500.  We visited 7 ports:

Palma:  The ultimate Spanish tourist trip.  A simple tour of the city centre including the cathedral and free time on the souvenir shopping strip.  This was followed by a 30 minute coach trip out of Palma to tapas and a flamenco show which sounds terrible but was actually not that bad.  I finally felt like a tourist.

Marseille:  We gave Marseille a miss.  Instead we headed into the Luberon of Provence where we had a terrific wine tasting and garden lunch at the Chateau Val Joanis.  Then in the afternoon we visited Aix en Provence, surely one of the most stunning towns in France.

Monaco: Another long but interesting day.  We started by visiting Eze, a hill top down which requires a 30 minute uphill climb via stairs to reach the village.  Great to do once but never again.  Then we went to Nice visiting the old town.  We had been to Nice before and were unimpressed but we never had reached to old town on the port which was actually quite impressive with a lively market and café scene.  Our final visit was to Monaco which was a complete change of scene.  Very elegant but overbuilt.  They made so much money from the casino the government abolished income tax.  The city is much smaller than you think and is a warren of tunnels.  The car parks are filled with Mercedes and Lamborghinis.  Every second store seems to be a shop selling Monaco Gran Prix souvenirs.  We tried to buy a drink in the casino but failed to get the single waiter’s attention after 45 minutes.  Even so our day based in Monaco cost me $992.  Not through gambling or living the high life.   I had put Vivienne and my mobile on Telstra’s $10/day international pass.  Unfortunately, since I have returned I discover it does not apply to Monaco.  

Antibes:  On the tour we visited the Picasso museum and an absinthe shop.  We then spent time wandering around the old town and the market.  Antibes is a very attractive port and certainly well worth a return visit.

Ajaccio:  The major city of Corsica and you would never guess it except for numerous statues, squares and streets named after him the birthplace of Napoleon Bonaparte.  He left Corsica when he was teenager to go to military school and only returned for 3 days afterwards.  Totally understandable.

Livorno/Lucca: This is the gateway to Tuscany which we have visited/stayed on numerous occasions.  Various tours were offered to Florence, Sienna, etc. but we chose Lucca being the shortest coach trip by several hours.  We had been to Lucca before but it is a beautiful city and well worth revisiting.  The Via Fillungo is a great shopping street and the Roman Amphitheatre is an excellent place for a beer and people watching.

Civitavecchia:  This is the port for Rome.  The cruise company could organise a car to our hotel for US$449.  There were some taxis but they refused to take us to the train station.  Instead we took a free bus shuttle to the edge of the port, planning to catch a taxi to the train station.  At the edge of the port the free market was action with a whole host of travel touts.  We ended up catching an 8 seater minivan owned by a Russian entrepreneur direct to our hotel for 70 euros (US$80).  Capitalism is a wonderful system when it is allowed to operate.

Finally the Spa on the cruise boat organised a series of lectures.  I noticed one of them was acupuncture and frozen shoulders.  Trained at Cambridge in the Natural Sciences I was totally cynical but decided to give the Indian doctor proposing the treatment a go.  Not only did he insert the needles but he subsequently attached the needles to electrodes and gave my shoulder electro-stimulation.  I had 4 treatments which cost me US$600.  There was some partial relief.  The doctor said it would take a month to work.

Rome

We arrived at the Hotel Quirinale Sunday morning 23 June.  I had chosen this hotel because earlier in the year we saw the opera A Turk in Italy at the Sydney Opera House and in one of the chorus scenes a newspaper was unfurled with a full-page advert for the hotel.  It was conveniently located in Via Nationale next to the A line metro station, Republica.  Unfortunately, we subsequently discovered the station was closed.  This was after we had purchased a 3-day travel pass. 

Too early to go to our room we walked to the Spanish steps and had lunch at a great restaurant, Alla Rampa in the Piazza Mignanelli.  Beautiful parma ham and melon and beautiful women.  The highlight was when a Lamboughini pulled up, emitted several roars and the out stepped a stunner with an advertising exec complete with pony tail.

The next morning we caught the bus and went to the quirkiest sight in Rome. Hidden in the Palazzo (or Galleria) Spada is the Borromini Perspective. It looks like an imposing colonnade about 37 metres long that opens off the courtyard. In fact, the gallery is less than nine metres long and the ‘life-sized’ statue at the far end is just 60cm high. The forced-perspective illusion was created by Borromini in 1653 with a rising floor, descending ceiling and reducing columns to prove Cardinal Spada’s view of “the misleading image of the world”. To maintain the illusion, you aren’t permitted to enter the colonnade.  The Spada has a 4-room museum which is the right size.  We had a pleasant lunch followed by a nice stroll around the area and caught the bus back to the hotel.

The next day we had a tour booked around the Vatican Museums at 10am.  I had planned to go there by underground walking to Termini station and catching the A line.  When we got to Termini we discovered the A line was shut.  There was also a bus strike and the taxi line outside Termini was over 400 people long.  Fortunately, we looked like tourists; we walked back towards our hotel and got luxury hotel next door to call a taxi that got us to the museum at 9:55am along with 30,000 other tourists.  After visiting a number of sub-galleries we finally made it to the Sistine Chapel realising that we had seen it with our daughters some 30 years ago.  As the public transport system was collapsing we managed to snag a taxi back to the Restaurant Alla Rampa.  In the evening we had a very pleasant meal at the Ambrosia roof-top restaurant in the Hotel Artemedi.

The following day we visited two sights nearby our hotel (I was somewhat off the Rome public transport system) the Baths of Diocletian and the Roman Museum near Termini.  That evening we went to the Baths of Caracalla to see the Tokyo Ballet give an outdoor performance.  The setting was spectacular and I booked us in the front row sets.

The only other event of note is that one of my old crowns fell out over breakfast so now I was toothless, with a partially frozen right shoulder, some 20 kilos lighter with limited saliva and taste buds.

Food and wine cruise tour of Sicily

I had booked this tour before being detected with cancer late last year.  Given the state of my taste buds and saliva glands plus Vivienne being a coeliac I decided to book us on all the architecture tours.

Valleta: Our first night was spent at the luxury hotel Excelsior which was very pleasant.  The next day we did a tour of Valletta which is quite an attractive town.  We finally boarded La Bougainville at 4pm, meeting the Captain who had the film start looks.  The boat was only launched in April and was in terrific nick as you would expect having only done 11 cruises. 

Porto Empedocle: We were travelling in a clockwise direction around Sicily and this was our first port of call.  We completely by passed the port, instead visiting the Valley of the Temples which were quite impressive especially the Temple of Concordia.  Actually Valley is a misnomer it should have been ridge.  After spending 3 hours walking across the ridge we went to the local museum in Agrigento.  This was the pattern for the rest of the trip.  Out on tour in the morning, back in time for a light lunch as the heat built up, swim in the afternoon and read Donna Leon’s latest novel, nap and dress up for dinner.

Trapani: Today we went to ancient Segesta where we saw the theatre and the temple that was not a temple.  It was never finished so it never became a consecrated temple so when the Christians took over the town they did not destroy or build a church on top of it.

Palermo: We spent two days here.  It is a gritty city, reminiscent of Naples.  We saw two spectacular churches with really terrific mosaics.  The first was the Palantine Chapel of the Palazzo Reale, commissioned by King Roger II of the Normans in 1132.  The second was the Cathedral on Monreale located some 20 minutes outside of town.  Our guide told us a joke.  “The Italians drive on the right, the English drive on the left, the Sicilians drive in the shade.”

The second day we spend walking the town and having lunch in the Bisso Bistrot.  I tried to stimulate the economy by buying some shoes but failed.

Taormina: Certainly the highlight of the trip to Sicily.  This is a stunning town built high a ridge clinging to Mount Tauro, overlooking the Bay of Naxos and Mount Etna.  The drive to the town was unbelievable bringing back memories of the Amalfi coast.  The town has great shopping and a number of spectacular buildings and sights including a Greek theatre still in use.  And I bought two pairs of shoes.

Syracuse:  Cicero described it as the most beautiful city in the world.  I beg to differ.  We spent the morning on Ortygia, a small island that was the original centre of Syracuse.  The cathedral located in the stunning Piazza del Duomo is an interesting combination of Greek temple, Byzantine Church, with a Baroque façade.  We also saw the Cavaggio painting in the Church of Santa Lucia.  Archimedes was born here.

Summing up:

A good 5 weeks and now I need a holiday.

I am still cynical about acupuncture.

I tried to gain weight but lost some more.  I have now lost 22.6 kilos.

Donna Leon has jumped the shark and lost it in her latest novel.

Don’t go to England while we are there.  Our next trip to the UK will be around 26 September 2020.

Switch off your mobile if you are in Monaco.





Chris Golis Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence website: www.emotionalintelligencecourse.com Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis Email: cgolis@emotionalintelligencecourse.com mobile: +61-418-222219

South East Asia 2018

We started in Hong Kong on 1 February arriving at our hotel in Kowloon at 4pm.  We were greeted by the receptionist asking if we were cold and she telling us she was freezing.  We then discovered that Hong Kong was having its coldest February day in some 30 years.  When we went down the hotel’s Chinese restaurant it was packed with locals all wearing the Michelin style puffer jackets.  The hotel was freezing and the only place that was warm was the hotel pub where we had dinner the next night.

We were going on a cruise but part of the deal was 3 free nights in Hong Kong and two free excursions which we took.  The first day was the standard Hong Kong Island trip of Stanley Bay (ie the first thing we saw in Hong Kong was a beach which was perfect for a Sydneysider), Aberdeen and Victoria Peak.  The second day was back out to Lantau Island where the airport is now located.  We went over the mountain, visited the Big Budda Monastery, where I found a thermometer reading 4° Celsius at noon.  We had a vegan lunch there followed by a spectacular cable car ride back over the mountain where we could see the airport and the new 55km bridge to Macao.  The infrastructure in Hong Kong is amazing.  We first went to Hong Kong in May 1975 it took 30 minutes to cross the harbour using the single tunnel and the traffic jams were horrendous.  Now there are six tunnels, 17 bridges and unbelievable road infra structure.  It now takes 5 minutes to cross to the other side even though the city has grown dramatically.

We joined the boat on 4 February and set sail on the 5^th to Ha Long Bay spending the first night at sea.  Our first day in Vietnam consisted of an all day visit to Hanoi.  This is the capital and political centre of Vietnam and the centre of communist power.  The old French quarter is picturesque, the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum typically Stalinesque (against Ho Chi Minh’s wishes who wanted a cremation and simple burial site) but the highlight of the trip was the Hanoi Hilton.  This was jail set up by the French to imprison mainly political prisoners during their 100 years of occupation complete with a working guillotine.  The French left in 1954 following their defeat at Dien Phen Phu.  The jail was then used to imprison American pilots shot down during the American war 1964-73.  The (North) Vietnamese maintain the prisoners were treated humanely but the guides in the South subsequently said this was propaganda.  However the photographs and stories tell a fascinating if horrific story.  As one US army officer who we met on the cruise later said that after 1 week there would be nothing left to bomb in North Vietnam so what the USA dropped the bombs on for the next 9 years was questionable but drop them they did. 

What was interesting were the guides.  The Hanoi guide was around 40, highly principled and a member of the Communist Party (like 3% of the population).  However when he said the most important thing in life was money and the second who you know (the most important was the policeman who would get any charges against you dismissed, the second was the doctor who would enable you to jump the medical queues, the third was the local political communist party leader who could give you good contracts) we began to understand his disenchantment compounded when he said Vietnam needed more than one political party.  Every male guide said the biggest problem in Vietnam was the corruption.

The next day was a boat trip through Ha Long Bay.  Ever since I saw Caroline DeNeuve sailing through the bay in the film “Indochine” this has been a dream of mine and I was not disappointed.  It is a spectacular sight with 1969 limestone islands in an amazing range of shapes and sizes.

The next day we berthed in Da Nang and we did another all-day trip to Hue.   This was formally the capital of Vietnam and does contain a large fort.  Most of it was destroyed, particularly after its capture by the Viet Cong during the 1968 Tet offensive followed by the recapture by the Americans.  By now we were beginning to realise that we had arrived just before the beginning to the New Year or Tet holidays due to start on Feb 16.  The sidewalks were filled with stalls selling kumquat bushes, sunflowers and yellow chrysanthemums.  The girls were dressed to the nines looking spectacularly beautiful in long dresses and the streets were gradually emptying as people were leaving the cities to visit their families in the country side.  What was impressive in Hue was its first university, the Temple of Learning.  Somehow much of it had been preserved.

We then did a stop in Nha Trang which is a beach and a pretty grotty market but as we just missed the transit bus back to the ship we did have good massage (30 minutes for $13).  Nha Trang is being regularly advertised in the travel sections of the Sydney weekend newspapers (pay 4 nights & stay for 7) but seriously unless you can sit on a beach for 6 days there is little else to do.

The next day we were berthed on in the centre of Saigon or Ho Chi Minh city.  Luckily were on a smaller cruise chip (640 passengers or 30,000 tonnes) so we could sail up the river unlike many of the larger boats that have to dock some two hours outside of Saigon.

The first day we did a trip to the Cu Chi tunnels where the Viet Cong and Americans fought an unbelievable battle of wits.  The tunnels stretch for some 250 km.  During the day the Viet Cong hid in the tunnels and the Americans would use dogs to sniff out the hiding places.  If the dogs started barking the Americans would send down small soldiers (the tunnels were small and at 3 levels) of whom only 25% would return or use gas to force them out.  The Viet Cong would emerge at night to fight the Americans, set new booby traps, lay down stuff to distract the dogs etc.  First they used chilli peppers to distract the dogs but that signalled to the Americans that the tunnel was being used.  So the Viet Cong then broke into US camps and stole & spread hamburger meat which dogs finding the smell familiar thought that Americans were in the tunnel and not Viet Cong.  The tunnels are very narrow and there is size limit on going down which I unfortunately exceeded.

The second day in Saigon we did a city tour.  The old South Vietnamese Presidential Palace which is now named the Reunification Palace is easily the most impressive building.  It contains the usual reception and dining rooms upstairs and the communications and escape tunnels downstairs.  In the garden are replicas of the two tanks that crashed though the gates and ended the civil war in 1975 where the South Vietnamese President ceded power to the tank commander.  By now most of the 7 million motor bikes that generally reside in Saigon had now gone out to family homes based in the Mekong Delta.  We also had our first Vietnamese joke:

Motorcyclist goes though a red light and is stopped by a policeman.

Policeman asks, “Didn’t you see the red light?”

Motorcyclist replies, “Yes but I did not see you!”

The accident rate on the bikes is very high and given the way they drive not surprising.  Saigon in particular reminds one of New Delhi.

We then had day at sea, a day in Singapore, followed by a day at sea.  On the days at sea we typically had a bridge lesson in the morning followed by bridge in the afternoon.  The lessons were good; unfortunately not matched by our play.

It had been at least 15 years since I had been in Singapore.  The city is even cleaner now.  Given the proximity to the Chinese New Year we decided to go to Chinatown on the MRT.  It was buzzing with people getting ready for the 10 day holiday. Several older Singaporeans approached us and as soon as they discovered we were Australian told us they had units on the Gold Coast and how unfair it was for Julia Gillard to increase the taxes on the rental.  We then a had a stroll through Clarke Quay and up to Raffles for the mandatory Singapore Sling.  Unfortunately, Raffles is being renovated and so we ended having tapas at the Luke Mangan pub across the road.

Our next stop was the Thai island of Koh Samui where we did a half day trip visiting various honey pots (waterfall, coconut plantation, rubber plantation, etc.)  The highlight was a visit to an elephant sanctuary where Vivienne had a foot massage from an elephant. 

Finally we reached the end of cruise in Bangkok.  Again the benefit of the smaller boat meant we could go up the river and moor in the city as in Saigon.  We did an interesting tour of the river and canals.  The river is full of catfish that you feed with bread.  That night we had a great meal with an old friend Peter Thomas who then took us the next day to the former Thai capital Ayutthaya.  We visited the summer palace of Rama IV which was very impressive.   We hired a golf cart and Vivienne drove use around much to the amazement of the rest of visitors who would expect one of the males to be driving.  For lunch we had what I can only describe as catfish crumble.  Pieces of catfish are put into boiling oil which causes to pop (like popcorn) and turn into fishy crumble.  It was very good.

In my last cruise blog I described cruising as coach tours for rich people.  You go to a lot of places you would not go but you don’t really get inside each stop.  On the other hand you do get a feel and that can be enough.  I would put Vietnam in that category – I am glad I went but there is no need to return.

Chris Golis Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence website: www.emotionalintelligencecourse.com Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis Email: cgolis@emotionalintelligencecourse.com mobile: +61-418-222219

India 2017 November 5-21

In early 2016 we visited India for the first time and you can read that travel blog here.  I must confess that I did not think we would ever go back.  However at a veteran's lunch at the UUSC in May 2017 I met Mary Rossi who is Australia’s #1 luxury travel specialist.  She told me she had been on luxury tours to over 70 locations so I naturally asked her which place would she put top of her list.  I was surprised when she replied Rajasthan but that night I said to my wife guess where we are going.  Martin Randall Tours had “Painted Palaces of Rajasthan Tour” in November 2017 and as we had enjoyed their previous tour I made the booking.  We flew Air India again (A brand new 787 Dreamliner for you skeptics) direct to Delhi.  The Indian Met office has an AQI (Air Quality Index) ranging from 0 (perfect) to 500 (unbreathable) and the reading for Delhi was 487.  I have been in Beijing in December but this was really bad.  It looked like a dense fog out of the window and the schools were all closed.  Luckily all that was planned for Delhi was a visit to the National Museum’s impressive and well-displayed collection of miniature paintings where we were introduced to the Mughal and Rajput traditions.

We were a band of 11 travellers and 3 guides: Caroline Simpson, who was an excellent tour manager, Dr Giles Tillotson, the mandatory academic who was on our previous trip, and Narendra Singh who was the mandatory Indian guide and who proved invaluable in negotiating visits to places banned to tourist groups.

Our first trip was flying to Jodhpur.  Unfortunately because of the pollution one runway was closed and all international flights were given priority meant we sat for 2.5 hours in the plane on the runway before finally arriving at Hotel RAAS in Jodhpur, including a rickshaw ride for the final 10 minutes.  The hotel was terrific and had a magnificent views of the Mehrangarh Fort. Described by Kipling as the ‘work of angels, fairies and giants’, it was built in 1459 and has some of the most imposing fortifications in the world. The outlook of the Fort is over the buildings of the lively Old City painted in a variety of blues, originally the colour denoting the homes of Brahmins.  A Bollywood movie was being made at the fort with costumed extras, horses, and camels wandering around.  The piece de resistance was a dinner outside in the Chokelao Garden of the Fort followed by a 15 minute firework display.  I like travelling 5 star.

After two nights in Jodhpur we took the coach to Naguar, stopping at Mandore (cenotaphs) and Khimsar Fort for lunch on the way.  At Naguar we stayed at the Ranvas Hotel for two nights which is located inside the amazing Ahhichatragarh Fort.  (Ahhi = cobra, chatra = umbrella, garh = fort or the Fort of the hooded cobra),  The Fort is huge and Giles has been a major force in getting the Fort renovated.  Again the highlight of the stay was a dinner in the Bakht Singh Courtyard.  10 men had spent 2 hours each lighting 1000 oil lamps.  It made for a truly impressive and unforgettable dinner spectacle.

Then it was on to Bikaner, home of the Narenda Bhawan hotel and Junagarh Fort.  On the way there we stopped at the Karni Mata Temple.  The temple is famous for the approximately 25,000 black rats that live, and are revered in, the temple. You could say at this point our group divided.  Three of the tourists including yours truly did the tour in bare feet gingerly stepping over the rats while the other eight, including my wife, stopped at the entrance and immediately headed for nearest exit.

By now I was now getting used to 5 star hotels and decided that eating in their courtyards on our occasional free nights was the way to go.  Our first stop in Bikaner was the Sadul Singh museum.  Gradually it began to dawn on methat Rajasthan suffered from a slight wealth inequality.  The population is Rajasthan is around 75 million.  It was formed by combining 19 Rajput or Maharajah principalities.  Each of the Rajput families comprise say 100 people at most.  So we are not talking about the top 1% but the top 0.003% owing say over 50% of the wealth.  From the museums we could see the top 0.003% really lived the life of Riley.  Polo, annual trips to London, Rolls Royce cars by the dozen, private planes, etc.  Still as most of the 5 star hotels are conversions from their palaces why worry.

The Junagadh Fort dates from 1588, it displays a variety of painting styles, from traditional Rajput motifs to early 20th-cent. depictions of trains. The Monsoon Palace has some highly unusual paintings of rain clouds and lightning, while the Diwan-i-Khas, the hall of private audience, is profusely decorated with gold leaf.  Again we were among the 1% of tourists especially allowed to go to the Phool Mahal, the oldest part of the palace..

After two days in Bikarner we headed to Mandawa where we some painted havelis (merchants’ mansions), which go back to the 18th century. We stayed outside Mandawa in the Vivaana hotel which is another meticulously restored Haveli.  Not quite a palace but well on the way.

We then had a four-hour coach journey to Jaipur driving through the scenic Aravalli range.. First we stopped outside of Jaipur at the dramatically located site of Galta outside features temples, leisure pavilions, sacred water spring and tanks all of which are falling into disrepair and becoming home to 100s of monkeys.  It was a steep climb to the top so as my hip was playing up so I took a motorcycle taxi up and down.  Best 300 rupiahs (A$7.50) I ever invested.  Jaipur is known at the Pink city. 

We stayed at the Trident Hotel in Jaipur where for the first time in 10 days we encountered other tourist groups.  However I will always have a soft spot for this hotel because on my birthday (16 November) when I returned to my room in the evening it was filled with balloons and towels folded into the shapes of swans and elephants. 

We visited the City Palace starting with the Jantar Mantar, the 1730s observatory is equipped with massive astronomical instruments that are astonishingly accurate. Again a massive palace with a terrific art gallery.  The following day we went outside Jaipur to Amer and visited the 18th-cent. Amber Palace, again huge, again at the top of the hill, and with mirrored chambers, latticed windows, and carved alabaster.  For lunch we went out in the country  to Dera Amer where not only were we met by elephants we had what was the best curry of the trip.  Even Narendra gave it the thumbs up.  We finished back in Amer at the Anokhi Museum where Vivienne did some serious shopping.

We flew back to Delhi the next day.  Thankfully the AQI was down to around 200 so the flight was on time the air partially breathable. 

In summary, unbelievable income equality but the palaces are magnificent.  Giles did a great job with his lectures and again the Martin Randall organisation is superb and their tours are highly recommended.  We did eat a lot of curries but I managed to sneak in two pizzas and a terrific duck ravioli at the Leela Ambiance cooked by a wonderful chef Leidy Liz Levitan.  My tip for India is 5 star or nothing.  For some reason I was one of the few on the trip who did not suffer from Delhi Belly but then any bugs in my system would be poisoned by the alcohol.

Chris Golis Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence website: www.emotionalintelligencecourse.com Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis Email: cgolis@emotionalintelligencecourse.com mobile: +61-418-222219

Europe 2017

Europe 2017

To summarise the trip: Fly to London arriving Thursday, Fly to Montenegro Sunday, 1 week sailing in a Turkish Gulet, Fly back to London on Sunday, Fly to Oporto on Tuesday, Fly back to London, Saturday, Fly to Italy on Sunday, 12 nights in Italy, Fly back to Sydney.  I may be getting too old to do this.

Montenegro.

This trip was organised by Pierre, husband of Vivienne’s sister, Virginia.  Originally we were going on a Jewels of the Adriatic Cruise of a Turkish Gulet, stopping at Dubrovnik and higher up the Croatian coast.  Unfortunately, the mini wars that have plagued the Balkans for the last 600 years continue and Croatia has banned Montenegro based cruising ships sailing to Croatia so instead we had to settle for a Jewels of Montenegro cruise.

When SWMBO had seen the plan of Gulet she demanded I get another room.  It was probably the best move of my life meaning we both had seven blissful nights of sleeps.  One complaint was the smallness of the rooms.

There 16 on the boat.  Three workers: the captain, the chef, and the general hand.  Six couples (5 from the UK + us) and Ricky, a German who was 41 and lived in East Germany until he was 13.  The four of us, (Pierre, Virginia, Vivienne and I) probably doubled the average age.

Each day was similar.  After a good breakfast (with sausages) we would set off at 10 am to a bay somewhere where we would anchor, swim and have a relaxing lunch.  We would then motor for another two hours where would either moor or anchor and then go on shore for dinner.

I think we spent the nights at the following places in the following order:

Kotor (we had our only dinner on the boat – interesting old town)

Perast (pretty village)

Herceg Novi (another pretty village)

Budva (the party town - full of discotheques – if only I was 50 years younger and single)

Bar (massive marina)

Bigova (very small village with a great restaurant.  Relaxing on a beach chair was a stunningly beautiful girl of Chinese descent.  I asked the waiter if she was an actress or singer and he said no she was an escort).

Tivat (very swish marina trying to emulate St. Tropez)

Summing up: Montenegro only formed in 2006 when it left Serbia to follow a more Western route.  Euro is the currency only 600,000 people.  Not inside the Vodaphone European zone for telephones (that wasted a SIM Card).  Reasonable cuisine.  Some very tall men and lot of beautiful women, many who looked like Melania Trump.

I must confess I was introverted on the trip taking the time to catch up on some reading and thinking about the EQ Congress in Oporto.

You can read my conference review here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/review-oporto-emotional-intelligence-conference-19-22-golis

Naples

We arrived at Rome at 2:15 and finally got into our hire car at 4:15 We arrived in Naples and using Google Maps and with help of various people got to Il Convento where were staying.  One who helped us was the waiter/hustler at the La Cantina Della Tofa restaurant around the corner so as a reward we went for dinner there.  It is ranked #2,162 of the 2,450 Restaurants in Naples but was not that bad.

Naples can be summed up in there words: Graffitti, Tattoos and Maradona.  I don’t think I have ever been to a city with so much graffiti and so many with tats.  Milan this is not.  On the other hand all the tourist stalls have tokens of Maradona.  He is a god here, playing for Napoli for 7 years and leading the team to 2 Italian Championships and a UEFA Cup.  It was the first time a southern team had beaten the giants from Milan and Rome.

The first day we needed some exercise.  We walked up the Via Toledo, swung right at Via Tribunali into the Centro Storico and 30 minutes later reached the Pio Monte de Misericordia where hangs the best painting in Naples;  Caravaggio’s 7 Acts of Mercy.  We then moved on to the Capella Sansevero which contains some amazing scuptures including the Veiled Christ.  These are the two must sees in Naples plus our next visit the National Archeological Museum.  This contains some of the most amazing statues ever collected mainly from Pompeii and Heraculeum but also throughout Italy.  Some are huge and spectacular especially the Faranese Bull.  This is well worth a visit; we spent two hours here and should have budgeted for four.

We ate that night at the nearby Antica Capri.  Trip Advisor ranks this #33 of 2,450 Restaurants in Naples.  Eat inside – the scooters running up the street are a pest.           

The next day we decided we wanted to see the Bay of Naples and caught the funicular up to Vomero.  After a 30 minute trek we finally got to the Certosa di San Martino.  We should have taken a taxi there.  However after a cappuccino restored our spirits we took a taxi to the Duomo, the main church of Naples.  The patron saint is St. Gennario, a third century martyr, complete with the usual bones and phials of blood.  In 1800 years this church has collected an amazing amount of wealth.  We then took in two more churches.  The Chiesa e Scavi di San Lorenzo Maggiore contains an impressive 14th century tomb of Catherine of Austria and located opposite the Chiesa di San Paolo Maggiore contains some very impressive Solimena frescoes.  For lunch we followed the nearby recommendation of Lonely Planet and ate at the Trattoria di Carmine (ranked #178 of 2,450 Restaurants in Naples) which was excellent  If you are in the Centro Storico this would be a good choice.

For dinner we went to Zero Zero Grano, ranked #5 of 2,450 Restaurants in Naples.  This is a 100% gluten free restaurant.  My wife being a confirmed coeliac was in ecstasy.  The bread, the tempura vegetables, the ravioli and the coffee cake sent her into raptures.  Sydney needs a restaurant like this.

Maratea

The next day we set off for Maratea.  On the way we stopped at Paestum.  This site has three very impressive Greek temples in very good nick and with all the columns standing.  I thought it far more impressive than Pompeii.  The final hour’s driving is quite a challenge.  According to Lonely Planet the road is even narrower than the Amalfi Coast.  We stayed at the La Laconda Delle Donna Monarche, which is a former convent and definitely the place to stay.  Big thunderstorm predicted so we ate in.

Maratea is a great place on the Tyrrhenian coast.  We stayed at the Locanda delle Donne Monache, which is a hotel opened in 2000 on the site of a former convent.  It is the only hotel in the Centro Storico with a pool and highly recommended.  I had forewarned the hotel that Vivienne was a coeliac and we had two superb dinners there.  The other night we had dinner at the Taverna Rovita which was not in the same league.  The first day we walked down the hill to the beach taking nearly 2 hours.  We caught a taxi back for 15 euros.  The next day we caught a bus down for 1,1 euros to the Port getting out one stop too early.  The beach is pebbles and black sand. 

Puglia

On Saturday we drove to Puglia through the Pollino national park to the Gulf of Taranto.  It took some 4.5 hours and we met up with Ann & Anthony Mayer.  We were staying north of Locorotondo in a very well appointed villa.  Six bedrooms for the four of us.  The pool was great and I managed two swims a day.  Typically we have lunch out and dinner in.

Sunday we visited the Centro Storico of Locorotondo which is rated as one of the most beautiful towns in Italy and lives up to its reputation.  We had lunch at the U’Cordunn which is a terrific restaurant.

Monday we went the coast visiting Monopoli and Polignano which is famous for its stunning coastal scenery.  We had another great lunch at the Piazza Palmieri.

Tuesday we went to Alberobello, the city of tulli which are the area's signature beehive shaped houses.  This time we had another great lunch at the Trullo D'Oro.

Wednesday we went to Martina Franca.  It was market day so the town was busy but after we found a parking spot, got to the centro historico and had another great lunch at the Ristorante La Tavolaccia 2.

If there appears to be theme running through these days of long lunches you have got it.

Thursday we drove the seven hours back to Rome and the airport where the temperature was 42 degrees outside and caught the plane back Sydney.

Great trip but to conclude I am not sure I have the energy to do it again.

Chris Golis Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence website: www.emotionalintelligencecourse.com Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis Email: cgolis@emotionalintelligencecourse.com mobile: +61-418-222219

Europe 2016 Part II 11 August – 4 September

We (Vivienne, Virginia [Viv’s sister} and Pierre {husband}) arrived at Porto around 5pm and went to our hotel the Pestana Ribeira which is a great hotel and highly recommended.  Located on the Douro river in the buzziest square in Porto the location could not be bettered.  Tourism now represents over 25% of Porto’s GDP and the hotel is thriving and expanding so much so it took over Lonely Planet’s top restaurant recommendation that was next door and replaced it with a rib & beef restaurant.  We wanted seafood and went to Terreiro in the next square on the recommendation of the concierge.  Good restaurant; I had the baked cod which was excellent.

The next day we were booked to go on a Douro  cruise.  The night before Virginia had asked at reception how far it was to the quay and was told two minutes.  The next morning at 7:50 we asked where was the quay to be told it was on the other side of the river.  Total panic as it was a 30 minute walk.  We grabbed a taxi and told the concierge to ring and hold the boat.  We get to the quay at 8:05 only to be told that no the boat was back where we started.  Now in the mode of total panic communicated to the driver who went the wrong way down one way streets but got us there just in time.  Travel is not about the destination but the journey.  The river Douro cruise is a must do however it is a long day.  You pass under the bridges of Porto which are spectacular.  The most impressive was designed by Eiffel but is no longer being used.  You pass through landscape that generally gets hillier two big locks and then reach the terraced vineyards of the upper Duoro some 3 hours into the trip.  We finally disembarked at Rigua only to be told that our train trip back on an old train had been cancelled and we would be taking a bus back at 4:30.  Miffed we then caught a tourist mini train, toured the town which had nothing except a port tasting cellar, finally caught the bus and got back around 6:45. 

The lunch on the boat was mediocre and we struck gold for dinner that night at Jimao restaurant.  We were lucky as there was a cancellation just as we walked in.  The Tapas were so good we booked to come back.  Both times the food was phenomenal and the bill for 4  people was 100 euros including a bottle of their best rose.

The next day was wine tasting at Porto Cruz across the river followed by lunch on terrace garden. We then took a taxi to Placa Libertad. I left the three of them and  went  for massage. Longer walk than expected but discovered Rua de Cedofeita which was a pedestrian street that led to the university and full of quirky shops and people.  We ate that night at Casada Pasto Das Palmieras which was an interesting restaurant recommended by followed by chocolate at Café majestic.

Next day we went to the museum of Serraves which had several exhibitions of performance and modern art.  Woeful would be a generous complement.  My test is simple.  Could I with my very limited visual ability replicate the work.  If yes I deem it crap.  By contrast in The Hague we went to the Martinhauss museum where we saw 6 Rembrandts and Vermeers Girl with a Pearl Earring.  No chance of a copy by yours truly.  For  lunch we ended up at Dom Peixe in Matosinhos.  Again highly recommended and we were subsequently told it is one of the best fish restaurants in Portugal.  The street is filled with outside barbeques grilling the fish but Dom Peixe with its white table cloths is the best.

We then caught the metro back to the Sao Bento station and that night ate at Jimao.  We had different Tapas which were again superb.  If you go to Porto this is the restaurant but you have to book.

The next day was a bit of a shambles. We were catching the train to Lisbon and were thinking we would catch the 10:00 am unfortunately we learned you have to go to the station to book the seat allocation.  We should have done this earlier but the result was we had to take the 1pm.  We got to our hotel at around 5 and ended up having dinner at the Clube de Fado.  Service was good, food average and we heard three different fado singers, all women.  Not cheap but there is a passion when they sing. Chico a former boyfriend of Virginia’s, had booked the four of us to go. 

The next day he had booked Vivienne and me to go to Sintra.  We managed again to just catch our train at 10 and got there at 10:45 where we finally caught up with our tuk tuk driver.  We then spent 2 hours driving around the hills of Sintra looking at the amazing castles, forts and mansions. By now we had seen 9 cities and their sights and were tripped out.  Also Sintra was packed both cars and tourists, we were quite happy with the external views and the guide knew the best viewing locations.  We caught the train/subway back and had a rest.  That night we went to Cascais to have dinner with Chico, his younger daughter and his 5^th wife at the Mar de Inferno.  The company was charming and the evening was entertaining.  There is an incredible interchange of people between Portugal and Brazil. Of course with the Olympics on Portugal was one of the few countries that could listen to the Brazilian commentators.

The next morning Chico organised another tuk tuk tour of Lisbon by Vico.  This time we lasted 3 hours and saw some amazing views of Lisbon.  The best sight was the burnt church of Sao Domingoes.  The church was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake rebuilt and then damaged again by a fire in 1950.  The church is still in operation and the atmosphere quite amazing.   The tour finished at the Jeronimus Monestary.  The queue was over 500 people but the guide to us to skip the queue and just go to the church where the entrance is free and which contains the graves of Vasco de Gama and Luis de Carnoes who is the #1 national poet of Portugal and who wrote about Vasco.  So we ticked of that box and then walked down to the Belem Tower.  Again a big queue so we passed on going inside and caught a taxi back.  That night we had a terrific meal at the MOMAgrill which is highly recommended.  Pierre had discovered this restaurant on a previous visit.

For our last day in Lisbon we went to the Igreja do Carmo which was the largest church in Lisbon.  The roof caved in on the 1 November 1755 earthquake which was All Saints Day and meant that all the churches of Lisbon were packed.  The King ordered that the church should be kept as is as a monument to the dead.  The Sao Domigoes church was the site of the Inquisition and its square was where all the victims were burnt.  Voltaire made great play of the fact that the most Godly places in Lisbon were destroyed while Alfama the centre of prostitution in Lisbon escaped the earthquake relatively unscathed.  The church includes an archeological museum.

You can catch an elevator up 5 euros round trip.  The queue was again enormous.  There were 4 of us so we took a taxi.  10 euro for the trip and you were dropped right outside the church on the square.  The walk down is quick and easy.

We had a late lunch at MOMAgrill again, caught the 20:15 to London, and then the night mare of trying to go through Heathrow after 11pm.  If you can, never arrive at Heathrow after 11 pm.  They shut the epassport gates and there was 1 guy processing some 400 people.  It took us 45 minutes to go through the gate.

After four days in London we were kindly driven to Terminal 5 at London Heathrow where I was singed for 65 pounds because Vivienne’s bag was overweight by 2.5 kilos.  We flew to Athens and drove to our first stop Naplio.  It had been described in an article as one of top 10 villages in Europe and the car rental guy said it was the best place to visit in Greece.  It is a spectacular place filled with Greek families on holiday. 

We were staying at the Amfitriti Palazzo neat door to Lonely Planet’s star recommendation the Pension Marianne.  The view from both places at the top of the hill is truly spectacular but getting there is a challenge.  The hotel sent you a video of how to get to the car park above the hotel which is a first for me.  When we got to the car park it was jammed full but by some miracle someone was just going and we grabbed the spot.  I left the car there for the next 4 days and we took taxis.  LP says that heights come at a small cost namely several flights of stairs.  It is more than that 5 euros to be exact which is the price of a taxi ride from the town rank to the car park.  We walked up once and it nearly killed me. 

We went to the town beach twice.  Lots of pebbles so I invested in a new pair of flip flops.  A massive and impressive fortress the Palamidi started by the Venetians and finished by the Ottomans overlooks the town.  You can climb the 999 steps to get there or pay 30 euro for a taxi to take you there and wait.  No surprise as to what option we took. 

We visited the War Museum which describes the War of Independence versus Turks and then the terrible suffering in WW2.  The Greeks gave stick to the Italians but then the Nazis took over.  There is an excellent film with English subtitles.  The other museum is the archeological museum which contains the famous suit of bronze armour.  Well worth a visit.  Lots and lots of mini statues of female votaries but no males.  Why I asked the museum guide?  No one has a clue she replied.

The buzz in the town at night is great.  We had several excellent meals at the To Omorfo (2x)and Ta Famaria Tavernas.  House rose at 3 euros per half litre jug is great value.

After 4 days we set out for a final destination Porto Cheli.  On the way we stopped at Epidaurus and saw the famous theatre. I would rank this as a must see in Greece.  You can hear the coins dropping on the centre stage while you sit at the highest point in the amphitheatre.  The setting is very lush and green and the views are amazing.

We then drove another hour to Portocheli and the Villa Grace. Eight of us in total sharing a 6 bedroom villa with an infinity pool on Ververouda beach.  The party comprised Ann & Anthony Mayer, Jan & Peter Arnold, Owen & Janna and Vivienne and myself.  Thanks to Ann for organising the stay.  The next six days were spent drinking a lot of rose, and eating a lot of Greek Salad and seafood.  The night we arrived we ate on the harbour front at a restaurant Ann had booked called Ostria. The setting was spectacular, the food and service less so but it was Saturday night and the town was hosting the world jet ski championships. 

Monday was a rest and recovery day and on Tuesday we went to Spetses where I met Vivienne 44 years ago.  The island had changed.  It now had  museum dedicated to Katarinma bouboulina founded in 1991.  When we stayed in Spetses the only means of transport was horse drawn carriages.  There were no motor cars or motorcycles.  Unfortunately this has changed and there is a constant roar of scooters and motorcycles in the main square.  We retreated to the old harbour had a pleasant lunch, caught a horse drawn carriage back and returned to the mainland by water taxi.  It was a trip down memory lane but unfortunately Spetses had lost its charm.

Our next big trip was to drive to Erimoni and take a water taxi to Hydra.  Unlike Spetses Hydra had not succumbed to motorisation and had kept its donkeys and it's cool.  We ate at what is one of the most spectacular restaurants in the world for views, Sunset.  We took the ferry back to Erimoni  which is a quaint and basic port and much how Spetses had been 44 years ago.

The final trip was to Hintsia Beach on the advice of our cleaner.  The bay is another picturesque scene with a great taverna on the beach.  While I don’t see us returning to Spetses, a return to Greece is a definite possibility.

Our final dinner was again on the harbour at the Taverna Padadias which has mixed reviews on Trip Advisor but I found to be more than pleasant.  Try the Red Mullet for a main course if you are in Greece.

In summary it was great to be back in warm climates.  Thanks again to Virginia organising the Portugal trip and Ann for organising Villa Grace in Porto Cheli.

Chris Golis Australia's expert on practical emotional intelligence website: www.emotionalintelligencecourse.com Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgolis Email: cgolis@emotionalintelligencecourse.com mobile: +61-418-222219