7 days in Rome

Where we stayed in Rome was fantastic - as you can see from above - Rome may not have had the largest shops - but it had the essentials - above - toy/model shop that sold Lego train track and doll clothes.

We stayed in Largo Argentina - this fountain is 100 steps from our door. The apartment was on the 2nd floor, up a winding, very narrow staircase (yes I did help carry the suitcases, but it was still pretty cute). It was a 1900 building. The fountain is just another example of Rome, turn the corner, there is a another photo moment.

An excellent crepe shop was between our dinner piazzo (compo de fiori) and where we lived. We had dinner at a different resturant every night within the square and the kids got crepes on the way home. That's a 5kg jar - the nutella crepes from here are better than any we have ever had (and we started having them in France 2 1/2 years ago and have them everywhere we go now(including every sunday morning since (thanks to C girl), so we think we are experts now.

Our unit had enough room to swing a cat (or doll). Can't say we spent much daytime in it, but it was warm and adequately furnished.

Our view from the front window. There is a lane in front of the car on the left. Down that lane (no bigger than 2m wide) is the main street (via Arenula) running from the main drag (vittorio Emanuele II) down to the Tevere river. This was a quiet spot but seriously close to bus and tram spots - plus 1 stop from piazza venezia (centre of Rome). Great spot.

Only downside of renting an apartment - you have to clean it before you leave. Lucky we have eager helpers who still think housework is fun (due to lack of experience). This was lounge/Bear bedroom.

Shocking photo right (that's what you get when you hand someone a camera and tell them to take photos to remember it by). Front door on the right, kitchen ahead (taken from the loungeroom).

Kitchen - used for breakfast daily (this is the only time it was ever this clean).

Dining room (only used to rest computers on).

Main bedroom - other end to lounge.

Up to the loft above kitchen (girls room).

Furniture not top of the range - but for 7 days/nights I could not have stayed in a hotel (especially as there doesn't seem to be adjoining rooms).

View from the kitchen window. Would go back tomorrow to this unit. Found it on the B&B accomodation website (http://www.b-b.rm.it/) in Rome. Cost 1600 Euro for 7 nights for 5 people - I think that is pretty good for peak period and the privacy it gave us. It didn't have internet or washing machine/dryer - but we found both a few blocks away, life would have been easier if we had it (due to J's ongoing work commitments while on holidays). Funnily it didn't have a TV -itw as in the middle of changing from analog to digital - not sure why that makes a difference - but we unplugged the one at the snow, so not sure we would have used it anyway.

It was our 16th wedding anniversary on the 1st Jan. I was a little hungover after having too much to drink the night before (new years eve outside the colluseum). After a 2 hour lunch with the kids in the quaint area of Trastevere, we leisurley took them home (discovering more treasures on the way) and then walked around the massive block of the colluseum/Roman Forum & Circo Massimo (the place where they did the chairot races) in a light rain while the kids watched a dvd at the unit (yes - we are bad parents (but we were only 10 minutes away if they rang).

So not only was our trip to Italy each other's xmas presents, it was also our anniversary presents as well - I can't imagine getting anything else that I would have loved more.

Dubbo Zoo 2004 & Ironman 2005

One thousand years ago (september 2004) we hardly ever went on holiday, we were so busy working and surviving the week that we didn't think about holidays - it was almost like they were not important. Every year we went to Forster for the Ironman for one week. And twice (over 13 years of friendship) we went away for the weekend with our best friends. One weekend we went to Dubbo Zoo. It was a really fun weekend.

Fashion obviously wasn't a high priority. J was obviously experiencing hair tolerance (as in I would plead that he doesn't shave it off and he took pity on me and didn't for a few months).

But our kids grew up together. The seven of them, although not spending week days together, did spend every sunday together as a bare minimum. They were very close. When we left they actually thought that they were cousins.

Dubbo Zoo is a great place for bike riding. We cycled around (and a few of us raced the others back to the hotel (and we won thanks to the one way road system around the zoo). It was a lot of fun and I can't for the life of me work out why we didn't do more weekends away.

We always knew she was going to walk all over us - but we had no idea how much.

But she has big shoes to fill.

These twins entertaining themselves thoroughly at home.

Not that they caused that much mischief together. (This was at Forster).

Or left their big sister out of anything. (This is just before reading a book before bed).

The twins on the verandah of our unit at Forster. We rented the same unit for 7 years (until 2nd last Ironman - the last was moved to Port Macquarie) - it was situated in the middle of the cycle/running circuit - perfect location when you need to watch some of the race while your babies napped (and this was not counted as seeing him - he had to see us for one of those sightings).

C girl with her camera - a lot can be said for giving a 5 year old a camera.

On a dolpin watch tour - they obviously didn't get chips too often. We did see some dolphins.

The last ever photo of my baby as a baby. 2 days before turning the big 2 years old.

I think it is really obvious they are related - isn't it (love the eyes).

We always enjoyed the swimming in the ocean (that's as deep as we got -it was April)

With J's sister and husband (now), we had supporting down to an art. We saw him a total of 12 times during the race - yes we had to run on occassion to see him between the end of the ride and the start of the run, but he knew we were behind him - always greeted us with a smile (plus when the race is 10-12 hours long, you've got to make it as interesting as possible for the kids).

After a 3.8km swim, 182km bike ride and 4 km left to run (after 38km), he always stopped and said hello.

This holiday marked the end of an era for us. I had finally resigned from where I had started as a graduate and had 3 maternity leaves, but otherwise lived and breathed the place in every waking moment (even on maternity leave). I had been there 11 years and it took a year to get over the grief of leaving my friends (I loved the work challenge, made even more fun by working with people I really liked). I moved to a promotion , supposedly the job of my dreams . But it was too many hours, the company were doing too many things I couldn't live with and I realised I wasn't ready to deal with that side of business. This week in Forster was a turning point for our lives - and the start of "family holidays". In this photo, none of us had a passport. 18 months later, we had moved overseas to live (after volunteering).

A Father / Son Fairytale

Once upon a time (about 30 years ago), there was a little boy who had a dream. He played soccer and what he really wanted to do, was to see Australia play in the world cup. When he met a beautiful maiden, who he made his wife (she had no choice - this is a fairytale after all), he mentioned continually his childhood dream to see Australia play in the world cup. They had a beautiful daughter, then a gorgeous son, followed up by a fiesty (but alas another gorgeous) daughter. Much to his dismay (and his wife), his daughter refused to play football when she came to the rightful soccer playing age.

Then, wouldn't you know it, December 2005 - Australia got into the world cup. A promise is a promise, so we applied for 5 tickets to the world cup. Because FIFA is by and far one of the most colourful of institutions, and because the Australian organisers enjoy what you would call a "monopoly", only 4 tickets could be put into any bid - big problem - there are 5 people in our family. So we made 2 seperate bids. In his great rush - the father, having dreamed his whole life of joining this, didn't tick the "ticket only" box for his and his son's petition. Instead he ticked the "stay with the Australian group in the nice hotels and have everything catered" box. Oops. For the girls he ticked the "ticket only" box.

Now I don't say this out of bitterness because I am a bit of a cheap skate and would have had a miserable time if I'd paid that price x 5. I really would have loved to have gone as a family (but not as a "the works" option). We knew a lot of people that put in bids for "ticket only" and a few people who had put in bids for "the works". Funnily enough all of the people who put in for the "works" got their tickets (this option was 1000% more expensive funnily enough) while we know no-one who got "ticket only" tickets. After he got the tickets, we asked if we could change the name on some of the games (the girls go and we get to see a game each) - but No, Australian administration was adament that this was impossible (in actual fact is was very possible but for some reason the Australian leg were adament to not allow it).

Luckily, this was all over by Jan 1st and the two boys had 5 1/2 months to anticipate and I had 5 1/2 months to come to terms with just how much it was costing. Trust me, I was at peace with it by Jan 06 (I was planning my trip to Paris with C girl for the following year).

They met some "very minor celebraties".

Bear was the mascot for the Aussie celebrations

They were part of the crowd. J's procedure was to put Bear on his shoulders and carry him when in a crowd - explains why he lost 4kg in 2 1/2 weeks away.....he's a heavy kid.

Not sure where the rest of this girl's uniform is....I'd either lose a national dress competition with this or romp it in...........inspiration to stay on that treadmill..... (note I am not going to comment that my husband took this photo (if your husband wouldn't - you need to work on your relationship...just saying).

This one I got off Ninemsn as he was Channel 9's poster child.

This is before the first game, they had arrived only 12 hours before and it's a 22 hour flight from Sydney. They saw every Australian game.....Bear still watches the games on You Tube trying to work out where he sat.

They were also the roving reporters for a local radio (NXFM - newcastle). Unfortunately, after leaving on Sat afternoon the first I heard from them was on the radio on Tuesday morning - after they had won the first game........someone was sooooooo drunk (with happiness?). But it was really nice to hear his voice.

Is it just me - or does he look tiny - he was 4 1/2 at the time. They went to Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Cologne, Munich and Berlin during the stay. They visited legoland, the mercedes museum and some historical sights. They also got to see the Australian team training up close.

For two and half weeks, they joined the Australian Touring contingent. Considering Bear still talks about it, I think they had a fantastic time together.

Especially when surrounded by football, trains and lego (his three favorite things in the world even now).

Although there were crowds, I know that his Dad would keep him safe no matter what.

Because when there is this Dad involved, he will stop at nothing to protect his child.

And that look on Bear's face when he looks up at his Dad, it makes it all worthwhile. I don't know many Dad's who would actually want to go on such a huge trip alone with his son, but he loved it - and in his own words he couldn't think of anyone he would have prefered to take (gee thanks - joke joyce).

By the way - NO, they are not going to South Africa. We know what we know, and I will not be taking my children there any time soon).

Fingers crossed I can talk J into going with the entire family to Rio in 2014. His concern is we will have two blonde girls (11 and 15 yo at that time) that totally lack street smarts as they have been living inside a warm cushy bubble....we will see what the next 4 years bring (no doubting Australia will qualify).

Pompeii

We went to Pompeii on our last day in Rome. Took 2 hours on a train to Napoli and then 1/2 hour on a local narrow guage railway that goes around the circumference of Mt Vesuvius (circumvesuviana - no signs of whereabouts until almost out of central station - but only a 5 minute walk). Really cheap little railway, running on time every 20 minutes (but beware on way back, it's the 2nd last station, not the last - we almost stayed on).

When you get to the Pompeii station - you have no idea that this massive area is 2 minutes walk from the station.

We passed on the tour guide (big mistake) - but we were still smarting over having to pay adult prices for the kids. We didn't get a map either, so it was a bit of a mystery for a while (until I realised everyone else seemed to know where they were going, and a lovely chinese guy told us they handed out maps where we bought the tickets - anyway -went back and got one and that got us in the right direction). My god I am a whinger aren't I?

This is inside the communal baths - the volcano erupted in 79 AD, 17 years after they had an earthquake that had done considerable damage.

The handset tour guides were pretty good - they had a seperate one for the kids and you literally could have spent 4 hours listening to all of the seperate talks they had (in fact C girl did listen to it from start to finish - more on that later).

That's a big bath at the end - amazing preservation.

Inside one of the houses. This is where C girl was taking a video. She was listening to the whole tour guide, not following the number that we were at. We didn't realise - so when we said "no 29" we thought she would have turned to it. We were all wearing our personal headphones (in the case of J and I - noise reducing earphones). The audio started outside, and said, turn left, take the first turn to the right, walk in the door.........giving a path of where to go. C girl, busy making her video and not listening to what we were listening to, turned around after a few minutes and realised her whole family had disappeared - thousands of kilometers from anyone that knew her, in a country that does not speak english.

The first we heard about it was when the people inside the building looked up and turned in alarm - I noticed the other people's reaction, noticed there were only two kids and took off the earphones and heard a god almighty scream, followed by "MUMMY"........then another scream. The poor kid thought we had abandoned her.

We were not forgiven in a hurry.

This is a quaint little fountain at the back of someone's house.

It is quiet an eerie feeling walking around a massive town that is devoid of people. You can almost imagine people going about their business - and the preservation of some of the buildings is amazing (I don't think our house will be standing in 1950 years).

The kids found it very interesting - especially Bear, who only just finished studying archeology in IPC (international primary curriculum).

Our only wish is that there were more plaster molds of where people were found when they excavated. Not enough bodies for our liking (no it's not sick, it would help identify just how big a disaster it was).

Light rain - no problem

This is a temple that was damaged in the earthquake in 62 AD but the renovation was paid for by a 5 year old boy. His father was a former slave (who had become wealthy) but could not become part of the "high society". His son, never having been a slave, could. So with a sizeable donation to the community, his 5 year old became an upstanding member of the community and on the council. Good way to get around the system.


Can you believe J walked around with a backpack containing a video camera and our good nikon but then failed to take a single photo (these are from my point and shoot camera).

When we got back to Napoli, the train had been delayed by 2 hours (not initially, but eventually). J was feeling really sick. So I took the kids on small excursions of Napoli (well, a couple of blocks from central station). Not too exciting, but the best patisieri I have ever seen (think the spelling is wrong Manny), and a great little supermarket. Even found a ROAST chicken (yes, didn't see too many of them). Back in Rome at 8:30 - too late for crepes......boo hoo.

Was it worth the 5-6 hours of train trips and a 2 hours delay. It definitely was - the documentaries have showed lots, so it's really familiar, but there is something to walking the streets personally and watching the kids discover stuff that is pretty awesome. I think trains was the best way to go for our family (probably wouldn't be for a couple), as it was 20% the price of the tours (and didn't include a "shell factory" tour). Overall time was about the same. Definitely worth the trip though. Won't go back for another visit though - seen enough.