A Dome With A View

You can't go to Rome without going to St Peters Basilica. We got up early and made it our first stop as the other day the lines were long, very long. Today we timed it right and didn't have to line up. We headed straight to the Cupola(dome) and did the walk up the Dome. Well actually we cheated and took the elevator to the half way point and then walked the 300+ steps to the top.  It is a tough walk, but fun. There are step spiral staircases which go around and around and around. Other staircases you can't stand up straight and need to lean to the side as you are right beneath the dome roof. There are a lot of people who struggle with the steps. In the past I have seen people turn around and go back down because they didn't have the fitness to get up or didn't like the tight squeeze. I have also seen someone get stuck as they were a bit on the large size and then had to stop and go back down.

Of course there are fantastic views for the top. The kids loved it and took some pictures of Boris up there. I'm glad we got up there early as it wasn't too busy. It would be great to have it to yourself for an hour just to soak in the views over the Vatican City and Rome itself. On the way down we had a coffee on the roof of the Basilica.

The inside of the Basilica is breathtaking. Kylie was in photographers heaven moving around and taking pictures of the intricate details of the Basilica. There were a number of sermons going on inside. The interior of the dome is amazing with its mosaic features and colour. Outside the window to the Popes apartment was open, we watched for a while to see if we could catch a glimpse, no luck.

Later we caught the bus that mysteriously didn't appear yesterday and we headed to Piazza Navona. Kylie was underwhelmed by this area although the fountain of the four waters is pretty neat. 

We ducked across to the Pantheon. This is one building that amazes me. The fact it was built so long ago and the hole in the roof intrigues me. Sebastian stood there with his mouth open trying to catch the rain that was coming through the hole in his mouth. Twit, I wonder who he gets that from. 

We headed home and had a bit of a lazy afternoon, I think we were all exhausted.

Wow - Castel Sant'Angelo

It's amazing how some things happen for the best. After two failed excursions we ended up at Castel Sant'Angelo and OMG.

So my day started with a run that took me through Villa Borghese Gardens. I found Piazza Di Siena which is where they held the Equestrian event at the 1960 Olympics. Last time I was here I missed it but I was making sure that didn't happen again. It's a pretty cool little arena.
We headed off to the Vatican, we had to laugh at all the people trying to sell you 'Skip The Line tickets that were almost double the normal entry fee. And the line itself only took 5 minutes to get in. Despite being to the Vatican on two previous occasions, it was still great to see it again. The highlight was watching the look on Kylie and Milanas faces when the saw some of the stunning exhibitions. It all was a bit much for Sebastian after a while. But he did love the Sistine Chapel and the fact that the roof was painted by one of the Ninja Turtles (Michelangelo).

After lunch we decided to catch the bus to The Pantheon, but the bus never arrived. So we headed to St Peters, line to big. So I suggested to go to Castel Sant'Angelo. It's always been a building that I've admired - from the outside.

"WOW" was Sebastian's response, "Can we go in?" he asked. So we did and it was one of the most amazing places I've been. I won't go into the history, you can read a version here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castel_Sant%27Angelo . It was amazing, the different rooms, walkways and fortifications were fantastic. The artwork in the papal rooms were amazing. Out in some of the courtyards there was some great frescos, sadly these are exposed to the weather and will one day be gone.
On the the 5th level is a fantastic terrace which provides some spectacular views of Rome. I was amazed at how much Kylie liked it, and well Sebastian, he thought being in a real castle was awesome. If you ever come to Rome, don't miss it.

Roma

We had big first full day in Rome. We did the Italian breakfast thing, coffee and cake standing up in a little bar. Milana and I loved it. Then we headed to the Trevi fountain. Kylie and Sebastian loved the fruit stands along the way. 

I love just walking in Rome, every corner you turn you are faced with something interesting and different. We arrived at the Trevi Fountain and it was closed to throwing coins in because they were cleaning the coins out. They get approximately €3000 a day out of it, which goes to a charity supermarket. 

We walked and ended up at the Roman Forum. The kids got into looking at the old ruins, then we hit the Colosseum. Sebastian was excited hasn't stopped talking about Gladiators since, he even bought a Gladiator figurine.

After lunch we visited Piazza Del Popolo and walked up the hill to get some great views of Rome. We then headed down to the Spanish Step, but sad they are cleaning and renovating them as we couldn't get to see them in all there glory. 

We wandered past Prada and Gucci on the way, I couldn't afford the €1000 for pants. We went back to the Trevi to throw coins into the fountain to ensure that we return to Rome someday.

Then it was a quick dinner and off to an early bed.

We made it. Rome

I

As with any long haul flight, the trip over was challenging at times. One of the biggest challenges was the kids, especially as they didn't get too much sleep. I was concerned that they were going to lose the plot being tired but they got through pretty well. 

Our stop over was in Dubai. Getting the 14 hour stint out of the way first was great because you could tell the kids that the next sector of the flight was less than half of what they had just done. We got a few hours in the Emirates Business Lounge and this was great. It was amazing how big it was and how they had lots of small lounges near each departure gate. The cost of our Qantas Club membership is definitely worth it on trips like this, especially considering they have designated rest areas.

We arrived in Rome and quickly got out of the airport and onto the train into town. It was great listening to the kids comments as the scenery rolled by. Next we navigated the metro with our bags, I was glad to offload them when we got to our room. Unfortunately we were greeted with a cold shower (thankfully it was fixed the next day).

We were staying right near where I stayed last time I was in Rome, so this was good as we were able to get around the area quickly. We had a quick look at St Peter's Basilica and the piazza there and then went off for dinner.

We went into a restaurant that was recommended to us. Unfortunately Sebastian almost fell asleep  at the table. We realised he wasn't going to last the meal, so we picked him up and begrudgingly got maccas. We got home and we had all fallen to sleep by 7.30!

Almost There - Dubai

Well the flight over was on time and smooth, what else could you want, apart from sleep. The A380 is a magnificent beast. It is amazing how quiet it is. But having two kids sprawled over me it was almost impossible to get to sleep.Using one of the many air related websites like flightrader24 we were able to find out that the plane was less than 3 years old. The kids loved the lights in the roof that looked a bit like stars. We made the 14 hour journey though and headed to the Emirates Business Lounge, one advantage of being a Qantas Club Member. The lounge is huge in area and has lots of little lounges near each gate making it quick and convenient to get to your connecting flight from your lounge. Well Rome here we come.

Travel Hack – Departure Cards

I’ll admit it. I can get impatient when it comes to travel. The last thing I like doing is waiting around. When it comes to international travel I just want to get through customs as quick as possible so I can get to the airline lounge or to look around Duty Free.

Last year when taking a school group to China one of the other teachers handed me departure cards for my group to fill out before we left. It was something I hadn’t thought of in past.

Usually when filling out these cards happens just as you go through the crying doors (departure doors) and once in there you find yourself waiting for bench space. When you get a space you find that the pen attached to the bench doesn’t work. So you then have to scramble around in your carry on luggage looking for a pen.

Whilst all this is happening, you see the checkpoints filling up with passengers and lines starting getting longer and longer. So you then rush the card and make mistakes.  If you are travelling with kids you have the extra stress of keeping and eye on them whilst you are filling out your card.

So before your next overseas trip, drop into a local travel agency and ask if they have any departure cards, fill them in at your leisure and save yourself a few minutes (and stress) when at the airport.

5 Reasons I Love Qantas Club

With an international trip coming up I am looking forward to using Qantas Club Lounge both here and their affiliate lounges overseas. Some friends ask if Qantas Club is worth it and in a word, Yes. If you are a fly a bit each year then the $510 Qantas Club membership is a no-brainer. But for myself who doesn’t fly too often this year I am glad that I have kept my membership up to date.

In no particular order here are 5 reasons I love my Qantas Club Membership.

• Extra Baggage. Lets face it, it reduces stress when you don't have to worry about excess luggage. Qantas Club allows you to take 12kgs of extra luggage for international and 9kgs domestic. As someone who often travelled with a bike, this was a savior.
• Showers. Most Qantas Club Lounges have showers. When travelling most hotels make you check out at 10am and with many international flights leaving in the evening it means that you can spend the day sightseeing, get to Qantas Club Lounge and freshen up before getting on the flight home. For long haul flights it means you can freshen up mid flight.
• Food and Drink. Eat and Drink to your hearts content. From barista coffees, Neil Perry Meals to beautiful wines, you are going to find something to your liking. My kids favourite is the pancake making machine in the mornings.
• Guest Access. You can take one guest into Qantas Club and if it’s a Qantas owned lounge kids don’t count towards that guest. So our family of 4 have been able to access the lounge on just my membership, allowing them all to experience the benefits. If you are flying domestically they don’t even need to be travelling.
• Peace and Quiet in Comfort. When waiting for your flight I would much rather be sitting in comfort, in pleasant surroundings. This sure beats sitting in hard chairs at the gate with little to do. This comes in handy when you get an unfortunate delay like the 5 hour one we had at Heathrow when flying BA once.

So have had my Qantas Club membership for 8 years the only regret I have is that I never grabbed it for life when they had that option.


Oh I haven’t been paid for this endorsement, but feel free for an upgrade Qantas LOL.

Paris – Roubaix. The Hell of the North

The 113^th edition lived up to it’s hype as the greatest 1 day cycling race in the world. Like most years it had its share of attacks, crashes and hard luck stories. The rain that had been present in the days leading up cleared and made for a mostly dry race, but the parts where there was still some water on the cobbles provided for some spectacular crashes, and Luke Rowe’s endo was no exception.

It was a crash earlier in the day on sector 20 that split up the peloton and left Cancellara and Sagan on the back foot. Just as they looked like they were going to make it across the gap to Boonen and crew, it would blow back out. Then Cancellara crashed, providing spectators with some unbelievable bike handling skills from Peter Sagan as he literally rode of the top of Spartacus. But the crash also ended any chance Sagan had of closing the gap.

Up front the Boonen, Vanmarke, Boasson-Hagen and co had reeled in the breakaway which included Mathew Hayman. Hayman had looked strong earlier and even tried to ride away from the breakaway earlier. For the Aussies who were staying up late watching it was pretty exciting to have two Aussies in the ten man leading group as Heinrich Haussler was having a great race.  

But by the time they got to the famed Carrefour de l’Arbre with 20kms to go there was only 5 remaining at the front – Boonen, Vanmarke, Boasson-Hagen, Stannard and Hayman. But soon after it was down to 4 as Stannard seemed to cut off Hayman and he lost contact, it looked like the Orica Greenedge riders chances of winning were dashed. It was on this section that Sep Vanmarke lit it up and gap his companions and it looked like he just might have the better of them.

It didn’t last long and the other 3 closed the gap. With 14kms to go Hayman rejoined the group and what followed was a series of attacks that left you guessing. One moment you thought that Ian Stannard was going to get away, next you thought that 4 time winner Tom Boonen was going to make it number 5.

With 2kms to go Hayman attacked Boonen and it looked like he was going to make it stick but Tom got back on. The pace slowed and the other 3 caught up making it a 5 man sprint finish. Hayman timed his sprint perfectly and took an exciting win from Boonen and Stannard.  Hayman’s reaction and utter disbelief was great to watch. I, like many other Aussies, were exhausted at work today, but I am sure we don’t care. Oh and a shout out to Heinrich Haussler who finished 6^th and Zak Dempster in 24th

Beat The Bordem - Car Cricket

Ipads and DVD players are banned in our car, even on longer trips. We don’t want the kids to have their eyes glued to a screen. Over our Easter travels we dragged out a classic travel game to keep them occupied – Car Cricket.  It has been a winner! It’s a game we played as kids on trips to Melbourne. Nowadays it is a bit harder with dual carriageways, they just need to count faster! Most of the trips we took over the holidays were on single lane roads so it made it a little easier.

How We Play

Car -1 run

Ute or Big 4WD – 4 runs

Car towing a trailer, boat etc 4 runs

Car towing a Caravan -6 runs

Truck – 6 runs

Red Car or a Motorbike – Out

When in a 60km or lower speed zone, No play.

Before starting it is a good idea to set up how many innings you are going to have, just to prevent World War III.

Of course how you score is completely up to you. The rules we used were those we used as kids in the 80’s but there are so many more Hilux type utes on the road so maybe these vehicles could score 2 runs.

The kids have loved it, especially my son, who thinks he is the worlds best car cricketer and it is all down to skill, not luck of the draw. It has also been great for their addition skills.

Bahrain Grand Prix – Through Tired Eyes

A 1am (AEST) start time might seem annoying, but I don’t mind it too much. Everyone else is in bed which means I can lay my devices out and not have to worry about getting asked to put out the garbage.

Like most I was hoping to see a ding dong battle up the front, hopefully not just between the two Mercedes cars but hopefully the Ferraris up there to mix it up. But my heart sank on the formation lap to see Vettel’s car explode robbing us of the most likely Ferrari to challenge the Silver Arrow cars.

Again Lewis was slow off the start and was collected by an over ambitious Valtteri Bottas. This would have been ok if it didn’t damage Hamilton’s car. It would have been great to see Lewis make a race of it by trying to chase down Rosberg, but the damage to the car made it impossible to do so. 

Kimi did a good job for Ferrari, but never looked like threating Rosberg up front and although he got the gap down to just a few seconds after the last pit stop, I think this was down to Mercedes managing their car, rather than Ferrari’s pace.

Whilst the race at the front didn’t have you sitting on the edge of your seat, the mid field battles were fantastic, with close racing and some good overtaking. I think having the 3 different sets of tires available is spicing things up and gives the fans a bit more overtaking.

Again Romain Grosjean was a star again for Haas Racing with 5^th place. It is great to see a new team arrive in the sport and be quite successful, although some teams up and down the pit lane aren’t that happy with Haas because a lot of their car is purchased instead of building it themselves.

Ricciardo did well again and it will be great to see him on a track like Monaco (especially if Red Bull have their engine upgrade by then). I think at these tracks he will be threat to Ferrari, if not the leaders.

What a great debut by Stoffel Vandoorne finishing 10^th for McLaren. Maybe Johnny Herbert was right when he said Alonso should retire and make way for Vandoorne. Although sadly I think it probably should be Jenson’s seat he takes.

It is also fantastic to see Manor improve, but sadly Williams look like they have taken a step backwards over the winter, lets hope they turn it around.

Queen of The Classics - Paris-Roubaix

The European spring time is arguably die hard fans favourite time of the year. Whilst the Tour De France is the most famous and prestigious bike race in the world, the Spring Classics really generate excitement amongst cycling fans.

Last night Peter Sagan displayed a powerhouse performance to win the Tour Of Flanders. He was quite literally a machine. The way he just rode the group off his wheel on the cobbled climbs and then soloed the last 16kms to victory was amazing.

Some might not see cycling as an exciting sport to watch on TV but it was hard to take your eyes off the screen. Just when it looked like Fabien Cancellara was about to bridge the gap, Sagan accelerated. With 14 seconds separating Sagan from Cancellara and Sep Vanmarcke with 15kms to go it was tense viewing. Sagan would eek out a few more seconds only to have the chasing duo close the gap and look like they were going to catch Sagan with just over 5kms to go. But alas it was just like Sagan was toying with them and he stretched the gap to go on and claim his first monument.

This leads into this weekends Queen of the Classics, Paris – Roubaix. This is without doubt the favourite one day race amongst fans and never fails to deliver an entertaining, dramatic race. Being an aussie you cant go past Stuart O’Grady’s win in 2007.

If you are unfamiliar with Paris-Roubaix, watch the clip below from SBS and come Sunday night you might just find yourself glued to the TV.

River vs Beach

 After our trip to the beach the debate started River vs Beach. My wife and I were at loggerheads over which one we prefer. I have experienced both in that I grew up on the banks of the Goulburn River, but also spent few years living on the Mornington Peninsula.  My wife spent many years living on the mighty Murray River.

Obviously there are pros and cons for each. For me I love the sound of the waves crashing to the shore and swimming out in the waves. Of course I love the fact you can ski on the Murray and this is a fantastic family activity - if you have a boat.  Whilst the sand is a little annoying when you get out of the beach, it quickly falls off when you when you dry off, unlike when you get out of the river, you stay muddy.

So we would love your thoughts. Vote here or comment below!