New years eve in budapest

Today was the usual travel around the town with the guide. It is split into 2 cities, on one side Buda which has the hills behind it and Pest which is flat. buda is the older part and Pest has the business district in it. The tour finished for me up at the Fisherman's Bastion and the BUda Castle. For here on th ehills you get a great view of Pest and the Parliament aross the Danube.


After that I Donna went on to an optional tour, the boys went back to the hotel and I went for one of my walks. Donna visited the Parliament of Budapest. Yes it looks like a palace or something but his is the parliament building. Even more awesome inside according to Donna.






A couple of hours later I got back to the hotel with some great photos of an island in the middle of the Danube called Margit Sziget. This almost totally dedicated to leisure ativities and apart from an Hotel at one end is devoid of big buildings. It must be spectacular in spring and summer. Especially as it is located across the bridge from the city. Truly awesome.


This is a water clock in Margit Sziget. I don't know if it still works but it is supposed to rotate at the top and play music on the hour. Unfortunately I was a little late. 



In the middle of Margit Sziget there are ruins of a medieval Dominican Nunnery which includes the grave of Sancta Margarita from the 1271.

WHAT A PARTY!!!. The steets are filled with people and in Budapest not only is not illegal to have fireworks it is expected an everyone has them. In the streets and squares of the city they are going off all over the place. No one waits to midnight, they start going off early, around 10pm. It is so normal everyone just seems to know how to stay out of the way. When midnight finally does come there is a display but not like in Melb or Sydney where it is orchestated with music etc. The party herre has been going for over 2 hours already by midnight so it just continuing more of it. The fireworks go on into the the early hours. I last heard them around 1.30am. 

This is the Square where they were were letting off fireworks.

 This is looking back through the buildings to that Square and the fireworks being let off.

 Down by the river there was quite a spectacular show of fireworks happening.

Vienna - Budapest

Today is the tavel day from Vienna to Budapest. Its not that far if you go by the highway but we went via some back roads via some quaint villages in particular Esztogom in Hungary. Wolfgang again knew someone who ran a great little restaurant just outside of the village and had arranged for food to be ready as we arrived so we could be in and out quickly. I had an unusual meal of a pankake with pastacio filling and chocolate sauce. As always a glass of white wine was available. Very nice.



Drove through Esztogom and viewed the basilica from the outside only. It was freezing. On the road outside ws some ice frfom when it had snowed befored we arrived. This is them playing in the ice.







We've arrived at the Ramada Plaza - this is a very nice hotel with great rooms and facilities. Again like Vienna it is right on the river Danube however a this time it is a fair way out of town. Anyway the rooms are great. I've already checked out the trains and there is a station right near us so no worries.
STILL NO SNOW. Apparently it is now snowing in Vienna, just after we left! Forecast says there may be some light snow tonight. We'll see.
We did a bit of touring through Budapest but not much. I went for a walk around around our hotel. The people are very nice and seem freindly enough. There was  quaint little square behind our hotel and they had ice skating along with some Christmas new year celebration happening. Sort of a little market type atmosphere
The dinner tonight was in a fabulous family owned winery-cellar-door-come restaurant. The owner Conrad Schiesel welcomed us and although he doesn't speak english had an interpreter who did. It was a pleasant night and the food and wine were both really great. .

First day of flights

We left Melbourne late last night, about 11.30 pm and arrived in Abu Dhabi this morning. Today we sit in the airport for a while, get the flight to Prague, arrive around 1.30pm and then spend the afternoon in Prague on our own. One of the terminals T2 in Abu Dhabi is quite unusual for an  airport. We arrived in T1 and left from T2, this is the interior of it. While at the gate we could see the control tower, nothing here seems to be built in the norm.

Karen and Des - 50th Wedding Anniversary

KAREN and DES celebrate 50 years of marriage.

Yeah yeah, forget the jokes about less for murder etc, this was a great celebration of a couple who have spent half a century together. That takes some serious commitment. The weekend was spent at the Capricorn Resort at Yeppoon QLD with the whole Hitchman family there to celebrate. They came from all over Australia to be there.

The whole clan including partners.

There was lots of photos and everyone had a great time and the resort has plenty to do on a very hot early summers day.

Our photographer (Toni) discussing with assistant (Michael) just how this will be framed.

One of the pools

Marcus 'horsing' around

Karen and Des watching the pool actvities.

Saturday night and we had a semi-formal event where more photos and lots of memories. 

 

 

 Some of the family put together some great audio visuals and it was an enjoyable evening for all.

 Followed by the cutting of the cake and a presentation of certificates and telegraphs from various dignitaries including the Governor General and Premier.

Photos of the night.

The whole clan

Who's quickest on the trigger finger?

Zoolander watch out.

Not another photographer!

Just proving they still got it.

Another lazy Sunday drive

We decided to go for one of our lazy Sunday drives. It started as a trip down towards Geelong and then somewhere along the way that changed and we switched to heading up the Geelong Ballarat Road. We hadn't been to Ballarat for a while so it would be interesting to see what it would look like after all the rain.

Add caption

The last time we were at Lake Wendouree it was completely dry. Signs had to be erected telling people not to walk across it as there were deep soft mud sections.

 As you can see it is now once again full. The birds are back and it is a pleasant place to sit and enjoy.








We decided to go through Trentham on the way home. We both like it as it is a very friendly little town that is going places. They have a number of antique shops and places to eat (although our favourite is the pub a little further east). 

Anyway in the main street we just loved this ute sitting there with the cow and things advertising a local business. 

 The pig is funny but check out the baby and the caption on the board, "Baby on Board" ! Certainly is and not going anywhere with that huge bolt through it.

Hurstbridge Wattle Festival.

I heard on the radio about a "Battle of the Bridge" being held at Hurstbridge for yoth bands in the district. I thought Marcus might be interested but he wasn't so I dragged Donna along. Turned out it was part of the Wattle Festival held each year. Somehow we had missed the massive amount of advertising for the Festival. Anyway this is one of the bands that was on and they weren't bad. They did a not great cover of a Green Day song an something else.

Also as part of the Festival the were some old cars and bikes. This is just a few of the more interesting ones. This particular one is an electric car from early last century, amazing!

   
 This bike has a massive chain on the side as the drive mechanism. Must have been a lot of fun to change when it broke.

Marcus at Battle of the Minds

Marcus was member of one of Loyola's entries in the Battle of the Minds. I'm not quite sure how it works other than they have to put together a short presentation (10Mins), it has to be done within a specific area of space and has to be completely done by the students themselves.


It was held at La Trobe Uni grounds and here are the members of the team. The last one on the end is Marcus' girlfriend Maddie. 



This was a quick practice run outside before going in. Don't know yet how well they have done but we thought tbhey were pretty good. They did a movie they had put together themselves and then did a mock interview of why the director shot that particular topic.

Circus OZ Steampunk

In case you weren't aware Nicholas is into Steampunk. This is a nostalgic mix of fashion and old things, in particular making things look like they work via steam.  Anyway Circus OZ held a special one off Steampunk night. Nicholas and I went along. It was a fun night a bit like Cirque De Solei but with all the pretend arty stuff. They decked out the stage and all the props in Steampuk style. .