Rather than fly out of Hammerfest, we decided to leave by boat. But not just any boat – we’d travel south to Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city, on the famed Hurtigruten line. Hurtigruten ships are working vessels. For 125 years they’ve… Continue Reading →

After almost eighteen months in Italy, Greg and I decided to spread our wings and fly off to other parts of Europe for a while. Our first stop was Hammerfest in Norway’s remote far north in time for New Year’s… Continue Reading →

It should have been simple, the first stage of our trip. Ortisei to Innsbruck. Local bus, familiar train, half-day to kill in a city we knew. On the scale of tricky transportation and admin logistics, this one would be a… Continue Reading →

To celebrate our second Italian Christmas we headed once again to the small town of Ortisei in the Dolomites in the country’s north. Getting to Ortisei requires a bit of commitment – it’s an hour-long winding drive from almost anywhere… Continue Reading →

To our wonderful family and friends, wherever in the world you are on this Christmas Day – from The Barossa to Bray, from Bundaberg to Bologna – we wish you love, laughter and happiness today and every day. Gayle and Greg

After Milan we decided to head up to Austria for a short pre-Christmas soggiorno in Innsbruck. The thought was that we’d base ourselves there and travel to a few nearby towns and villages. That’s not quite how it’s worked out;… Continue Reading →

One of the places we did travel to in Austria was Seefeld. This alpine town was once a small farming village; today it’s a major tourist destination especially popular with cross-country skiers. Seefeld has twice hosted the Winter Olympics’ Nordic… Continue Reading →

We’ve really enjoyed being back in Milan, especially at this time of year. By mid-December the Christmas lights are on, the little markets are bustling and there’s a definite wintry chill in the air. During this visit, as well as… Continue Reading →

People sometimes ask why we decided on Italy as our destination. As well as the obvious reasons such as culture and cuisine, we chose Italy because of its rich and diverse history. Technically this is a young country; it has… Continue Reading →

We almost missed Bergamo, despite the fact that the city is very close to Milan and the northern lakes. Then again there’s a lot to see in this part of Italy, which is probably why it took us so long… Continue Reading →