Trying to get political

Out there trying to get some interest.

Well cycling always gets the rough end of the stick. Government announces grand plans, promises much, then these things either get underfunded or cancelled altogether. So we thought we'd start up a party. There was plenty of interest, so it took off easily enough. Getting votes, now that's the hard part. We really needed 40 or 50 thousand or something, but got 22 thousand.

Along the way, we went to a few protests, had a few sessions of handing out leaflets, and some of us did question and answer sessions. Trouble is that not many questions were about biking.

Near the Gore Hill freeway and Willoughby Road.

Me versus Gladys and the others at the little debate.

Getting mad as hell about the destruction of College St cycleway.

At one of the many College St bike path protests.

Me, James, Anthony, Party pres Omar, Barbara, other people. 

School

Don't stress boys. I'm sure it will be fine!

The boys had their first day of school. We were pretty stressed out about making new friends, whether they'd like it etc. Marie bought all their uniforms so they'd be ready. On the first day, we went to school only to find out we were just outside the catchment. So then we raced over to the other one. 

Gaelle came and stayed for a few days.

The enrollments are available in about 10 different languages. Turns out at school there's 58 different languages spoken natively at home. What a great place.

They had the big fete, with joy rides, food, etc. I told Lou where we'd be standing so he could find us. He shooed me away very quickly, saying yeah yeah, just go! Alright, seems he's comfortable with the place.

They tell us Ollie is a good influence on the boys in class. His buddies are a real bundle of energy.

One of my work buddies sent his daughter over. She stayed with us for a bit, and cooked us a very nice dinner. 

Hello Sydney

Hello again Lola, Lou and Holly.

What a shock to be home. After paying about 5 euro for 2 hours, Evonne paid 20 something dollars for the same time. Plus the Tarago was the biggest car I'd been in for about 4 years. I gasped in amazement as she fit all the bags, plus our whole family in the car, then did a u-turn in an average street.



At Evonnes place, our bags exploded, as we tried searching around for summer clothes, toothbrushes, gifts, holy water etc.

Marie among the bags.

The warrior princess.

Welcome home to the most poisonous snakes in the world.

And crazy lizards.

Always fun to see a roo.

Bye Nice

Ollie and me carve it up before I fell on him

The last couple of days in Nice. Funny to be ice skating one day, then in t-shirt and shorts a few days after that. It was quite a shock to be back in Sydney.


Dinner was terrific. Thanks a bundle Gabriella and Hugues.

Place Massena. Apollo looks good, but horses in the hair? Bad.

At the airport, we had so many bags to check in, the guy had to get his manager over to advise him a bit. After being told we were a bit over, we opened them up and starting handing out all the ski gear. Not like we'll need it much anyway.

And then there was the carry on bags. We tried to get away with those, and thanks to the guy watching us throw out our ski gear, he was a tiny bit lenient.

The new play area and gardens in the centre of Nice.

Gabriella and me.

On the ferris wheel looking over the sea.

Liviu, Alina, Gabriella, Marie.

Farewell dinner Tristan, Lou, Rubina, Leonie and Ollie.

This is really it. Departures at the airport.

Goodbye France!

During the last month we've
-sent on sea freight 2 couches, a table, 8 chairs, 1 sideboard and 8 chairs
-sold the car, beds, cupboards, kitchen, gas oven, toys
-taken clothes to the clothing bin
-given away a mirror, lamps, ski gear, a bike, a mattress, water filter, kettle, a bottle of Australian red sand soil, more clothes, bike locks
-binned the rest and emptied the whole appartment
-repainted some walls, cleaned others, patched walls, added mastic to the window frames,
It's been a nightmare as per normal, finishing with one car load of stuff being packed as the lady did the final inspection.
And we went to the mountains for two days, had 5 to 10 dinners, and went ice skating. Me, Ollie and Sylvie from next door went for a plane ride over Greoliere and the Esterel near Cannes with Pierre Bibal the pilot from work.
We've still got to redirect our mail, and get on the plane, but at this time, it looks like we're on target and the panic is coming down a bit.
We've been staying at Jess and Lee's for a week. Marie is going through the boys pencil cases as we speak. Later on we'll visit the post office, buy Lee some thank you alcohol and go over to Gabriella's for our final evening. She asked us what we wanted for our last dinner. Normally people go for hotdogs and apple pie for their last meal. We've asked for a vegetable soup as I've had too many hard core heavy dinners.
Ahh the cheap beer, cheese, the sea and the mountains, We finally got comfortable with the place. France we will miss you.

A dinner with Eulalie and Bryan

Louis, Ollie, Rubina, Leonie and co

The rest of the Bergamo trip

Camerata Cornello which was the main trade route

To visit Camerata Cornello, you have to walk up there, a few hundred metres. As a result, it has no cars. It is very well preserved, surrounded by mountains and just beautiful. One of the families started the postal system in Europe.

Cool cat at Camerata Cornello

Biking along the canal from Imbersago

We hired bikes at Imbersago. Rolling along the canal was super awesome. Another great thing to do around the area.

On the Traghetto di Leonardo, designed by Da Vinci at Imbersago

The Traghetto di Leonardo is thought to have been designed by Da Vinci. It can still take a car and foot traffic over the river. Nice!

The Monte Isola in Lake Iseo

Lake Iseo has the biggest island in a lake in Europe. It's still not very big. The villages are picturesque. The scooters v. handy to keep the boys going.

Crespi D'Adda

Crespi D'Adda is a socialist village made by some textile fabric makers for the workers. Everyone still lives in the model homes on green blocks. Sadly the factory closed in 2003. Everyone who lives there now are descended from the textile workers. It's always sad to see textiles no longer made in Italy, as they were the best.

With the gang in Sulbiate

Finally we dropped in on Marie's cousin on the way home for the last time. It was an amazing chance to meet them. After spending several days with them over the last 3 years, I think we know them a lot better. Danilo suggested I learn Croatian one time. Marie thought it wasn't a good idea. But then I'll never learn anything.

The fam, Sulbiate. Danilo, Jelena, us, Mani, Josipa.

So that wraps up our last holiday trip in the place. Shame it was so great as we will really miss this place and the people.

Bergamo

We found a top appartment in the old town.

The boys had 2 weeks holiday from the 18th October. We had a weeks in Bergamo. Hugues and Gabriella lived there for some years. So they were our tour guides.

Piazza Vechia in the town centre of the alta cita.

Classic old town.

The high town has an awesome view.

And a cool couple of donkeys.

The new walls build in the 1600s by Venice.

Ron and Bev visited

They were in the country for holidays and a conference. They were around our way for 4 days. They met up with Marie and the boys for the afternoon. Then we went up to the old town for dinner once I got home from work. I think they like it!

In our living room with the camera on timer .

Coaraze

A beautiful spot.

Went to Coaraze. No need to go to Italy to see an Italian style village. It's closer but takes about the same amount of time to get up to though.

The highest part of town has a great area to play.

Before in the main square, plenty of kids playing.

After, but mind you it was Sunday.

One and a half days in Nice, Cagnes really.

Racing around in Sanremo.

We mistook the day of the flight, so had a day less than we thought. One day we went to Italy, which is 45 minutes drive, and onto Sanremo. I'd never managed to see the old town, so it was nice to get up to it at last. Super interesting.

Then some time walking along the stony beach around here, and off on the plane again back home for John.

Village of fishermen, Cros de Cagnes

Beautiful village, shame about the 80s onwards.

Lucky last day - Arles

A sunny day in the arena at Arles

Arles is a nice little town, very important back during Roman times. There's a ruined little theatre, churches, town houses and an arena like the Colliseum. We went for a look, and luckily enough were there just when the gladiator show was on. Ten or twelve gladiators fought in pairs for our entertainment. The main man is a historian who said that gladiators cost a lot to train and equip. So they were usually not killed, and did not kill.

The modern gladiators fought hard for real.

If they killed someone, then they would be punished by, you guessed it, death. The arena at Nimes says the opposite, that they all went sometime unnaturally. But the well trained story makes sense.

Meeting the gladiators afterward.

Explaining how to score a point without injuring anyone.

Trying out the kit. That helmet is heavy!

The main man chose to be a Retiare, the most successful.

They've renovated a fair bit. It's in good condition.