In 1980, I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, where I cannot eat food that contain flours that have gluten in them such as wheat, rye, barley and some types of oats. While it has been an interesting journey for me and my family being diagnosed in my teens, and mostly a positive experience, the one thing that most people with Celiac Disease crave, especially diagnosed later in life is food that tasted like they used to eat. There are things that I do not remember what they tasted like 45 years ago, however one that has eluded me and I do remember are pastries – specifically croissants and pain du chocolat.
I have had the luxury to travel a lot in my lifetime and visit some pretty high end gluten free bakeries, especially in the last few years which have excellent products. Some were in Rome, Italy; various locations in Spain; Paris, France; various cities in Canada such as Montreal,t Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver, where I live; Auckland, New Zealand; and more recently a brand new bakery in Manley, near Sydney, Australia. They all have wonderful products however each time I tried them something was missing – it was either an aftertaste or a gummy feeling that the flour used which lacks gluten, leaves in your mouth.
Until the morning of December 8th, 2025 when I had the extreme excitement of biting into a Gluten Free Pain du Chocolat at the Westin Hotel in Singapore for breakfast. It was exquisite, flaky and I thought I was eating a gluten item by mistake as there was no aftertaste. However the staff assured me that there was no mistake – they were gluten free! I was in heaven – well quite literally too as we were on the 35th floor of the building!
Here is my Ode to the Gluten Free Pain du Chocolat! I did have some help writing this…
O warm-hearted rectangle, buttery vault of morning light, you carry within your golden walls a secret line of midnightā two dark bars of chocolate, quiet and intense as a whispered confession.
Your layers sigh beneath my touch, delicate as pages from a well-loved book. Each bite is a soft collision of crisp border and molten dusk, a duet of sweetness and smoke.
You are the thrill the croissant only hints atā a rebellion wrapped in pastry, a promise that even dawn can taste like indulgence.
Oh my gluten free Pain au chocolat, you are the mischief of mornings, the elegance of afternoons, the small, perfect triumph of joy to me.
My gluten free plate of pastries at Westin Hotel Singapore – Pain du Chocolat, Croissant and little Almond Muffin
Holy cow! I woke up before the 4:30 am alarm clock! Wow! Needless to say it is EARLY! We are almost packed except for our items in the fridge (snack food and beverages) and we left the hotel after checking out on time, before 5 am. Me and being on time in the morning do not normally go together!
We had a very nice drive down the Great Barrier Reef Drive along the coast to Cairns. We saw the sun rise and Andrew even stopped the car so I could take a picture at a beach! We were actually running early (but not speeding) – Google Maps said it would take 1 hour and 2 minutes and it took about 45 minutes including the photo stop. Perhaps it is because there were 3 construction stops that were controlled by lights again, however the waits were very short, where during the day they might have been longer. Here are our morning drive pictures!
Dawn just beginning over HotelView at start of driveSkies getting more orange!Construction stop!Here comes the sun!Watching sun rise from beach
Needless to say, we picked a gas station to fill up and funny enough it was around the corner from where the car drop off location was! At that point I called an Uber (it was about 6:10 am now and we were DEFINITELY running really early) to take us to the Cairns Train Station. The lady driving the Uber was in the neighborhood and picked us up almost immediately! We had a very quick drive to the Cairns Railway Station – we chatted about taking the train to Brisbane and she thought we were crazy for not flying as it is only an hour’s flight! It was rather interesting though after that discussion that she dropped us off at the entrance to the Tourist Train to Kuranda – we needed to be on the other side of the tracks! Good thing the elevator was working and there was an elevated walkway to get to the other side of the tracks to where the Queensland Train would pull into the station a few minutes later.
At 6:40 am (we got there just before 6:30 am) the baggage drop opened up and we then sat and sweated, just like we used to do in the evenings in North Carolina, however it was frigging 6:30 am and I was soaked with humidity! The train was in front of us but we could see them servicing/cleaning it. About 30 minutes later, after losing about a litre of water and Andrew NOT being able to find any coffee (not a good situation) they allowed us to board the train. They had a nice little ramp for me to use – not the huge thing that I was sitting next to pictured below! We were booked into Rail Beds on the train – this train had reserved regular seating (2×2 seats) or Rail Beds which were in a 2×1 configuration. Now this is where it gets REALLY stupid! My Rail Bed was number 2 – it was a single rail bed. In front of me was Rail Bed 5. Next to me was Rail Bed 1 which was also an accessible rail bed as it had extra space for a guide dog to lay down. The carer’s bed for Rail Bed 1 was Rail Bed 5 which was in front of me. Andrew’s Rail Bed, which he was traveling as my carer, was Rail Bed number 4 which was on the aisle next to the other Rail Bed number 3 which was at the window. An unknown lady was in Rail Bed number 3 and would be there for the majority of the trip. This is a VERY stupid setup. A carer needs to be able to HELP someone so sitting forward and diagonally from me is no use. Also, as the Rail Beds come with in seat videos, as soon as Andrew put his ear phones on (this did happen) I could not get his attention for assistance.
I was dreaming up what items I could start throwing at him when the car attendant came by with tea and coffee and biscuits as we had just left the station. She actually told me that the way these beds are set up is stupid as the people who need assistance (I am thinking more like if I was traveling with Karen) cannot get it! She offered to tap Andrew on the shoulder for me however I just smiled and said I would figure things out. Once the morning tea service was completed and they had verified everyone who was on the train, the car attendant actually came back and told me that there was another disabled person going to join the train overnight with a carer and they have an extra single seat up front in the car and she was going to see if the lady next to Andrew would like to move. Of course the lady next to Andrew wanted to move as she could see that we were together and she also suggested that I move into her Rail Bed. So I did! It worked out wonderfully as then later that afternoon, an elderly lady who was visually impaired got on the train with her daughter as the carer and some other family members who had Rail Beds more to the front of the car, and the two ladies could be across the aisle from each other which helped them out too! Now we were in business on our 24+ hour trip to Brisbane!
Luggage check in on leftTrain in front of meLuggage and food for train!My GF Biscuit for morning tea!Mango chicken and custard tea cakeGot some blogs written on the train!
With our Rail Bed purchase came meals too – we were fed lunch, which I had a mango chicken with peas and rice and a gluten free toffee cake with custard! I had to ask a couple of times if it was REALLY gluten free as it was pretty good! We then settled in for a nice SMOOTH ride down the east cost of Australia! It was interesting as each day Andrew looks up the weather where we are going and we were aware that rain had been forecasted – sure enough it happened when we were on the train! That said, the landscapes we passed by were very beautiful despite the black clouds above and the occasional watering of the windows!
Old machinery by the tracksStorm clouds!Seat bench and Crocodile Dundee on TV!More rain clouds…Rained! Now sugar cane fields!Barramundi dinner + sticky date cake!
Andrew spent most of his time watching movies and listening to music – I do not know what ones Andrew he watched however I typed up what to say on my website (no online access unless at a train station) and watched 1 movie and several really funny Aussie TV shows! The movie that I watched was the “Making of Crocodile Dundee” which I did not know the background of and how big an impact it had on Australia! It was very interesting and timely considering we are in Australia! The TV shows were a bunch of game shows – however one made me laugh so hard that I actually passed out and Andrew wondered what happened to me! That was a bit of a bizarre moment for me!
Dinner was then served and Andrew had pork and my meal was some very well cooked Barramundi fish with veggies and squash. The best part of the meal though was in the little tinfoil package which had a GF label underneath – it was a garlic cheese biscuit! Mmm good! I actually consumed it without needing butter! The chocolate cake with chocolate sauce was good too – however after not doing anything all day having two desserts was a bit much!
After dinner we could select to have our beds turned down at 8 pm or 9 pm. I was ready to go at 8 pm as I was starting to find the Rail Bed seat a bit uncomfortable and wanted to recline a bit more. The seat did recline, and the foot rest did go up a little bit however not much and the seat bench pictured above worked wonders for Andrew as his legs are long, however my legs could barely hold it down. In fact when I passed out laughing my feet fell off and the seat went up with a bang which was loud Andrew said – that is how he noticed that I was in la la land.
The Rail Bed seats actually fold down into nice flat, firm beds. The back of the seat folds onto the seat and then another portion folds out which extends into a bed. It was all done electronically – you could not do it yourself – the carriage attendant had to do it with a remote that plugged into the seat. The bed had a mattress cover on it and they gave you a duvet to cover you for the night which was nice and warm! I was as snug as a bug in my little Rail Bed! The one funny thing we learned, which if we had known better we might change for next time, is that the window seat bed is longer than the aisle seat bed so that the window seat person has about 8 inches to pass by at the end of the bed from the aisle person to get out if they need to use the toilet or whatever on the train in the middle of the night!
At this point in time, the train was actually running about 2.5 hours late – no idea how it got to run that late – we seemed to be stopping and starting fairly fast at the various train stations – there were not a lot of them. When we stopped in Townsville where the crew changed and the train took on more water and possibly fuel (not sure about this) I tried to call my parents as I knew my sister was visiting them that evening and the train left the station sooner than planned so our conversation got cut off as I lost my data connection!
I must admit though I enjoyed this train ride WAY better than the Indian Pacific one in terms of rocking and rolling. These cars are meant for travel and are built for sleeping too where the Indian Pacific Railway, while a very beautiful and historic system, does not have the more modern technology that keeps the train cars from rattling and swaying through the night.
Lets see what tomorrow brings us while on the train!
After a bit of a late night last night from the Penguin Parade, we elected to sleep in and then get up and phone home to those who needed phone calls to ensure we are still alive and well underneath the world! I spent some time doing some research on things to do in Melbourne that did not involve driving and found a tour that was wheelchair accessible (I have experience with Melbourne NOT being accessible) and involved going to pubs for drinks! What a great thing to do! It was departing at 3:45 pm from the Queen Victoria Market in the CBD so we just had to figure out how to get there without driving and we were set!
While we were getting ready to depart, I got a phone call on WhatsUp – which is an app that is used to message and phone people around the world except in North America it seems, which uses WiFi instead of a phone plan, from a guy named Lenny who asked if I needed the tour to be wheelchair accessible. Hmm. This conversation could go two ways and I decided to take the higher road and say, yes, it is advertised that way and that is why we signed up. He then asked if I could go up 2 flights of stairs – not the response I was expecting – and I said no, not unless it was an emergency! He then explained that the 1st bar had an elevator however the 2nd bar was upstairs! He would look into taking the group to an alternate bar if I was okay going up about a 4 inch step (which I was). He did not call me back so I figured everything was great and we planned to get there!
Looking at the tram that was near the hotel it was going to take an hour to get downtown so instead Google Maps suggested using DiDi which is a ride share service we later found out, from Asia. Very similar to Uber, a nice gentleman met us named Andrew and drove us downtown in his gold coloured car! He also drives for Uber and in chatting with him it sounds like Melbourne and the state of Victoria had similar issues with ride share services that British Columbia did with the taxi drivers not wanting the “extra” competition. All is well now, which I think is the same in Vancouver based on what I see at YVR airport. Andrew, the driver, got Andrew and I nice and safely to the street right outside of the Queen Victoria Market.
We met Lenny, the tour guide from Drinking History Tours, for the “Creepy Tales, Bars & Laneways Of Melbourne Walking Tour” at the Queen Victoria Market. Lenny is a professor of computer programming at the Melbourne University which is located in the downtown of Melbourne and he does this “tour” job on the side so he can drink while being paid!
There were 12 people, including Andrew and I on the tour – 6 women who were on a “girls weekend” from north of Melbourne, a couple from Sydney and 2 friends from Melbourne and us. We were the “foreigners”. After a short walk, we arrived at the Work Shop bar which used to be a motorcycle bike repair shop – which was upstairs! A fairly hidden bar which you would miss if you were not paying attention when you walked by when heading towards the Queen Victoria Markets. If you were heading the other direction, you would miss it!
Queen Victoria Market – stalls sectionQueen Victoria Market – meat/seafoodOn tour – housing from 1800’s1st stop – Work Shop bar!Bar entrance – used to be motorcycle barService Lift to go up to bar…Upstairs bar areaBack room and roof top bar areaRoyal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)
We arrived at Work Shop and the rest of the tour went upstairs while I waited while Lenny went and got the bar manager to send the lift down to get me. Funny enough, the lift was also their storage facility for beer kegs and other things so we had to squeeze into a narrow passageway between some shelving and up we went! Upstairs was lovely! We sat next to an outside roof top bar area and talked to one another and Andrew enjoyed a pint along with the others. All the others on the tour had bought the all inclusive drinking package for the tour – which they got to try some pretty interesting types of drinks – I opted for the non-inclusive package as I do not drink and that would be a waste of money! I also found out when looking at the prices on the different bar menus that the prices for drinks in Melbourne are quite expensive! While my Coke Zero is normally about 5 AUD, drinks range 15-20 AUD! We stayed and chatted and Lenny told us some history of the area and then we moved on and walked to the next bar, this time passing by a historical area of Melbourne where there is a swing set art piece to commemorate some Australian aboriginals who were hanged for something that they did not do. The display was actually quite profound – the swing set below is supposed to be holding up the two coffins and allowing them to “swing free” in the wind. However they are concrete so they do not do that. The empty news boxes behind the swing set display different articles about the two men who were hanged and the controversy around that event. Funny enough, this swing set is facing the old Melbourne Gaol – which is pictured in the next few photos. No longer a jail, it is now a museum and historical place. Onwards we then walked!
During the walk I talked to one of the 2 ladies who live in Melbourne but only takes transit and she was talking to Lenny about the “hook turn” and how strange and unique they were to Melbourne downtown. I thought I would ask what this was and I sure was glad I did! First you have to remember we are driving on the left side of the street. If you want to go right which is across traffic like a left hand turn in Canada, in some intersections in Melbourne, you actually go into the LEFT lane (not right which would be logical) and sit there in a box with a right turn sign painted on the ground until the lights change and THEN you make your right turn. So if you think of two lanes of traffic driving down the left lane going straight they get to flow unimpeded with no one stopping the traffic to make the right hand turn. Instead, the car that wants to make the right turn lines up on the left hand side of the 2 lanes of traffic and then turns across both lanes once the light has stopped, just in front of the traffic that was to head straight from the other direction. Confused? Stay tuned! We will do one of these hook turns SUCCESSFULLY tomorrow! I was SO GLAD I asked her the question today!
We then arrived at the bar called Arcane Fairies – which was the replacement bar (which the others in the group did not know) that had the 4 inch lip to get into it which was no an issue. Very interesting bar with flying angels in the ceiling! Yet another beer decision for Andrew and another Coke Zero for me! We stayed a little while and Lenny described the bar that they normally go to which is the 2nd and 3rd story above this bar called Storyville – it is basically an old library filled with books with a bar and tables. The only way you know that this bar exists is the painting on the wall and the door that you see below.
Display for 2 Aboriginal men who were hangedMelbourne GaolBackside of Melbourne GaolLooking up at the cell windowsExercise area of Gaol now a parkArcane Fairies BarBeer on tap – including Guinness!Fairies on the ceiling!View of bar areaBeer and coke – went down well!Side of building…Storyville Bar Entrance
We then left the Arcane Fairies bar and walked down the lane next to Storyville to see the entrance to that bar. We then wound for about 8 blocks through the business district where Lenny told us stories of various things that happened over the years in Melbourne – the ghosts and mysteries part of this tour was not as exciting as I thought it was going to be – not sure if the lack of my alcohol consumption had anything to do with that! We passed many beautiful Art Deco buildings on our walk – however the most important one that I saw was the “Ministry of Crab” one which had actual bronze crabs on the outside of the building! They are blurry due to the printing below. Not sure what the Ministry of Crab is all about however it sounded pretty mysterious to me!
Eventually Lenny walked us down a lane and we entered a door – no sign for what bar this was – the only hint that it might be a bar was that there were stanchions outside to manage a crowd. The entrance was nice and bright however once we got inside – WOW it was DARK! I know that I hit many people with my walker wheels and frame but I could not see where I was going or what was in my way at one point in time! They had reserved seating for us and we did get situated and then we all pulled out our cell phones and turned on our flashlights to read the various menus! At this point I was hungry and my low blood sugar alarm was going off so I had some brie and GF crackers as a snack. There was some confusion though as to what I ordered as when I originally asked the waitress what was gluten free she told me that they could substitute the bread for crisps. When I ordered I then said I wanted the brie cheese with the GF chips like she suggested (I substituted chips for crisps) and that was a mistake! I ended up with a cheese plate with GF crackers and a bowl of french fries that I could not eat! Oh well. Stupid terminology – I should know better not to use the word chips! The bar was lovely and crowded and after a while of being outside in the sunlight our eyes did adjust! Some of the ladies in the group had some very interesting sounding drinks – they had some really fancy names like Mint Julip! Andrew had a local Ale that Lenny suggested to him and I had a vintage Coke Zero – aged to perfection! After chatting for a while, that was the end of the tour, so we parted ways.
Walking through downtown – Art DecoMinistry of Crab! I like it!More old CBD buildings…Then a really modern building!Does this look like a bar? No name!Entrance to the bar….Inside bar area – dark and hard to see!Old phonograph machine on leftGF Cheese plate for me!
Back out on the street now, it was about 7pm and still very light out. I had seen a Thai restaurant that we had walked past on the way to the bar so I thought we could go there for dinner. Basically as I was rolling by I saw a big menu and gluten free in close proximity to each other. We got back to that restaurant and the Thai restaurant was NEXT to a restaurant that was completely gluten free but only open for Breakfast and Lunch! Oh well! Lets check out my friend Google! On Google I saw a wheelchair accessible restaurant that served gluten free food with really good reviews about 1/2 a kilometre away – so we decided to walk there instead – it was on the same street so we could not get lost! Its name was Tazio and was a modern Italian restaurant and the risotto that someone had about 2 months ago was OUTSTANDING! Right up my line of thinking!
It was a nice walk, albeit a bit up hill to Tazio – it was interesting to pass by some of the lanes in Melbourne like the one below that have lots of tagging (spray paint artwork) and mystery doors! Now with our experience with the mystery bars I started to wonder what was behind some of those places! Eventually we ran into Tazio and at the front door, there was a sign blocking the entrance and then a bell, which is not accessible for someone to ring, to get access to the restaurant. Instead we followed the instructions and went around the corner and down the lane to the door where your are “supposed” to enter which of course has stairs! Andrew went up and asked about having dinner and that I could not get into the restaurant and could they open the front door please. He was told we needed a reservation! By this time I was waiting at the front door as I could see tables vacant in the restaurant and did not think they would not seat us. But no, you needed a reservation Andrew told me again. I quickly popped onto the internet and made a reservation for 20 minutes later at 8:30 pm! What to do in the meantime? Go shopping! I needed some more Coke Zero for tomorrow as the downside of Marriott Hotels is they serve Pepsi! Across the street was a convenience store so we patronized it and then hung out on the street corner for about 10 minutes until it was reservation time.
Back at Tazio, remember this place advertised that it was wheelchair accessible, Andrew rang the door bell. No one answered. We were both hungry. We rang it again and again no answer. Andrew went down the lane to the entrance to ask them to let me in. At the same time I phoned them and left a message about accessibility and how I had a reservation and mentioned that on the reservation it was noted that I needed an accessible table and why do they not answer the door or the phone? Then the Asian guests sitting inside the door saw my predicament and they started calling for the waitress and finally the door was opened and they sat Andrew and I in the window, just inside the door from the street. You might say I was a bit peeved at this point and Andrew was not a happy camper either. I think the waitress who brought us water noticed this and the manage then came by and listened to how hard it was to get into the restaurant despite being indicated as wheelchair accessible on Google and she offered to buy us a beverage! I thought that was very nice so I ordered a Coke Zero and she asked me if I wanted something alcoholic and I said that I did not drink but Andrew I am sure would like something! Andrew then ordered a glass of red wine and she brought the bottle!
The waitress then came back and I asked about gluten free options for a Celiac and she suggested some things however my mind was already set when I found that risotto was not on the menu – I was having the GF Prawn and Motza cheese pizza! The waitress recommended to Andrew that the lamb pasta is the specialty of the restaurant so he went ahead and ordered that. Oh my goodness – I have had GF pizza in Italy (home to pizza), Spain, New Zealand, other places of Australia and Canada and this was the BEST pizza crust I have ever eaten! It was so light and fluffy but thin at the same time – I ate the WHOLE 10 inch pizza as for once the dough was not that filling! Andrew totally enjoyed his lamb pasta too – the pasta noodles looked like narrow lasagna noodles with the undulations in them but in a string! Never seen that type before! As it was getting late, we then decided to get the bill and the manager came back to the table again and apologized again for the trouble we had this evening, had listened to my phone message and said that they were short staffed and that the manager (who was not on duty) had received the phone message and told her to provide dinner on the house! I was SHOCKED! We thanked her profusely! I am going to write a good review of the restaurant despite what happened from an accessibility standpoint.
Walking to Tazio RestaurantLooking down a laneway as we passedSign for restaurant – so small!Entrance – blocked!Interesting ceiling tiles on the wall…Andrew’s lamb pastaMy GF prawn/spinach/motza pizza!View of downtown MelbourneWaiting for our DiDi driver…
After that lovely dinner and surprise, we then used Didi to get back to the hotel in Richmond, outside of Melbourne. It only took us about 12 minutes to get back as we used the tollways this time instead of surface streets. I did not know that this is an option in Didi but it was nice despite the $7 AUD add on for the tolls!
At this point, as we had such a fun afternoon and evening, we decided we were not going to get up early the next morning to visit the 12 Apostles which is the other thing that I wanted to do when visiting Melbourne. It is a drive of about 400 km round trip without any extra stops on the Ocean Road which runs along the south side of the state of Victoria back towards Adelaide and about 2 hours along, there are now about 7 “stacks” of limestone off the shore which are quite remarkable to see. They have been caused due to the erosion of the shore. There actually are not 12 of them – as I mentioned there are about 7 right now however as they fall down the number decreases and as more are eroded from the cliffs, more might occur. Here are some pictures of them! The drive that I wanted to take and had planned out looks like it will take us about 7 hours minimum!
Due to how I am feeling we decided instead to just go downtown tomorrow, as it is a Sunday and check out the Queen Victoria Market and then take a drive to St. Kilda and Brighton Beaches instead! Join us tomorrow as we explore some sandy venues!
Oh what a Mystery this island is! Basically it is PARADISE for a day ā a pop up village occurs on this uninhabited island to āserviceā the cruise ship guests from the people who live on the nearby island of Aneityum, Vanuatu which really is just a stone’s throw away The Anaton Islands are the southernmost islands of Vanuatu. The real name of Mystery Island is Anelghowhat. Basically if you have been to any of the islands in the Caribbean that the various Cruise ship companies own that are often on their cruise itinerary ā this is a VERY rudimentary of one of them ā the only solid building made out of concrete brick is a basic toilet structure ā all other shelters are wooden huts of various sizes and design. There is also a fairly well built metal wharf where the ships tenders can do there offloading/loading however it is NOT accessible at all ā there are about 10 stairs to go up and then the island is flat at the end of the wharf pier. That is a shame as to get onto the tender is fairly accessible as in general, ships have an elevator that goes down to the tender platform now, and ramp onto and off the tender – however with stairs to get to the island, it makes navigating the getting off the tender a challenge!
There were 4 types of HAL Excursions offered ā a Snorkel and Float to shore on Mystery Island and then 3 different trips to Aneityum to visit either a Traditional Village, Authentic Village or to see a Kustom Magic show. Yes, I spelled that correctly with a K! Originally we were going to do the Snorkel and Float to shore in the morning and then in the afternoon go to the Authentic Village. I had been told when we first booked by the Accessibility department of HAL that it was the better village option for us to take. However, as we had done several village tours already and my body was protesting a bit, I asked Ben to cancel our Traditional Village Tour. I thought that Snorkeling would be enough for me to accomplish and then sitting on the white sand beach sounded just perfect!
Here are our arrival pictures at the Anaton Islands!
Main island of AneityumTender going ashore to Mystery IslandView of Mystery Island from Tender
When we arrived there were a group of ladies singing songs for us and we were quickly escorted off to our Snorkel and Float tour. I had to leave my walker at the security tent for the ship where they would keep it safe while I used my cane to walk to the Snorkel hut to get geared up and to store our belongings. They would not let us take anything with us – including glasses! For some people that was an issue – it was kind of funny having Andrew lead me without my cane down a path to the beach – I could see where we were going and the tree roots along the way and he could not due to my cataract surgery last year! He had to leave his glasses behind in our bag… Snorkel masks and glasses do not mix! We got into the flat bottomed boats and we were off! Just wanted to point out at this point, I was DRENCHED in 60 SPF lotion for this excursion into the sea….
We were taken about a kilometre out to near a reef and then told to jump out of the boat! Easier said than done for me! I was so scared I would hit my head on the boat – however with the encouragement of another lady who was staying on the boat, I made it. The water was LOVELY and clear! I took lots of snapshots in my mind of what I saw! I did look online to see if there were any images of the blue tipped coral and fish that we saw and I found a few which I will put below.
This is what it looked like from the boatSome of the coral and fish we saw
I guess due to seeing me getting off the tender using my walker and then switching to a cane and then getting assistance getting to the beach, one of the accompanying guides thought I could not swim. So he then gave me a life ring to hold onto! I had actually chosen not to wear fins as first they are hard for me to get on and second my legs were already pretty sore and did not want to exasperate that issue! Plus, I love to just swim. So I played along pulling the life ring beside me – he held onto the rope on one side and me on the other and we kept up with the crowd and I kept an eye on Andrew who could not see where he was going! There was only one issue at this point – we were dropped off at the start of the reef and the group was heading towards the breakwater farther out – this was not a drop off and float back program in my mind! This was an actual swim around the reefs and then float back! I said goodbye to my life ring buddy who by this time could tell that I could swim and went and swam with Andrew for a while and then as they were still heading out to sea, turned around and saw one of the boats nearby and decided to swim to it and perhaps just hang on for some rest and then swim into the beach. However they wanted us to remain together, which makes sense.
There already was a couple in the boat and so the driver put down the metal ladder so I could get up the side (not the back) of the boat. Unfortunately it hit coral when it was down and I slipped and cut my foot a bit on some coral and that stung, so he then moved the boat, with me hanging onto the ladder, backwards so I could have a better attempt in deeper water. Those stupid tired legs of mine would not cooperate! It was also a very difficult climb as the ladder was not perpendicular but went sort of under the boat as it is a flat bottomed boat, so it was like climbing a cliff face from underneath it. I instead just hung on and enjoyed my time in the water next to the boat and chatted with the couple in the boat. They were from Cary, North Carolina which funny enough I installed their Parks and Recreation system many moons ago! We chatted about Cary, Raleigh, and Edenton (as they knew where it was!) for about 30 minutes and then I attempted to get into the boat yet again. It was a fail. However the lady mentioned that she would move the oar in the boat so when I got up over the ladder it would be easier for me to sit down. That gave me an idea (keep in mind I am the daughter of an engineer)! I asked the gentleman and the driver to hold onto the oar at each end where they sat at the bow and stern of the boat, then I would climb the ladder and grab onto the oar and they would then move the oar towards the other side of the boat than I was climbing on – so that would help me get my weight over the side of the boat and hopefully my body into the boat! It worked! I was SO RELIVED!
Then I looked up and we were more than halfway to the shore at this point! We had actually drifted into the beach all this time and I could have swum in instead – however the ride back was wonderful with the breeze in my hair and all that š We then arrived at the beach and you would think getting out of the boat would be simple right! I got in pretty simply when at the beach – but nope – getting out, in front of the whole group of swimmers just getting back from their float in (except Andrew who got back early and could not see me in the boat) I actually fell off the boat into the water and got a huge gulp of seawater instead! Oh my goodness! The driver and the gentleman then helped me up to the beach were I saw at the waters edge until I could figure out where Andrew ended up! He actually had gone to get my cane from the hut and come back so that I would have an easier time getting back to where our belongings were located. That was very nice of him! So unfortunately not a lot of pictures from that escapade however fun times were had!
Next we divulged ourselves of our snorkel gear and picked up our bag and I got my walker back from security and off we went plugging through the part sand, part packed down paths with my walker. Tough going but needed the support! I had seen some umbrellas when we were snorkeling and my goal at this point in time was 2 things – 1. Being flat on the beach and 2. Getting something to drink! I accomplished number 1 until I realized that I was not going to survive in the sun very long on the beach on a towel, so we went to plan B – paid to sit under an umbrella! We then commenced with 2. Drinks – Andrew got an Vanuatu beer and I got a Coke – needed that sugar! Also no diet drinks to be found….
Beer made in VanuatuUmbrella view!View of ship
Now that we have been refreshed and I have rested my legs for a while (I crocheted some during this time period) it was time for me to go exploring while Andrew does what he does best when on a beach – contemplates nothing but the view! Please note here exploring = shopping at the local “handicraft” village that has been set up for the passengers!
Entry to Handicraft areaRows of goods!Cute Calderon on Island
I did buy a couple of things – a woven fan, a dress and a magnet to remember my time on the island! The Calderon that is there they actually have guys dressed up that will stand behind the “pot” dressed as cannibals and you can take pictures of them – for a fee of course!
Then Andrew and I decided to go for a walk around part of the island – it is not that big an island – it is about 1.5 kilometers long and approximately 200 meters wide so the island can be walked (without a walker plowing through sand) in around in about 30 minutes. Of course, we have to go 4 wheel drive when we decide to go for our walk! So we set out from the “west” side of the island where the umbrellas we were sitting at were, and walked across to the “east” side past the handicraft huts to start our walk. The first actual building we ran into is the “airport” which is also, now I realize, a fixed structure on the island. It has a windsock and a grass runway! We crossed over to the walking path and then walked the length (so away from the end where we went snorkeling) of the island – sometimes it was tough pushing! Along the way there were various families that had set up drinks for purchase and you could also rent paddle boards etc. We got to the end of the island and the path continued around to the umbrella side however I had a better idea – it might be easier just to walk back down the runway! It is not often one can walk down a runway or a grass one! Here are our pictures from our walk:
Airport building with old luggage cartRunway in front of buildingView of wharf where tenders landDecication to Queen Elisabeth who visitedThe ship off in the distanceGreen coconuts down low!Beach at end of the islandRunway looking towards the Airport BuildingLadies singing us goodbye!
At that point, we were back at the wharf and I was both tired and HOT from our walk! One of the nice things that Holland America does, which I am sure other cruise ships do too, is provide water and lemon flavoured water at the pier. So I partook in a bunch of cups of lemon flavoured water however I then moved onto the more important station – the cool cloths! There is a man who hands out nice rolled cool cloths before you get onto the ship or in this case the tender. I knew at this point that my 60 SPF was a bit over whelmed and I needed to cool down fast – he was so helpful in providing about 6 cloths to me to put on my arms and head so that I could get cool! I asked him how he keeps the cloths so cool and he said that the cart that he has, which comes over in the tender, has a huge ice block in it and the cloths are put into it wet early in the morning so they will remain cold all day. I was VERY thankful! We then went down the pier to get onto the tender. Unfortunately a gentleman had a fall on the island and had banged his face and knee up pretty bad and it was bleeding. They put him on the tender with us and then we were off – there were only about 10 of us on the tender as they wanted to get this man back to the ship’s Medical Centre. It was nice getting priority treatment and not having to wait in the hot tender until it was full.
View of little fish and reef from the pierWalker and me on the tender!Our front row cabin!
Sailing away from the Anaton Islands – inhabited Aneityum to the left and Mystery Island in the centre –
Here is another view of Mystery Island from the sky that I found online – it shows the beauty around the island! You can see the runway – we walked just south of the runway on a path to the right side of the island and back along the runway. The snorkeling was on the left side of the island where you can see a bay on the top and headed to the dark reef above the island.
Now, cleaned up it was first, time to take some pictures of a wonderful sunset and then off to dinner for some comfort food for this tired body! The sunset tonight was spectacular! I got a bow picture thanks to Andrew and his long arms/height as I could not see around or above the balcony wall! The grits with cheese (vegetarian GF meal) with chicken on the side (protein) was just what I needed! Andrew of course had some kind of moo’ing meat.
Yummy comfort food dinner!
Now for 3 days at sea to relax prior to getting to Sydney!
Well, we have been travelling for 13 days now and Andrew only has a certain amount of clothes, so today we pause and do laundry! I “almost” completed the Ireland document that I have been working on for the Celiac bus trip that is the next “segment” of our vacation. Twelve pages done – two to go!
It is so much fun doing laundry when the humidity level is at about 90% – for those of us that do not use dryers (like me) or Andrew who prefers to hang dry some items like his jeans, we now are going to take a time out to hang dry our clothes for the next few days! Thank goodness we still have some clothes to wear!
We also went grocery shopping as we are in a room (I would NEVER call this a suite despite the hotel name – TownePlace Suites) that does have a fridge, sink, a hob and a small dishwasher. It is VERY obvious the kitchen is not used very often though as we have 2 spoons, 2 forks, 1 knife and one paring knife along with appropriate dishes, mugs and TINY drinking glasses! So after getting some groceries we then prepared a quick dinner with some GF noodles (I received a sample of 2 bags at the GIG conference), chicken and pasta sauce. The noodles were excellent! A bit different than the normal rice/sorghum ones that we normally use, as they are made with konjac flour and thus have a bit of a thick glass rice noodle consistency. No negative consequences of eating them and blood sugar behaved which was great! For my Celiac and/or Diabetic friends – these are only in the southeastern USA right now (this brand) however once they update their packaging for the Nutrition panel and en francais, they will be available to purchase in Canada!
Well, the day has come, it is the end of our travel adventure to Rome and we must return back to Vancouver and our real lives!
We were picked up by the pre-arranged airport transportation company on time and whisked away to the Rome airport in plenty of time for our 2pm flight to Toronto and then continuing onto Vancouver. Having never flown out of the Rome airport previously, this was a new experience for both of us! I do remember the route that the gentleman took when bringing us to baggage from hour flight to Rome, so I was anticipating a similar departure gate area again. I was wrong – what a surprise!
After check-in with Air Canada – which left something to be desired in the way that it was handled, or lack there of, the agent told us to go next door to get assistance to get to the plane. Well, we looked and no one was around other than WestJet and their passengers! So we just decided to proceed on our own – I had plenty of time to rest on the plane. First, we went to the VAT refund area, very cool process that you can do electronically by scanning your documents into an ATM type machine. You provide your passport and it figures out what flight you are on, scan the receipt from in this case, the leather goods store, and provide a credit card for the refund to be placed on. Took 5 minutes and within 24 hours the 19 Euros I was owed were going to be credited to my credit card! Not a big amount, but every Euro counts! We even helped the lady use the machine next to us (as Liz and I are such wizzes with machines!) and she was getting over 200 Euros returned from shopping! That will be some declaration of goods at customs wherever she is traveling to!
Next we made it through security with no issues and walked to where we thought the gate for our flight would be departing from. The gate had not been announced yet, however I remembered the area of the airport that we had been in at arrival. As we walked along, I decided that I needed to fill up my water bottle, so I saw a “Family” washroom sign and decided to explore! What a cool room it was with private cubicles for babies to be nursed and a huge changing area with garbage cans and a sink. But the CUTEST thing was the washroom! It had both an adult and kids toilet in it! They do think of everything here!
Back on our walk to our assumed gate, where we had arrived a couple of weeks prior, we spotted some lounging chairs to hang out in. The actual gate area that we experienced on our arrival on Oct 10th was pretty small so these looked like a good place to relax, have our sandwiches’ and drinks. While I contemplated the aircraft activity out the window through my eyelids, Liz decided to go for a walk and to also see if the gate for our flight had shown up yet or not. In about 20 minutes she was back – the gate had been posted and we were in the wrong area now! Off we went to the gate where the plane was located which was on a remote terminal one had to access by train.
Luckily the train ride was short and we got to the gate right when Air Canada was starting to pre-board! They were a little confused as to where Liz and I had come from, as they were expecting me in a wheelchair, however all was good and they took us downstairs to wait to board the plane. I am not sure if this is a common thing in Italy and Spain or not – it seems every time I have arrived or departed from a major airport we are taken “downstairs” in order to board a plane through a jetway. There were a LOT of people waiting to pre-board the flight – it seemed to me that there was some other type of “pre-board” going on at the same time such as Business Class. So we waited about 30 minutes to get onto the plane, however this time there were no screaming babies/kids and I was successful getting on the plane with no issues.
Our flight to Toronto was spectacular – a 9.5 hour flight during the day on a Dreamliner (787)! The windows tint as they are needed to, or you can make them darker yourself. It was really cook when ice crystals appeared too! See my pics below.
Arriving in Toronto was a nightmare from an accessibility standpoint. First, my gate checked walker did not show up, so they put me in a wheelchair to get to the top of the jetway. Then someone appeared from the elevator carrying it! So re-united with it, Liz and I proceeded to go upstairs to the Customs Hall, however that being a long walk in Toronto, we were put in a cart to be taken there. We were first taken to a “transfer point” where we were to wait to take another cart to the Customs Hall, however as we could see the Customs Hall from the transfer area, we just walked instead. We got through Customs in a flash and now were back in Canada! I knew based on the gate number for our Vancouver flight it was going to be quite the walk and we had about 10 minutes at that point to get to the flight for pre-boarding. So I asked for a cart or wheelchair to take us there.
What a gong show, no one was available to do so, instead we were told to walk to the security check point and there are “lots” of Air Canada personnel to assist me. So off we walked and got to the security checkpoint area behind security and there was ONE Air Canada representative, trying to keep about 20 people going to Delhi on a 9pm flight under control. I explained that we had a very short connection and I was concerned we were not going to make it on time. The Air Canada lady said she would help us, however after waiting for about 5 precious minutes, I decided that we needed to get going on our own. At that point the Air Canada person noticed us getting in the elevator to go downstairs and grabbed a wheelchair and joined us going down to the gate area. I got into the wheelchair and Liz pushed my walker and we express walked to the gate and low and behold – no plane! So we were not actually late after all! The 777-300 that we were to take to Vancouver had not arrived yet. The Air Canada escort parked me at the gate and went back to deal with her Delhi wheelchair situation!
The gate agent was really great and saw my sunflower lanyard and agreed that I could preboard. On that flight, for some UNKNOWN reason, I was the only person pre-boarding, so it worked out well. No issues getting onto the plane, once it arrived 30 minutes late and we were off on our last leg of our journey! We were fed mushroom chicken again (second time today) and a fruit plane – oh joy! I got some rest and soon we were landing in Vancouver and pulling up to Gate 52 which is a close in gate without much walking needed. However where was my walker? It is MIA! Finally it was found at the TOP of the gate area – not at the door of the plane. So into a wheelchair I went and was pushed to where my walker was located and then Liz and I walked to baggage claim to get our luggage. There we parted ways as Liz just takes the Canada Line home and Andrew was picking me up on the Departures Level – as he has done for years!
We were home from a very fun, but exhausting vacation, to Italy! Now I have just under 2 weeks to prepare for my next vacation with Andrew! Stay tuned!
“Family” toilets – adult and kid size!Station for train to Remote TerminalOn train to remote terminalView from plane – Air TransatAeroitalia planeQatar planeView from plane – ready for take off!And up we climb towards the coast!Wave action down below….Reefs below too!Dreamliner windows…and frost!Really cool frost over the Atlantic…
Our LAST day in Rome and in Italy! Tomorrow we fly home. Time for some gluten free shopping! Luckily there is a Conad grocery store a block away from us so we popped in there and acquired a few gluten free items – Liz was purchasing for her next door neighbour who is a tween and has CD and I was basically just purchasing anything that looked interesting! I am not going to list what we purchased as that will give away some surpises however they ended up being both gluten free and regular items at the store.
Now, as this previously was forecasted to be a rainy day, and we were going to stay in, and it is now a LOVELY sunny day, Liz decided to accompany me on my “B” list item that I wanted to do – got to newer chain store in Rome called Celiac Laboratory (but in Italian). So off we went!
I knew that the subway stop near the Celiac Lab was accessible as it is one of the two stops near St. Peter’s and the Vatican that are advertised as such. However I did not notice that the stop nearest to where we were staying, on the same line, was NOT. So needless to say, Liz had to help me by carrying Hugo down some stairs while I used the railing to get down safely. After managing to buy tickets this time and scanning properly to take the train, we got onto a train and hoped we were going in the right direction – so we were and shortly we arrived at the correct stop. Now, where is the elevator that is supposed to be here? Nowhere to be found!
There are stairs going up to the next level and there at the top – a stair lift! How ingenious! Yet no way to call someone in the booth that I cannot see from down at the bottom of the stairs – so Liz had to go up and with the assistance of another lady, get the security guard to help me take the stair lift upstairs. Then we were on the main level underground and there was another set of stairs, with a lift, going up to the street. I went back and asked for assistance and was told the lift was broken. Okay, I get the picture – they did not want to help so in the end, Liz carried Hugo and I climbed the staircase, which was smaller than the one that I went down to get onto the subway near the convent and we were off to look for the Celiac store!
A short walk away we found it – thanks to Google Maps leading us there! What an experience it was! We do not have very many Celiac only stores in Vancouver anymore (in fact I think they have all closed now) and it is such a wonderful experience shopping at a store where you do not need to read all the ingredients and scrutinize them before putting them in your basket or cart. The store was a BIT small for my walker to get around however it was manageable. I did get some items – mainly tea cookies that I like and some small pasta that I can put in soup and then we were off and trying to figure out how to get home from there. At this point we were farther away from the convent than we had ever been!
So we started walking as I was NOT going to repeat the subway and busses were a no go for me. As we were near the Tiber river we walked to Castel S. Angelo which is a round building on the Vatican side of the Tiber River and had a break (that was so Lynda could have a cold drink) and then we kept walking towards the convent, where we ended up, funny enough at Volgia d Pizza Restaurant which is gluten free. There we had something different! A zucchini pizza along with my standard caprese salad. We also took home 2 Tiramisu`s for desert (and motivation to walk home). The pizza came with a sign on it indicating that it was made using celiac protocols. Very cool! It was a good pizza with a nice crispy crust.
Off we went walking again, through Trastevere, along to the Venetian piazza and around the Coliseum and up the hill to the convent! Wow – what an adventure we had today! Now it is time to pack and eat my desert! Well packing was SLOW and the desert went down FAST! I had not accumulated much on the trip however no matter how much you move things around, they never fit like they did when your originally packed them! Now it is time for bed as the morning is going to show up faster than I want it to!
Breakfast at ConventStair Lift at Subway stationCeliac Store – there are 5!Tons of GF products….Some I have never seen before…Tiny pasta! Great for soup!Frozen section…Another dry goods section!Fridge sectionGF deli section with food to go!MMM. Pastry section! DANGER!Liz pondering what to get…Walking to GF RestaurantVolgia d Pizza Restaurant!Sign noting our GF Zucchini pizzaWalking back to conventStreet crossing how it SHOULD be…How street crossings ARE…Different view of Venetian PalaceChurch near Roman ForumLarge marketplace from years past…Car entrance (and mine) for conventRamp to enter with Liz at top!GF Tiramisu!!!
Again, up in good time to partake in breakfast and to get going before the “big” crowds hit the tourist locations. Today we are going back to the Colosseum area and going to walk through the Roman Forum and then on to the Pantheon – which is the reverse of the tour that Andrew and I did the year prior.
Can I say how much I LOVE cobbled streets? My arms are really getting a shake down! In fact my whole body vibrates going over them. Then there are the LARGE cobbled streets going up the hill from the Colosseum and those are even MORE fun! Nothing like some morning exercise and vibration to go along with it!
So we entered the Roman Forum (yesterday we figured out we had 2 day tickets which was really cool) and walked along between the monuments and various statues and columns for a while – it is basically a long area sunk down next to the main road leading from the Venetian Piazza. It runs quite a long distance from the Colosseum right to the road (which was under construction) that joins into the piazza. The ONLY concern that I had, which I had not shared with Liz, is that the last time I was here, we entered the Roman Forum from the entrance near the piazza and the elevator to go down was not working so I had to walk down the stairs, with Andrew carrying my walker. I was *hoping* the elevator was working to go UP today! And low and behold – they had a new elevator and it worked perfectly fine!
While we were in the Roman Forum, both Liz and I were in awe of the tall columns which had pieces of marble placed across the top of them – such as 3 columns with 1 piece of marble across the top of all 3 of them. These columns are SO TALL and it is a wonder how they lifted this marble up so high with human power only! They were AWESOME master builders in those days!
Next on the list of sights was the Pantheon – which is a circular structural wonder due to how it was built. As most people have heard by now, it has an oculus or eye up to the sky which is open to the elements. If it rains, the rain comes cascading down onto the marble floor of the building. The Pantheon is an active church and holds services on Sunday and special occasions. People just do not sit under the occulus!
The Pantheon was originally built in 27 BC, however it was rebuilt by Hadrian, whom most people associate the building with, between 118 and 128 AD.
The great concreteĀ faced with brickĀ domeĀ rises from the surrounding walls and there is a “front porch” of Corinthian columns which support a gabled roof on the front. To enter the Pantheon, you go through some HUGE bronze double doors which are 24 feet high.
The Pantheon is remarkable for its size, its construction, and its design. Until modern times, the dome was the largest built, measuring about 142 feet in diameter and rising to a height of 71 feet above the floor. There is no external evidence of brick arch support inside the dome, with the exact method of construction never been determined. On success factor for the building surviving through the ages has been the excellent quality of the mortar used in the concrete. One thing that has been discovered is that the dome is strengthened by huge brick arches and piers set above one another inside the walls, which are 20 feet thick.
So after experiencing this wonder, we decided to have an early dinner on the way home to the convent. As we were really close to Trastevere, we returned to Mama Eats! where we had eaten with Anne and Richard the first day in Rome. A short walk later and we had arrived! We are becoming creatures of habit – AGAIN it is a mozzarella pizza and caprese salad to share! Now that we have been fed, it was time to walk back to the convent! As this is a pretty long walk for me, we decided to take the tram half way – why not add another mode of transport to our list! There weren’t any ticket machines at the tram stop and so we decided to just get on the tram that was approaching and see what happened. The French speaking family next to us did not have tickets either. Onto the tram and there was a ticket machine so we could purchase tickets! Liz tried first and we were not quite sure if it worked or not by scanning her credit card as she received no receipts. There were signs everywhere indicating if you did not have a ticket you could be fined. And low and behold, right between stops the ticket police appeared! So we showed him Liz’s credit card and said we were not sure if it worked or not and the policeman scanned the card and said there was a valid ticket charged to the card. Then he scanned my credit card and no ticket! Well Liz and I knew that as I had not bought one yet as we were not sure if we had purchased Liz’s correctly. The policeman looked at us, my walker and I said “we told you we were not sure if it worked or not”! So he then took my credit card and tapped it on the ticket machine and voila! I had a ticket too! No actual ticket – it just was charged to my credit card. Then we noticed that we were at the next tram stop and the French family quickly got off before the policeman could get to them…
So we took the tram a total of 3 stops or to the Venetian piazza. From there it was an easy, and well practiced walk back to the convent! I stayed in for the evening in my cute little hotel room while Liz went for another walk. Tomorrow is another day! The forecast has changed from rain to sun so we shall see what we are going to do on our last day in Rome!
Walk in Roman ForumOld house in Roman ForumMore buildings in Roman ForumWalking down a “street” Roman ForumOn of the few buildings standingBuilding on rock – Roman ForumThree columns with spanning piece.Roman ForumOld entrance gate in Roman ForumMore columns with spanning pieceWalking down the Roman ForumIndividual houses in Roman ForumLittering! Different marble piecesThe “market” building in ForumColumns on display…Base detail on a columnVenetian piazza columnOculus of the PantheonView of domed roof.Mama Eats! In TrastevereWhat can I say? GF food delight!
Well, the early birds continue to rise and we are down to the breakfast area of the convent bright and early to see what damage we can do this time! Liz was able to operate the coffee machine no problem – check. Lynda did not make a mess getting her tomato and bocconcini cheese – check! We have gluten free items available – double check! No one is stealing our gluten free items – even better! Lets have breakfast!
We decided to strike out fairly early today and go to the Colosseum. Liz has only seen it from the outside and I was able to obtain tickets to the area (Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum) for us to visit without queuing in line. Let`s just call it the “rollator” express entrance to the Colosseum. I find the colosseum awe inspiring with how large it is along with the fact that those walls were built by hand – no cranes existed in those days! Andrew and I have taken a tour of the Colosseum previously so I went the same way that I had gone before and we checked out all the views. Basically we went up to the 2nd floor (elevator) and walked all the way around and then went down the elevator and based on my last experience, went to exit. However the guard looked at our tickets and said that we could also go to the ground floor of the Colosseum and check it out! So that was pretty cool – to be able to walk into the Colosseum where gladiators have walked and check out the views. This access is on a platform which used to be the floor of the Coloeum and underneath, but not accessible to me, is all the inner workings of the Colosseum from times past – such as rooms for the animals, gladiators etc. After exiting the Colosseum, we then walked over to Palatine Hill which I have never explored previously, so this was a new experience for me!
If you are walking away from the Colosseum and towards the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill is to your left. I think a lot of people miss it – the tour that I took with Andrew did not take us there and I can see how easy it would be for people to not understand what is up the hill. Palatine Hill is one of the 7 hills of Rome and based on what we saw. was inhabited by Romans many eons ago. Once up the hill (which is hard going due to the cobblestones) we saw some dwellings that had been restored along with some interesting sculptures. We walked over to a house looking structure and its gardens and found next to it, while probably was the peak of the hill, a wonderful HUGE patio or vantage point over the Roman Forum and looking towards the Venetian Piazza. We stat for a while and people watched and realized our tickets were for 2 days so we could do the Roman Forum tomorrow, so at that point started our walk back to the convent.
As we were in the area pf a restaurant that Andrew and I had been to previously, Liz and I decided to go there first for an early dinner of pizza and salad. That worked out well and then we were on our way back to the convent. At this point in time, the sky was a little bit grey and no sooner than 2 minutes after we each got into our rooms, the sky opened up with a torrential rain downpour! I was very glad that we had gotten back to the place were were staying on time! It was an early night for me, while Liz went for a walk after the rain storm just to up her total milage for the day.
Tomorrow – Pantheon and Roman Forum!
View from inside ColosseumView from inside ColosseumPanorama of highest wallClose up of different chambersSteep staircase going up!Staircase filled with dirt going down…Looking down on the columnsLooking out from inside ColosseumFrom floor – seating plan!Arch of ConstantineLooking beyond to Palatine HillOn ground floor ColosseumStones with important people`s namesClose up of name stonesWalking to Palatine Hill looking backPalatine Hill former buildingFormer bridge on Palatine HillPretty water fountain areaMarble capstonesView of St. Peter`s BasillicaExample of old homeExample of old homeExample of old homeCistern for homePrevious buildings on Palatine HillGarden on the hillGarden on the hillView from garden balcony Roman ForumView from garden balcony Roman ForumView from garden balcony Roman ForumView from garden balcony Roman ForumView from garden balcony Roman ForumView from garden balcony Roman ForumView from garden balcony Roman ForumLiz checking things out!Buildings in the garden
Up fairly early this morning not as early as other mornings to have suitcases out by 7am! Went to breakfast at a leisurely hour of 8am and chatted with our tour mates for the last time prior to them all getting on the bus to return to the Rome Airport to return to Toronto and places beyond. Liz and I are going to depart at checkout and make our way back to the convent to rest up and then do some exploring of our own! It will be a bit strange not having 30 other people with you!
It was a great breakfast that was available to us and an awesome sign for “Celiac People” on our table. As usual, people were taking some goodies to have on their trip home and unrenowned to us, you are not supposed to be taking food out of the breakfast all as you are not allowed to eat in your room. So the waiter got upset at us. I tried to explain they were going home and had checked out but to no avail. He had seen me put some crackers in my pocket (but not the sandwich) and I said that I needed them for the bus ride and he was then only with that. Then we saw the sign on the OTHER end of the buffet table about food in rooms. Oh well, we were leaving!
One of the views from this hotel was of St. Peters Basilica – some people had an excellent view from a balcony in their room! I had tried going up to the roof deck to see but alas, you needed to climb a tall staircase to get to the top and that was not in the cards for me. So I went down to Midge and Glady’s room as they had told me they had a balcony and low and behold – what a view!
So we saw everyone onto the bus and it departed about 9am and then Liz and I each went back to our rooms to pack and check out at noon. We then took a taxi (way to far to walk and I will not get on a Rome bus) to our convent and hoped they would store our luggage as their check-in time was 3pm. I was not feeling well due to some medication that I take once a week and when we arrived I must have not looked well either as the lady allowed me to go right to my room! It is either that or because our rooms were pre-assigned as I needed the twin accessible room they were expecting me, it was available early. So I had a nap while Liz went out for a walk and explored the area more.
Then we decided to get some dinner – there had to be a restaurant who served GF pasta around our hotel somewhere! After a bit of a walk and ending up close to the coliseum, we found a great restaurant and shared a pizza and I had my favourite salad while Liz had some vegetable soup. It was the start of our veggie intake! We sat next to a young couple from St. Pete’s in Florida and had a wonderful conversation with them during dinner. It is interesting as the restaurants are so small in Italy, how many people you meet and can chat with as your neighbours are so close to you! Then we worked off our dinner by walking back to the convent for an early evening!
Tomorrow we are going to attack Rome – Coliseum and Palatine Hill are our goals!
Breakfast with signView from lower roof topView from lower roof topView from room balconyView from room balcony Gathering to catch the busThe bus….and AntonioEver the careful driver….the bus departing without us!
Well, again onto the bus we get for our last day on the tour! Today we are returning to Rome, however stopping at Siena on the way, which will make a nice break for the drive.
I really like Siena – Andrew and I were there a year ago and spent a nice day in the city with the culmination being I found a gelato store that served gelato on GF cones! I am wanting to return to that store again and have been waiting the whole tour to have a gelato on a cone experience!
Unlike when Andrew and I visited, where the hotel had asked the city to give us access to the “inner” area which you get a fine for entering unless your license plate is registered so that we could park in the VERY plentiful accessible parking areas, this time we had to walk from the bus parking location into the main Piazza del Campa. It was a fascinating walk – past a lot of different stores and one that happened to have wool in it! Location noted – will be returning! Eventually we arrived at the Piazza del Campa which for those who have been there has a bit of a steep ramp to get into it at one side – of course the side where we entered from!
We had heard about the history of the Piazza on the bus and the horse racing that takes place there called the Palio di Siena; also known as Il Palio; and it is a horse race held twice each year, on July 2nd and August 16th. Ten horses and riders, bareback and dressed in the appropriate colours, representing ten of the seventeen city wards race three laps of the Piazza del Campo, on which a thick layer of earth has been laid. The race usually lasts no more than 90 seconds and it is common for jockeys to be thrown off their horses during the treacherous turns in the piazza, and riderless horses finishing the race. A horse is not required to have a rider to win the race.
So Liz and I made a bee line to the gelato store where I had been previously and low and behold it was CLOSED! Oh dear! So we went into the shop next door and I asked about “sin glutine gelaton” and the man told me of another store at the other end of the piazza. So off we went! Success! I found GF cones and gelato to my liking! Now, lets walk that little delicacy off! After taking some pictures, Liz and I walked to the duomo in Siena – which was a bit of a backwards walk we took as not only is there the steep ramp out of the piazza, however there also is a VERY steep ramp to get up to the church where Andrew had to help me get down last year – which is fairly abnormal for me when using my walker. So instead we walked around Siena to get to the church (which was from my memory a year ago) and success! The striped duomo showed up exactly where it was supposed to be! I love my sense of direction at some times in my life…’
After taking some pictures we decided it was time to get going back to our group meetup point, with a side trip to the wool store! So that is what we did! I am fairly fast when shopping for wool as I generally know the type of wool that I want to purchase in Italy (merino) so it did not take long and we were off to meet up with the group. At that time we took a group picture also – a couple of people are missing as they had gone shopping on their own way back to the bus, however most of the group is below!
Now, it is time to get back onto the bus and head into Rome. We are going to stop for dinner, our Farewell Dinner prior to getting to the hotel. Dinner was just okay – I guess we are used to antipasti, pasta and then a meat dish and dessert. Tonight it was a very light meal of antipasti (which was cold cuts), pasta (pesto) and then dessert. Not much protein provided and again no vegetables! We found it weird with the “Mediterranean” diet being so healthy and popular in some places, that this lack of a food group was so prevalent on our trip. We then boarded the bus for out trip to our last hotel stay on the tour, which was very near to Vatican City.
Tomorrow Liz and I say goodbye to everyone on the tour and again, we return to the convent and strike out on our own to “do” Rome!
Awesome GF breakfast table again!The piazza in SienaAnother side of piazza in SienaFinding the “other” GF gelato locationSuccess!Walk about town…Main Duomo in SienaMain Duomo in SienaMain Duomo in SienaTook this pic for Nicole – Mickey lover!Walk back to piazza avoiding hillWalk back to meet groupGroup from tourRainbow on drive to RomeRichard pouring water for AnneGF Pesto pastaYum! Creme caramel deserts to SHARE!
Good morning everyone! We had a nice and early start today for our trip by water taxi to to bus loading area in Venice and then off down the highway from the Venitian area of Italy into Tuscany to visit Piza! It was a beautiful drive with the views changing to more wineries by the side of the road on flowing green hills.
As our fearless tour director said “Pisa is a stop only to check out the Square of Miracles”. As the bus had to park a ways from the Square, there was an alternate type of transportation waiting for us – a Choo Choo train! The train took us close to the entrance where we could walk in to see the Church/Duomo, Baptistry and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
We had a quick lunch and then walked back in the rain to where we met the Choo Choo train to take us back to Antonio and the bus.
Off again we went, now to Montecatini, which is where we are staying for the next 2 nights! Montecatini is also known as an Italian Spa town.
We arrived at our hotel in Montecatini and it was a beautiful old hotel – all of our hotels seem to have been unique and so far, all my rooms have been accessible except one, which was okay for the one night. One issue – as we are at this hotel for two nights – I cannot get near the bathroom with my walker! Back downstairs I went and thankfully Margaret and her husband were able to switch rooms with me – somehow they had been assigned the accessible room! Crisis averted!
Some of us had signed up for an optional dinner in Tuscany tonight so back onto the bus we got and drove the 20 minutes to a beautiful estate winery that hosts groups for dinner. On the way there we passed through the town where Pinocchio lived with Giuseppe and there was a huge Pinocchio statue in the middle of the round about! When we got to the Estate, first we visited the Vineyard and then we sat down for dinner. The Estate produces 7 different wines (maybe more) and all 7 were being served for dinner – starting off with 3 whites, then 3 reds and lastly a lovely dessert wine. I do not drink so I had 3 different vintages of an Italian specialty called Coca Cola Zero Zuccheri! Actually to be truthful, I had a mouthful of the dessert wine and it was pretty good! Dinner was awesome also – plate of fresh sliced meats along with bruschetta and then veggies for my non meat friend and I. Then boar pasta (or tomato pasta for us) and a selection of meats and chicken. Dessert was a Panna Cotta that was absolutely devine! The consumption of the wine led to some dancing in which an interesting picture just happened to find their way to my email! A great evening – tomorrow we take on Florence!
Breakfast room and my hotelChoo Choo trainLeaning tower with LizEstate visit for dinnerEstate dogVines on the EstateCables holding very old vines uprightThe three red wines producedAntipasti meat plateInside dining hall – different groupMy veggie and bruschettaMy GF tomato pastaPana cotta with caranekPart of our group diningOther half of group diningWomen and the YMCA song (along with wine consumpton)Estate dog inside now… relaxing!Outside of dining hallPrivate restaurant on siteMore group dining spaceDancing under the stars!Beautiful white tree displayThe walk back to the bus!
Welcome to the City of Water aka Venice, Italy! I LOVE this city and its intricacies and vaccinating buildings and history, however despite being here twice previously, Venice does not always agree with me!
After a great start to the day in what I heard was a beautiful breakfast room (I was at a different hotel for accessibility reasons) the tour was off on foot to the large water taxi (takes about 80 people) which was taking us to the Island of Murano. Everyone got to sit under cover where it was WARM except for myself who was sitting on the top deck of the boat as I could not safely make it down the stairs! Sure glad I had brought my jacket!
For those who do not know the significance of the island of Murano, it is when the Venetian Murano glass is made. Simply beautiful and amazing glassworks! It is said that the trades people who could create Murano glass eons ago had a free rein to do anything including marrying royalty – however they could not leave the island! We arrived at the store which also had a factory attached, to see a glass blowing demonstration and then an introduction to Murano glass wares in the store. Very expensive stuff too!
I have uploaded a video I took of the “Master” glass maker creating a horse here!
Once done with the demonstration and browsing or those who wanted to purchase glassware to bring home, we waited for a replacement water taxi as our original one had developed mechanical issues! Better this happen before we get on the boat and cross the channel!
We arrived from Murano at a Pier near St. Marcos Piazza and took a leisurely walk across 3 large bridges, which thankfully for me, are ramped also at this time of year. Arriving in St. Marcos Piazza, we saw that the tide was high and there was some water pooling – only a few inches deep. The City had put some raised sidewalks out to avoid the pooling water however as person with a walker does not do well on the raised walkway (past personal experience) due to its width and the number of people walking in both directions, I decided to walk through the large puddles! Everyone thought I was crazy but I had my waterproof shoes on and it was actually much safer (and fun!) for me to do!
The included part of the tour was now over we launched into the Optional tour that we had signed up for! I was both mentally and physically prepared for this! We were lead through the lesser travelled streets of Venice by a tour guide and it was lots of fun seeing this part of Venice without getting lost! Only downside were the 4 bridges that had to be crossed…and they did not have ramps! Many thanks to Liz for keeping me motivated and going on this tour!
Arriving safely back at St. Marco’s Piazza, with our timed, skip the line entry into the church, the group was able to enter the amazing St. Marcos church and we had a short tour! My favorite part was looking at the floor and the intricate marble work that was inlaid. It was a different tour than the ones I had taken in 2019 and 2022 when visiting – a lot of the church was roped off and one could not see as much! So there was a positive experience traveling at the end of COVID – must more space and ability to move around!
Now we had time for shopping and I had 2 destinations on my list after we found some lunch! Mikael recommended a gluten free pizza place near St. Marco Square, so the 4 of us were off to locate it! Funny enough we found others from our group dining there too! The name of the restaurant was Rossopomodoro Venezia San Marcos Neapolitan. We had pizza and salads and were quite satisfied with the meal! Only thing to note is that the restaurant is NOT AIC certified.
Now Liz and I went power shopping! For my last 2 visits to Venice I have tried to get to the yarn store that I have read lots about, and this time I was determined to get there! We were successful! We had loads of fun using Google maps to lead us – I did not know that Google Maps cannot distinguish between small narrow alleys and wider walking streets so I think we walked about twice as much as we needed to!
Then, stop 2 – the mask store which makes paper mache masks and is a really fun, unique store to shop in. My friend Karen, who passed away this month, 3 years ago, had originally taken me to this store in 2019 – before we all got on a cruise. It specializes in masks and cats – what a combination! A very eclectic store! We wished we had brought Anne and Richard (who has a cat) with us!
Now our power shopping was completed, it was time for us to take a vaporetto (public boat) back to the Lido where we were staying as due to the shopping, we had opted not to take the scheduled tour boat back. For me, taking the vaporetto is always an entertaining experience – the boat sways at the dock – up, down and sideways – trying to get on is sometimes a leap of faith! That said, the person manning the ropes on the boat does watch out for people in wheelchairs, walkers and parents with prams.
We arrived back on the Lido in one piece and walked back to our respective hotels and had an early night! I really needed a jacuzzi, however a hot shower would be a good substitute! See you tomorrow when we depart Venice and check out Pisa!
Breakfast – a whole loaf of bread!On our way to Murano – little chilly up top!My walker and the public vaporettoPassing the burial island for VeniceDemonstration of glass blowingHot glass being worked in front of me!Hidden Venice tourMask shop – tourist masks – plastic!Very old church…Walking the canals in Venice…Our first bridge!I will never tire of this view…More canal viewsAnother bridge!Still waters…Garden over the wall…Here comes a gondola!Gondolier ducking!Another bridge – streets are getting narrow!Another canal viewYou have to be careful with windows!Backroads of Venice are quiet!Interesting arches between buildingsFamous Bridge of SighsSidewalks ready to deployBack in San Marco PiazzaView of Piazza from church entranceFront of churcheCaprice Salad – yum!Shared a pizza!
Today is a travel day, going from Assisi to Venice – through Umbria, touch of Tuscany and into the Venetian areas. We were fairly lucky on the weather again with only a sprinkle of rain along the way.
First up was a tour of the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi which is a Franciscan church UP a STEEP hill above Assisi. It was a beautiful church – unfortunately we were not allowed to take any pictures in it nor were there any postcards available! The frescos on the church ceiling and walls were unbelievable and depicted scenes from history very accurately. Also the views over the valley were gorgeous!
There were two more highlights of the day for me – one the lunch spot and two, the ferry ride – more on the 2nd one in a bit!
After our “comfort stop” disaster of the day before on our way to Assisi, Mikael and Antonio (our fantastic bus driver) found us a different type of rest stop restaurant (just off the highway instead – not a stop on the highway) that was willing to serve us all a gluten free lunch! So we had risotto (no idea the flavour – it was blonde colour and yummy)! and veal/potatoes/veggies (which I did not take part in) for the second meal. What an awesome lunch spot! What made it extra special was that the washrooms which were downstairs like in most places in Italy, had an elevator to get down there! Luckily I was warned about the stall that locks you in – Liz though I heard was not so lucky and it was good someone could rescue her!
We were then off again on our quest to make the ferry in Venice! We DID arrive in Venice on time and dropped off those going on the optional canal/gondola excursion with Mikael and then Antonio took us to the ferry on the bus along with everyone’s suitcases! Suitcases and gondola’s do not mix š For those who have been to Venice, the ferry, left from near the old cruise ship terminal and took us to the Lido, which is an island, and the only part of Venice that has cars, where we were staying for the next 2 nights.
I LOVE being on the water and an Italian ferry is a new experience for me! For those who live in BC it was like the Gulf Island Ferries with a large lower deck for cars (and a bus) and an enclosed upper deck where passengers can sit. We had to get off the bus for the 45 minute ride, so taking the glass elevator up to the upper deck (we do not have glass elevators on BC Ferries!) we had a gorgeous view standing on the front of the upper deck, outside, going down the main canal of Venice, at sunset and then over to Lido.
On Lido, as I mentioned, there are cars, unlike the many islands that make up Venice proper. Antonio was probably the best bus driver I have ever seen and he had lots of fun attempting to get to the tour hotel. A lovely 8+ point turn to get onto the hotel street due to a poorly parked car, one scrape down the side of the bus by a tree branch and we arrived at the hotel! The people who did not go on the gondola tour then got off the bus, while I stayed on, thinking we were driving to the next hotel where Mikael, Antonio and I were staying (for accessibility purposes). I saw all the suitcases removed from the bus and I saw Liz tell Antonio which suitcase was mine and to put it back on the bus for me. Antonio does not speak English. So then he got onto the bus and parked it about 20 feet ahead on the side of the very narrow street so that some cars could get by.
My suitcase and Antonio: Antonio motioned for me to get off the bus, which I did. At that time another gentleman appeared and talked to Antonio in Italian and I did understand that Antonio said that he had to take me to my hotel and then he would come back and move the bus. I did NOT however hear the word Canada or English (in Italian) spoken and all of a sudden this man was addressing me in English (I must have had speak English tabooed to my forehead) and asking where I was from etc. Antonio wanted to get going – I could tell. However my suitcase was in the bus hold! So I tapped on the bus door where it was and he did not understand – so the man who showed up to the rescue! I told him that my suitcase was in the bus and I needed it. So Antonio then understood and got it out for me and said thanks to the man who went away at that point. Now I knew where we were going as I had looked up the hotel on Google Maps. Next I knew Antonio had taken off with my suitcase! I tried to get it back but he refused – I guess men pull women’s suitcases in Italy. Will have to remind Andrew about that! So off at a VERY fast pace we went down the lane and past the hotel which was on our left. Oh, no, I cannot tell Antonio that he has past the hotel entrance – he was 10 metres ahead of me! So I stopped walking and he got to the street and asked another man for directions (NOTE: men in Italy ask for directions) and then express walked back to me standing at the fence for the hotel. He just grinned – he thought it was funny that I knew were I was going! He took my luggage upstairs and got me checked in while another desk clerk took me around the back to the elevator – which I was told was a service elevator. Oh it was so CUTE! The same kind of lifts that are used on the Skytrain in Vancouver – I know how to operate these! So my own private elevator – how cool!
We had a hosted dinner tonight at a restaurant on Lido which was delicious! Pasta with smoked salmon, fish, salad and strawberry/lime gelato for desert! Again the pasta dish was outstanding and made me think of home due to the salmon… then we walked back to the hotel. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day on the “City of Water”!
Hotel in AssisiRamp at Hotel in AssisiDrive to St. Francis ChurchGoing up the hill to the church!Now on foot – view of churchView of valley below – where we came fromChurch and valleyAnother baptistry church in distanceNow walking up to church…And up to church…And more climbing!Piazza in front of church – not stairs!Entrance to church areaOn our way to Venice!Nice smooth highways!Old house next to highway…More greenery and highwayEntering BaloniaRissoto at Rest Stop! Yumm!Antonio and his Expresso maker on bus!Now on ferry to Lido from VeniceCars (plus our bus) on the ferry to LidoCruising the Grand Canal in Venice!Cruising the Grand Canal in Venice!Cruising the Grand Canal in Venice!Academia Museum on left…San Marco and Doge`s PalanceIdentical passing ferry!Favorite Venice structure!Still cruising the Grand Canal – Open (but shallow) water to Lido nowSunset on VeniceSunset from Lido dock.Arriving at LidoGetting off Ferry – just like in BC!Driving down Lido streets…Passing Vaporetto stop – see you tomorrow!Antonio performing hard turn…Fresh smoked salmon pasta dinner!
Compared to the start of the trip, the next few days should to be tame mostly on the bus with some visits to interesting places until we get to Venice – I hope!
Boom! Crack! Not my favourite sounds and a massive thunderstorm at 7am hits Sorrento! Italy has been expecting rain but this was excessive! According to Mikael our wonderful Tour Director, this was a very strange and rare storm! From my lovely bay window all I could see was rain and dark sky – I am feeling for all those brave souls that are making the trip to Capri today!
Breakfast was great – my favourite bread was available and I was able to make a sandwich for lunch later today. They had us in a side room so no one was procuring the cool gluten free products for pockets except of course, us!
Those who were on time for the bus were able to avoid the brief pause in the liquid deluge however it then started again just as we were about to drive. So that made for some INCREDIBLY slow progress out of town!
As mentioned before, we take “comfort breaks” at highway exits where there is a gas station and a full service restaurant/store. So today we were scheduled to eat at one of these restaurants. Mikael DID warn them we were coming and unlike the wonderful restaurant experiences people write about in Italy the highway stops are NOT recommended (after seeing many of them now) due to their lack of ability to serve gluten free food. They had made PLAIN lettuce salads or plain hamburger patties. That is all they had on offer that was gluten free in the restaurant! That really did not go over well! Luckily I had my sandwich and I was able to snag a protein drink from the gift shop fridge.
After that experience and a lot of hungry people on the bus, we were off to our next stop in Perugia, which is a Trafalgar (tour company) supported weaving business that has existed since the 18th century. The gorgeous looms (about 10 of different sizes) are housed in an old Franciscan church. As a person who has done weaving and loves hand crafts it was an awesome experience. Trafalgar provides a grant to the owner of the weaving business, which was especially helpful during COVID, so she can survive in this competitive world. It is great to see such a family based, historical business still able to produce the weaving done over the centuries.
We got onto the bus again and arrived in Assisi at a very nice, clean hotel. The majority of the tour went on an optional dinner that sounded very interesting in a cavernous restaurant where they served lots of pig meat (no more details as what happens in Assisi stays in Assisi) and a couple of us stayed at the hotel and had a lovely but NOT QUIET gluten free dinner of our own. We had some awesome chicken salads and were provided with the sourdough like steamed buns that I was accustomed to from my last visit to Italy when not on a tour. It was also nice eating some green things and veggies – our tour meals have been lacking in them! Excellent!
Tomorrow off to Venice – my favourite city until my walker meets a bridge š
Liquid Sunshine – just like home!Maybe not – that is a LOT of rain!Monsoon time!We are going in THAT tunnel??Coming out of tunnel into town of Perugia!Town streets in PerugiaI am amazed where our bus fits…Going through town to weaving factory…Still cruising through Perugia!Little Red House…Following a public bus – middle of road…Waiting to pass a bus!Yup, we went through those arches!And up this streetThen up another street…Around the corner…Nice building!ALMOST at the weaving display!Weaving in the churchJacquard weaving that is doneExample of “Last Supper” table clothDisplay of “Last Supper” Table clothHistory of family weaving businessOwner at small loom explainingSmall loom – table runners producedExample of Small Loom productsLarge Loom – 2 stories!“Cards” that make the jacquard weaveTop of loom where cards are fedBottom of large loom with shuttleOh what an awesome dinner this was!Steamed roll too!
