Four countries in a day; as we crossed the channel from England, to Belgium then travelled through the Netherlands arriving at our new destination Germany (all within a 330 km drive). You know it’s Germany too when Mic wants a Pork Knuckle and they serve the entire leg. Yummo and very crispy. At 0.926kg between us, this monstrous leg defeated our ability to devour the lot in one sitting. So, we did the next best thing and took a doggy bag home!! 😋

As it happened, our first stop in Germany was the market village of Bad Neuenahr. You’d be forgiven if you thought we stole these photos from some sort of fairy tale setting as the street frontage of these buildings was so heavily decorated that they looked like they were straight out of a story book.

Our next stop was Ettlingen. Another German village with just as much character as the first. Here we witnessed our first “Schultute”. So, what is this? Well, it’s a large school cone or sugar cone. It can be made of paper, cardboard or plastic. It’s beautifully decorated and filled with school supplies, presents, chocolate, candies and sweets. It is given to a child on their first day of school to make the 12 or 13 years of schooling a little sweeter. The tradition has been occurring as early as the 18th century. It’s a real celebration amongst family relatives and neighbours. They also go to the trouble of baking a cake with the child’s name on it. What a great idea!

Then we strike some mechanical troubles with our rear shock absorber deflated. But that’s no biggy as in Andechs, the KFZ Service mechanics are so efficient they are able to get us back on the road within a day. Thanks Hubert!

It just means we’ll have to spend the week-end in Andechs. Although it’s an unexpected stop, it turns out to be an amazing find. This gorgeous Bavarian Village is run by the monastery. It belongs to the Benedictine Monks of Saint Boniface. They have been brewing beer here since 1455 and have passed down recipes, specialist knowledge and techniques that are a feature of the brewery’s quality philosophy. The beers here are definitely a real treat.

There is also so much to do within a short bike ride; Lake Ammersee, Herrsching and the town of Amermersee itself. Not sure about their workplace, health and safety rules though when they are hoisting children into the sky with the towns construction crane 🤭.

Finally, even though I scored this blogs title, Mic isn’t getting away with it scot-free, check him out tucking into that Pork Knuckle. I was tempted to title it “Knuckle Head” with this caption 🤣.

After 92 days in the UK, our final stop before our Hull Ferry departure to mainland Europe, is the adorable town of York. York is best known as one of the delights of visiting the UK. There are many tourist attractions here, but with our limited time left, we are determined to stray from the beaten path and discover the very best York has to offer. So, if you like Harry Potter, Shambles Street is for you, and it’s not hard to see why! It’s rumoured that this street was the inspiration for J.K. Rowling’s Diagon Alley. I must say there’s definitely something magical about the crooked 14th century houses and winding cobbled walkway of this historic street.

Our second legendary stop is the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter. This stop is literally unmissable, as this Gothic masterpiece is one of the largest of its type in Northern Europe. Its intricately carved stone and impressive stained glass windows has stood over the city since the 7th century. But if that doesn’t take your fancy, at Clifford Tower you can pretend you’re King of the Castle. 🤴👸 However, that’s only possible if you brave climbing the high mound on which this imposing tower stands. It’s a great cardiovascular workout when you reach the top and will enable you to get some stunning panoramic views of Old York. William the Conqueror was responsible for its construction but fire ravaged this site during 1190 and burnt the inner timber structure to the ground. It’s been a treasury and later used as a prison.

After hot footing it all morning, I’ve been warned that no visit to York is complete without a visit to the famous Betty’s Cafe Tea Rooms. Well, I can see why with its vintage inspired cruise-liner interiors and the awesome food creations. Everything looks so delicious. But to avoid disappointment, you need to make a reservation, it’s extremely popular with queues a mile long outside its doors.

Alas, I’m easily pacified with a visit and what child wouldn’t be without taking a peak at Kathe Wohlfahrt’s Magic of Christmas Store. It’s filled with keep sakes over three amazing floors. From hand crafted wooden nutcrackers, music boxes, snow globes, advent calendars and nativity scenes. If only my suit case and bank account were big enough.

Finally, Mic wanted to play trains (mainly due to his links with Walkers in hometown Maryborough), so we visited the Railway Museum. Everything from the Bullet Train to the highlight, The Flying Scotsman which is the legendary England / Edinburgh high speed steam service. However, his visit ended in disappointment when he didn’t get a ride on the minature steam engine, similar to that of Peter Olds and the Maryborough Queens Park railway. 😥. Oh well, maybe next time?

So after a magnificent day in York and three months in the the UK, we bid her fairwell and hurry off to our Vehicle Crossing Ferry. On this return trip, Mic decided to book the Hull Ferry to Zeebrugge, as opposed to driving down and crossing at the narrower Calais channel. The difference being an overnight cabin and $200 Aus, versus 600km on the road. It was well worth it. We got the kiddie suite with separate bunks and full ensuite for two rug rats. Very cosy indeed 🥰.

I like to think that I surround myself with beautiful souls, with all my friends and family being Angels of the South. But who could have ever imagined that I’d be lucky enough to find one in the North and instantly find a connection. This beautiful angel stands proud on top of one of the most panoramic hilltops Gateshead has to offer. Unfortunately, for me I’m not the only admirer. 33 million people come to visit this amazing angel every year. Last year she celebrated her 20th Birthday. As she spreads her glorious wings out over the landscape it is easy to see that her soul is iron clad and like no other angel of her class or type weighs 208 tonne. To the people of the North and admirers from the South there are three anecdotes that tell us a little bit more about our angel and why this was the chosen site for her prominent positioning. Well, firstly coal miners worked beneath this statue in the dark for over 200 years, secondly to grasp hold of the future transitioning from the industrial to the information age and lastly to be a focus for our hopes and fears.

Yet this story really started when we took to the streets to explore Newcastle. Like so many other UK towns there is plenty on offer to keep us interested. But of real interest to us is the striking resemblance that the Tyne Bridge has to our iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge. A little research has now confirmed that our Sydney Harbour Bridge design has been stolen by these Newcastle thieves!! Great detective work Sergent Mic, well spotted.

But as we delve a little deeper, we head on over to the Convention Centre and to our surprise there has been another theft. Our native fauna has been stolen…and everyone is queuing up for a hug with Kenny the Koala. Mic was no exception.

Following an overnight visit to Newcastle we move onto Seaham in Sunderland. This really turned into an interesting two days as we explored its history, in particular its claim on glass manufacture in Sunderland. It is actually home to the National Glass Centre where we witnessed glass blowing, lathe turning and flame working. Since the 17th century this area as been producing and exporting glass all over the globe.

To top it off, the manufacturers dumped waste glass at sea, just offshore from the Seaham coastline. Over the years, this waste has been battered by the North Sea and is now washing up on the Seaham shores. Many visitors now visit Seaham to collect the well worn, pretty coloured glass. Mic and I joined the party, producing my artistic version of our day on Seaham Beach with the different coloured glasses.

Situated in the heart of Northumberland lies the medieval market town of Alnwick. It’s a thriving town that has maintained it’s charm by retaining cobbled streets, narrow alleys and fine stone buildings. However, more recently the castle which has been home to the Percy family for nearly 700 years has welcomed wizards and witchcraft to its front door. Even the crafty Wizards from Oz have been “welcomed” to Alnwick Castle to master the eccentricities of flying a broom stick, just as Harry Potter had done in the production of the film, Philosopher’s Stone. I’m just not sure when I update my resume what any future employer will think now that I’ve mastered “Broomstick Training”.

Of course the streets of Alnwick are thus themed around Wizards and Harry Potter, so Mic takes this opportunity to capture me as a future master of Wizardary and Witchcraft as we walk down the attractive main street. Umm, now what’s the first magic trick I’m going to master, it must be how to change your Prince 🐸 into a Prince Charming of course. 😉

So as we amble along with our hearts set on finding the main tourist attraction, Alnwick Castle, or for fan’s of the Harry Potter movies the real Harry Potter Castle. It is only a further 5-10 min stroll before the castle is in our focus. For me the castle doesn’t remind me of the Harry Potter movies, however, it is certainly grand and the surroundings picturesque. Its real history dates back to the 11th Century. What I found very interesting though is that this castle has had more than its 15 minutes of fame as it has appeared in over 30 other movies and tv series, including Star Trek (go figure🤔), Black Adder, Robin Hood and Downtown Abbey.

Also of particular importance in this area, is the Alnwick Gardens. The gardens were landscaped based on the vision of the Duchess of Northumberland. The garden is a wonderful combination of private spaces, themes, quirkiness and play. At first glance this section of the garden reminded me of Mic kicking back on the Toogoom beach, but then on second glance, I noticed he had too much hair 🤣

And just like Dorothy said from the movie, “There’s no place like home”, I’m sure my magic slippers (or trusty broomstick) should be able to get me there in two seconds!

As we depart Scotland, for our Hull Ferry back to Europe, we make a few final stops along the way. First stop Luss, dust the cobb webb’s off our bikes and then an idealic bike ride along Loch Lomond.

Second stop, Pestonpas. Don’t let this idealic stopover fool you though, as it wailed and howled until midnight.

Then finally, Paxton House chasing fairies, right on the Scottish / England Border, near Berwick on Tweed.

In reflection, Scotland can best be summed up as spectacular one minute, raining and cold the next. Having said that though, a definite must return location to explore the remote wilderness trails of the Highlands. Ohhh and to see my favourites, the lovely hairy auburn Coooos.

Plus a real baby one of course!

The real purpose of our visit to Dunoon, other than Mic’s birthday and the glorious drive through the West Highlands, was to visit the Scottish Highland Games. And, if I had known Mic was this good at throwing an axe, maybe I could have entered him in the contest … he just couldn’t miss. I on the other hand will stick to the kitchen knives, only making it half way. But the highlight is the traditional Scottish competition.

Men and Women, from Scotland, England, Germany and Iceland compete in Caber (pole) toss, Shot Put (but with a large stone), Weight for Height, Wrestling, Dancing and Pipe Bands, to name a few. The event is unique and truly fun to observe. We also enjoyed the sideshow events, in particular the Native Bird display, whereby they flew Owls and Peregrine Falcons amongst the crowd.

Finally, just watching the crowd was amusing. How this little boy could eat ice-cream in the howling cold wind, we couldn’t figure. Especially, when we were eating amazing hot spuds, filled with Haggis and cheese.

Overall, a must visit, for a fun day out!

The old boy has turned 47! He’s not quite half a century yet but not far off it. 🤣

So what better place to enjoy Haggis Bon Bons, Haddock, Snow Cake & Tablet than in Dunoon Scotland, with the very friendly locals from The Holy Loch Inn! A special thank you to the staff here, as Caroline and Graheme made us feel very welcome and provided exceptional service. The chef also deserves a mention as the food was scrumptious.😋

On our journey here, we took the long road through Loch Lomond & the Trussachs National Park. Such a pretty area and technically, the starting point of the Highlands.

With many gorgeous walks to burn off the birthday calories too!

So…. Happy Birthday Old Boy! We all hope you had a wonderful day and got to do the things you most enjoy with lots of love from your beautiful family and friends. 🎂🍻🎁

Maybe not an infamous Glasgow Kiss then, but certainly a croak at the Kelvingrove Museum/ Art Gallery in Glasgow! This croak goes out to my children, as jokes were often told around the campfire while holidaying and this one was remembered as the funniest and most innocent of all the kiddie jokes they knew. Oh, I love frogs with little mouths. Shame mother frog has a big one!!!

However, this blog really started with a quick stop over at the Falkirk Kelpies on our way from Edinburgh. They tower 26m into the night sky and are a major attraction along the Scottish Canal system. Just spectacular! If you wait till dark you get to see the Kelpies change colour.

So, back to Glasgow. With just a few days up our sleeves before we go exploring the Highlands, we decide to call into Glasgow to see what the Glaswegians have on offer. Heading East we find the city’s oldest park the Glasgow Green. The park runs adjacent to the River Kelvin. You can easily spend a couple of hours here if you want to enjoy a picnic lunch, take a stroll, bask in the sun or if your like Mic, pose next to the google sign. Awgh, sorry my mistake Glasgow was home to the commowealth games in 2014 and Mic loves everything sporty. Needless to say the talented street artists have been making over this town and the guys playing badminton can’t be missed along with other references to the town’s commonwealth games status such as the lawn bowling green. But for me, Buchanan Street happens to be the pedestrianised shopping area and is just the place to hang out even if your pocket money is a little tight, because window shopping and people watching is free!!

Moving on, to make up for all the coffee and cake I’ve become accustomed to, Mic is keen to locate Ibrox Stadium. I’m told Glaswegians are known for being passionate about football (that is both on and off the field). But for me my tastes are with commedian Billy Connolly. A Glaswegian that claims his heart beats to the rhythm of Glasgow. I’m not sure I feel the same, but admire Billy for his stance as this is where he was born, his children were born, he learned to play the banjo, did his apprenticehip and became a welder, as well as making his first public appearance.

Also of note, Mic posing next to Dr Who’s Tardis 😂 and the Equestrian Statue of the Duke of Wellington outside the Gallery of Modern Art. No, your eyes are not failing you, the statue is adorned with a traffic cone because it represents the humour of the local population – every time it is removed the cone keeps on coming back. So why not just leave it there?? Well…. they did! It’s been happening since the 1980’s. It provides great sun protection and seems to distract the pigeons from crapping all over it!! 💩 Other must sees include the Riverside Museum, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the Glasgow Cathedral (St Mungo’s). Wow, all this in a day, now that’s more than a kiss maybe it’s more like a Glasgow pash. Okay, alright you’ve got me, Glasgow Kiss has nothing to do with kissing, it actually originated in Glasgow from a head butt to the nose which speaks of the city’s status as one where it’s people are characterised as having a no nonsense, rough attitude. Very appropriate I feel!

“If you like bagpipes, then this is heaven”. The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is a truly unique show which brings together precision led military performances with other cultural acts from Scotland and around the world. This year it was a kaleidoscope of colours, bright lights, music and fantastic entertainment with Scottish highland dancers adding the Can Can and Bavarian Beer Maiden dances to their repertoire. The show goes ahead rain, hail or shine and as luck would have it for Mic and I (plus some other 8,998 visitors) we got to enjoy the show under clear blue skies. What a relief!

But to enjoy the night in absolute comfort rug up. In the photo above I’m wearing thermals, two jumpers an all weather proof jacket, scarf, gloves, jeans and a beany. I was even contemplating bringing a small throw (and secretly wished I had 🥶). The action takes place on the Edinburgh Castle esplanade. It’s a wonderful spot to enjoy the show with international visitors like us coming to experience the performance from various nationalities around the globe.

But that’s just one of the must do’s in Scotland’s capital. Literally around every nook and cranny there is another little gem waiting to be discovered . Whether it be the elegant Georgian New Town with gardens and Neoclassical buildings, souvenir stores, parliament house, the Royal Mile starting at Holyrood Palace or my favourite, the statue of Bobby who has captured the hearts of dog owners alike for guarding the grave of his owner for 14 yrs until he passed. This little doggie has been immortalised and remembered today by thousands of tourists and the Scot’s as sticks are piled high onto his grave in memory of such a loyal and loving companion. It certainly goes along way to supporting the claim that a dog is a man’s best friend.

There’s also a plethora of famous writers who can thank Edinburgh for shaping their careers and supporting their coffee habits. The famous five include: Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scot, JK Rowling and SEC Davies (aka travel blog extraordinaire, at least you probably know one of the five 🤗)

But if you’re feeling energetic and want to take a break from the crowds. Hike on up to Arthur’s Seat the views of the city are simply majestic and well worth the effort.

And know trip to Scotland can be complete without falling in love with the gorgeous tartan kilts and hairy coo’s. It’s so good to see in “auld lang syne” somethings never change.

Look who we ran into at the Fringe Festival, Edinburgh!

As you can see, anything goes at the Fringe Festival, all in the name of entertainment. Other than Donald & Kim (who wanted $20 Aussie dollars for a photo with the two dicks as they call it), we saw punks weaving yarn, musicians, jugglers, people just lying on the ground, women dressed in bikinis in the freezing cold wind, singer/songwriters, play actors, Harry Potters, theatre paid shows and our favourite, a melbournite with a questionable gymnist figure jumping around in an oversized balloon. (We actually ran into Billy Connolly who stayed and watched this show too).

This is the original and oldest Fringe Festival, commencing here in Edinburgh in 1947, with 250 imitation festivals now occuring across the globe. There are over 50,000 performances during this years 2019 Festival, occurring at 300 venues around town, between the 7 – 26th of August. It is certainly a sight to see and the atmosphere is electric.