... and it was MINUS 18!

After many years of missed opportunities and procrastinating I have finally been to Berlin, and BOY am I glad!! It was where Amy and I were to join forces to start our epic Christmas and New Year adventure and I must admit it didn’t get off to the best start! In true pre Christmas Europe fashion, Europe had been dumped on my about 1.5m of snow and many trains and airports across Europe and the UK had shutdown just days before we were due to depart. I was coming from a part of France that is very used to the snow but Amy was coming from ill-equipped London so we were pretty unsure about what would happen. In the end Amy did have a huge delay but it wasn’t even Snow related, at least she made it!!!

We stayed at the 3 little pigs hostel. Not the best or worst hostel I have ever stayed in but definitely one of the most memorable. Enter Boston Tom, from Boston, clearly in his 30’s this man walked around with a pacifier in his mouth and the most bizarre outfits. One night he came home at about 4am and sat on Amys bed and starting all his crap on her bed, right over her head. Then there was the other American that inspired my (hostel etiquette) blog, the worst snorer I have EVER encountered! Words cannot describe! Oh and la piece de la resistance – me looking my keys in the locker. In almost 6 years of travelling I have never done anything like that! The realisation that I had locked all my stuff away was worsened by the fact that I had to go down to reception in my ‘sexy’ polka dot pyjamas and hope like hell they had a bolt cutter on hand. Thankfully they did, I Imagine most hostels would... Such entertainment!!

Berlin was cold. Not in a ‘yeah, whatever it’s just winter in Europe’ kind of way, more like a ‘I think my skin is going to fall off’ kind of way, -18 to be exact. Not exactly ‘out doorsey’ weather, least of all for two girls who had been bed ridden thanks to a flu/virus up until the day we flew, one of which who is allergic to the cold. The cold also lent to the bizarre dry snow, I’ve never seen it like that before, flaky and NOT slippery which was a god send for the two of us cripples!! Needless to say we threw on extra layers, 3 leggings, 2 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of gloves, you know the usual.

Berlin is famous for money things, the Berlin wall, Hitler, Communism, Ampelmanchen and Christmas just to name a few. Our first and most frequent stop was the (many) Christmas Markets. It didn’t seem to matter where we were there was always a Christmas market nearby. As far as Christmas markets go they were quite amazing, you could find everything there from hats and legwarmers to mulled wine and German sausages it was more than enough to keep us satisfied. Gorgeous old dumpy German men with their rosy cheeks and bulging bellies singing Christmas carols alongside the adorable little Michelin man styled kiddies being towed around on sleds. There was even a store selling thousands of different sorts of Christmas ornaments, even cheese ones! There was ice-skating and salmon being smoked. We even saw a walking Christmas tree and a flying Santa, and I promise that it’s not the mulled wine talking!! We met up Sarah, a friend of Amys, who is an Aussie/Kiwi living in Berlin. It was really interesting to hear about life in Berlin as an expat – I think she almost convinced Amy to live there!!

In the day light we were pretty keen to take on a free 3 hr walking tour – the guide accepts tips at the end and that’s their only payment so it encourages them to be really energetic and engaging which is brilliant. The weather was slightly warmer that day, at -14, luckily Amy and I had exchanged our Christmas gifts early, thermal socks and a scarf for me and 2 pairs of gloves for Amy so that helped keep us warm, a little.

The tour was fantastic, we started outside the hotel where the late Michael Jackson dangled his baby out the window/Brandenburg Gate East Berlin and walked through to the West. We saw the ‘Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe’ holocaust memorial – an incredibly thought evoking memorial, very solemn.

We walked through the building that now sits above the bunker where Hitler shot himself. I liked that it is very non-descript, there is one small sign on the far corner of the block which I think is a great example of Germanys humility and ownership when it comes to its involvement in the World Wars. We passed the Berlin Wall and Check Point Charlie, the point where you could legally pass from East to West Germany. The wall itself is much smaller and less imposing than I had imagined, but as our tour guide pointed out during the communist era the wall actually had another wall built behind it and there was barbed wire, hunting dogs and snipers situated up and down both sides of the walls. There are some amazing images and stories of people trying to get across to the West.

This was one of the things that so amazed me about Berlin, Old versus New, East versus West. This city has so much history, most of it shocking. It has been bombed and stormed, split and demolished, glorified and demonised. It saw the rise and fall of the man that would change the world as we knew it. It is now a new city, a city that is working hard to rebuild and work toward the future while remembering, but not glorifying, the past. A city hosting enormous artistic talent, a hub of culture, a city to where photographers, musicians, artists and pretty much everyone else creative flocks to for inspiration.

Oh and most importantly a city that is home to the Ampelmanchen, mustn’t forget him ;)

and a Happy New Year!!

Ah Cesky Krumlov, my heart of hearts. It’s no secret that Prague is my favourite city in the world, and thanks to Cesky Krumlov I can now safely say that the Czech Republic is one of my favourite countries. Cesky Krumlov is a wee little town about 2hrs east of Prague, about a 30 minute drive from the German Border. To me it’s where Moravia meets Bohemia with a perfect blend of Eastern and Western Europe. Enough English speakers to make it Angie friendly but not so many that it feels totally touristy. Amy and I chose Cesky Krumlov as our New Year destination after weeks of indecision. Every time I have been to Eastern Europe I have heard countless stories of how beautiful Cesky Krumlov is but I had never quite made it to that side of the Czech Republic. Oh man I’m so glad I finally did!!!

Our trip to Cesky Krumlov was not smooth sailing. Our departure from Vienna cut it VERY fine; I have never been so rushed for anything! Luckily we made it to the bus with 5 minutes to spare, but then when we got to Prague Amy fell victim to a severe case of Hangrrr which was worsened when I devoured more than my portion of our Pasta meal (to be fair I had been craving Pasta for 5 days!). Then one of the wheels on my suitcase broke and rolling my suitcase became practically impossible. Then once we actually got to Cesky Krumlov the service station assistant yelled and shoo’d me away when I asked him how to book a taxi, only minutes before I spotted a man getting into a taxi who then yelled NO at me when I asked for some assistance!! Not a good start! Everything was forgotten however when we arrived at our hostel and saw the big gorgeous hand carved wooden door. Krumlov House is an incredibly cute hostel, albeit with the shittest shower I have ever experienced! But the room from our view more than made up for it!

After our first walk into town I was hooked; the gorgeous buildings, stone cobbled roads and becherovka in every window made me feel right at home. It turns out CK is a bit of a host city for marionettes, they are everywhere!! Quite interesting but pretty damn creepy up close. Amy and I did a Eggenbbeg Brewery tour, the brewery itself was pretty underwhelming but the tour guide was absolutely amazing and gave us so much info about the town it was fantastic.

She told us about the great floods of ’92 and the very prominent presence of the mafia in wee Cesky Krumlov. There was a lovely Italian couple on the tour who we happened to run into very early in 2011! After the tour we went to the Eggenbbeg Brewery restaurant to test the beer and try some ‘Hausgemachter Eingelegter Hermelinkase’! A homemade pickled camembert which is famous for being served with beer. We also tried ‘Olomoucke Tvarausky’ stinky see through no fat cheese, very Dutch style.

Next stop was my favourite discovery of the trip, a great vegetarian restaurant called ‘Laibon’, owned and run by the extremely lovely David. He spends half his week in CK and half in Prague- sounds like the life to me!! The restaurant is more like a terracotta cave, the instant you walk you feel right at home and then David pops in with his Ginormous smile and the scene is set. The menu, all vegetarian, is absolutely delicious. I had a delish gnocchi style dish with light bacon and bryndza sheep cheese and OH MY GOD it was one of the best things I have ever eaten!! Definitely the food highlight of the trip, needless to say we went back a few times... Amy had Pakori – fried cheese and vegetables. Also yummy but not as memorable as mine, this was where Amy 1^st admitted to her food envy..

That afternoon I came down with a bad case of Peengrr... Very similar to Hangrr but potentially more embarrassing... We were saved from my Peengrr at the fantastic Egon Schiele Exhibition and a shot of Slivoche. Egon Schiele was an Austrian painter that spent a lot of his time in the Czech republic, and some of his more creative years in CK. Very interesting stuff.

Next thing we knew it was NYE and time to get our groove on. We bought a bottle of Lemon Becherovka (PERFECTION) and after a few sneaky ones took the bottle to drink on the streets. Not the first European NY spent sipping out of a bottle on the streets, and hopefully not the last. We went to dinner at a cute restaurant on the water, we somehow ended up in the ‘locals’ section which was a good laugh – they all cheered every time we drank! We had deer, finally (see Vienna Blog) and dumplings.. and almost got charged 1790ck instead of 500ck!!! Whoops!

We decided to do the countdown out on the streets which turned out to be the perfect option. We were lucky enough to be outside for a little NY dusting of snow!! Won’t be seeing that for a while L

Apparently the council had cancelled the annual Fireworks display to save $$$ but I think it was better that way because all of the locals and tourists had bought fire crackers themselves. At midnight they were cracking left right and centre and it was amazing. We had the perfect vantage point, on the river with a ripper view of the castle and the bridge. For about 40 minutes Amy and I watched as we were treated to a fantastic 360 degree fireworks show. Doesn’t get much better than that hey!

Once the light show was over Amy and I went to ‘La Boheme’ a club in town. They had ridiculously cheap cocktails, it was great! I was so impressed by the menu Amy stole one for me!!

We were enticed then repulsed by the red Absinthe cocktail and I wish I had had a ‘flying kangaroo’ – a vodka, white rum, coconut syrup, Galliano, orange juice, pineapple juice and cream concoction... Not particularly appetising. It was definitely an interesting evening!

On New Years Day we bravely (or stupidly) had booked ourselves in for a 2hr horsey ride through the snow. We didn’t really realise that to get there we had to walk 2km up hill, needless to say we were in pain before we even got there!! It was definitely worth it though. It was so gorgeous riding through the snow!! I was a tad upset because they wouldn’t let me take my camera...

Fast forward 2 hours and somehow we weren’t in pain – amazing considering my knee and Amys leg muscle inuries. Maybe that 2 km walk helped to stretch us out after all!! We also went to the castle which proved to be a bit hazardous for yours truly – very icy cobbles on a hill – not ideal.

Our last stop in CK was Dobra Cajovna – a gorgeous tea house! Part of me is sad we didn’t get there earlier but the other part of me is sure it’s a good thing as we wouldn’t have seen or done anything else. We shared a yummy Sheesha and a few different sorts of tea. A blissfull way to finish off a brilliant few days. Absolute Perfection.

TRAVEL ETIQUETTE - the art of travelling

It has to be said - there is a certain art to backpacking. Not everyone can do it and not everyone should. There are some people who probably should have stayed at home, bought a cat, a snuggie and a beer keg and made the travelling circuit a bit easier for the rest of us!

There is a certain etiquette that should be followed, and for some people it comes naturally. But for those who are not quite street smart enough here is my simple crash course in Travel Etiquette, read closely, you know who you are.

PART ONE : HOSTEL ETIQUETTE

Snoring – I know it can’t be helped so it’s a bit unfair to get pissed off at people who snore but the truth is there is nothing worse than a hideous snorer in your dorm room. You know that loud, tractor being murdered by a herd of cats and cows noise that drones ON and ON and ON.. Well if you do snore and it’s so bad it keeps people awake here are some suggestions; invest in an anti-snoring mouthpiece or an anti snore/apnea pillow would be a great idea, and if all else fails do the rest of us a favour and get a correction operation.

Squeaky beds – Every now and then hostels will have squeaky annoying bunk beds. This is obviously not the fault of the traveller but if you do happen to get placed in one of these beds and you notice a squeaky noise as you’re fidgeting around your bed, STOP FUCKING FIDGETING! Easy solution

Farting – if you have a flatulence problem and find yourself having gaseous releases in the company of fellow travellers you have 2 options. 1) Pretend nothing happened and leave the room for a short moment, or 2) apologise, have a little laugh and move on. Most importantly don’t giggle like a pre hormonal teenage girl...

Bag repacking – suitcase/backpack repacking is an unavoidable reality of travelling. It’s annoying and tedious but it must be done. It must not, however, be done after 11pm or before 8am. If you know you are leaving, get your shit together and get organised! It’s not fair to the people who are sleeping when you start clumping around the room banging shit and being annoying.

Timing – There is a sort of unspoken rule about timing in hostels. Obviously the point of travelling is to explore and enjoy new experiences. Coming home at 4 am is just part of the deal, we shall call it ‘a perk’. On the other side of the coin is the need to sleep and catch up after all those nights of travelling and late nights, enter ‘the afternoon nap’. Afternoon naps are fine and to be expected (from time to time) but don’t get pissy when people turn on lights and make noise. These are the same people you pissed off when you came in at 4am and smashed into the table or vomited all over the floor... So let’s make a rule for everyone to stick to: between the hours of 9am and 11pm its lights on. Do what you want, make noise, turn on the lights, scrunch plastic bags and use your electric toothbrush, but between 11pm and 9am Shut the hell up and let everyone sleep.

PART 2 – GETTING FROM A to B

Obviously transport is a huge part of the intrepid travellers’ life. Whether it’s a gruelling overnight bus from Poland to Hungary, or a measly two hour train from Cambridge to London, or a flight from Australia to New Zealand, it is literally impossible to get by without it.. Unless you are a really good swimmer!! Negotiating maps and timetables can always be a bit challenging not to mention in another language, and then there is always the stinky crazy randoms that you have to avoid eye contact with... To help make the experience easier here are some guidelines;

Directions – if you find yourself in a situation where someone is asking you for directions and you are not sure of the answer, be honest. There is nothing more annoying than a vague non committal referral that sends you to the wrong side of town. Also, if you are in a foreign country where you don’t speak the lingo, if someone you ask directions or information from clearly doesn’t understand you then speaking louder and repeating yourself isn’t going to cut it. Try hand gestures and hand written maps, a lot more polite too!

Trains and Buses – trains and bus travel are often slower but much cheaper options when it comes to cross continent travel and it is not the nicest form of travel, especially bus. On buses try not to decline seats unless you have to, and if you do have to its nice to look at the person behind you first to give them a heads up.. The same person might cut your pony tail off in your sleep if you are not careful! Also if you are sitting next to someone that you do not know and you fall asleep DO NOT sleep on that person!! Odds are they are too polite to shrug you off which is unfortunate for them, or they might have lice, or they might punch you in the face..

When it comes to train travel there are 2 important things – never leave your suitcase in the isle – that’s just lazy! And most importantly enjoy watching all the people falling asleep... as their heads tilt and their eyes droop it’s great fun to watch as they jolt their necks back and look around in less than subtle embarrassment looking to see if anyone noticed. 10 points if you get a photo ;)

There are 2 final things that apply to both bus and train travel; if you listen to an ipod or play a Nintendo DS type thingy try not to play it too loud, or if you are into hard core rocking it out super loud then at least buy yourself some sound cancelling earphones, do it for your ears!! And try to think of others and give your seat up for fellow travellers. Sometimes someone gets on the bus with a heavy back pack and all they want is a seat for 15 minutes.. Be a dear a give them a seat!! It can be your good deed for the day (see song – What About Phil, at the end).

PART 3 – TRAVELLING WITH OTHERS

If travelling on your own is an art then travelling with others is the Mona Lisa. Some like it, some don’t, some should do it, some really shouldn’t, for some it is worthwhile and for others it will cause more heartache than if they had just gone without. I personally have done a lot of both (including seeing Mona) and it’s hard to say which is better, both have their merits, and for both there are ways to deal with the pitfalls;

Relax – When travelling with others it is really important to keep calm and level headed. Don’t yell or get irate. Try not to get irritated with each other and when you do - keep calm and take some space. Be prepared to take a day or afternoon off from each other every now and then, and if your travelling partner is the first to suggest it don’t take it personally, it will be better in the long term, believe me! Avoid snide comments at other people, even in foreign countries. Just because you think they don’t understand you doesn’t mean you are right, I can promise you that!

Contribute/Compromise – Obviously not every person is the same, which means travel itineraries will vary. Some like art galleries, some like markets, some like planning to the last minute and some like just moseying around, each to their own, as they say. If you have something in particular you want to do then vocalise it, then you can’t get pissed off if you feel like you are being dragged along. Speak up, or shut up.

Hangrrr – I recently read this blog after coming in close contact with a group of Hangrrr sufferers (http://sasasunakku.com/fight-hangrrr/) and it had me thinking about Hangrrr and its affect on travellers. The blogs definition of Hangrrr is essentially anger that is caused by hunger, or a persistent feeling of irritability caused by hunger and unfortunately it affects most people. My mother in particular gets horrible cases of Hangrrr. Diabetics or people with blood sugar levels are more often affected as is understandable, but they will not be forgiven for their behaviour. Hangrrr is bad enough as it is but when you are travelling you quite often skip meals either because you are so preoccupied with what’s happening around you or because you can’t find anywhere appropriate to eat. After recent experiences I have decided that once someone has announced they are hungry there is 20 minutes until the onset of Hangrrr symptoms commence. To avoid any arguments best to get to a restaurant ASAP or at least get a gyros into that Hangrrrry stomach!

Peengrrr – A phenomenon I myself recently discovered! I am not too heavily affected by Hangrrr but on a recent trip to Eastern Europe I had a few bouts of Peengrr, anger that is brought on by the overwhelming ‘about to be an embarrassing moment’ need to pee. Similar to Hangrrrr, it is important to get to a toilet within 20 minutes of announcing the need to Pee, if this is not achieved not only will you have a very Peengrrrry person on your hands, and maybe the need to go pant shopping. Fast food chains are generally a good option for a fast, free pee.

Punctuality – being late is not cool, especially when it affects other people. Set your alarm and stick to it, running for a train is not fun, especially with a suitcase!

PART 4 – Day to day walking around

I like to think of travelling as a team sport, even if you are travelling on your own. Helping each other out is important! So to hit a home run here is what you should do; always help others with directions, help other travellers and give lots of tips and suggestions of things to do, if you see a traveller on their own invite them to join you, be aware of what is happening around you and other people’s reactions to your actions. If you are a loud Italian try to be less loud, if you see single parents travelling with children give them a hand, and if you see disadvantaged people always do your best to help. What goes around comes around...

“To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.” – Bill Bryson

JAIME AND ANGIE'S REMIX OF "WHAT ABOUT ME" Espanya Style -2004

There's two little girls going on a train to Blanes. They've been waiting back there waiting for a seat,

but everyone thinks they are insane.

They've been pushed around, Knocked to the ground,

But they get to their feet and they scream...

WHAT ABOUT ME??

It isn't fair!! I've got a sore back and I need that chair.

Can't you see.. There's 15 Kilos in this pack

But you Spaniards don't seem to give a crap

HO HO HO and 12 BOTTLES OF WINE...

I’ve been dreaming of a White Christmas, just like the ones I used to know, and for the first time since 1962 Mulhouse delivered!

On the 23^rd Amy and I celebrated PART 1 of the Alsace family extravaganza; a trip to Strasbourg to visit my mums cousin and the beautiful Christmas markets, all 12 of them. We explored the plethora of mulled wine and pretzel stores and enjoyed the Christmas decoration and hat stalls. My mum’s cousin, Guy, and his lovely wife, Annie, had invited Amy and I over for a Christmas lunch. It was a delicious meal, as always and I had a fantastic time catching up with them. We learnt fraternal (non-identical) twins in France are called ‘faux-jumeaux’, or ‘fake twins’!!

Back in Mulhouse we checked out the awesome Mulhouse Christmas markets and met up with my family that had come up to celebrate Christmas for PART 2 of the Alsace family extravaganza! Together we had a lovely meal of mushroom soup, 6 types of cheese, and of course, Fois Gras! Delish!! As Grandma no longer gets out of bed we all went to her room and sang Christmas carols for her, in English German Italian and Latin... Amy and I were pretty much singing LALALALA the whole time! Even though Grandma didn’t recognise 2/3 of the people in the room she thoroughly enjoyed it so it was definitely worth the embarrassment!

On Christmas eve we woke up to beautiful fresh POW! A sight that will never cease to make me happy! Lolo, Amy, the dogs and I made a gorgeous snow lady, Shatzela, and had snow fights while hard working napped. For Christmas dinner we were kindly invited to celebrate with Lolos parents and family. I knew it would be a bit of a challenge for Amy to not be able to communicate with this crazy bunch, but maybe that was in her favor anyway!! I did my best to interpret but all was made easier thanks to the ‘2 bottles’ rule; once we hit the 3^rd bottle of wine my family pledged to start speaking English, a great laugh for both sides. Even my famously grumpy great Aunt got into the spirit! For dinner my Aunt Martine prepared a sensational Alsacien feast incorporating Fois Gras, Bäckeoffe (a casserole with potatoes and three types of meat...), a huge cheese platter and 3 types of dessert. And the whole night my uncle Pierrot was on hand offering 3 types of Alsacien and Vallon wines.. Perfection!

My Aunty Kiki had a moment where she snorted with laughter, so hard and loud that the whole table stopped talking. As we all began to laugh she also continued snorting – egging on our laughter! It all got so much she had to move away from the table as tears of laughter rolled down our cheeks. Amy and I now call any moments of uncontrollable, and let’s face it inevitable, snorting ‘doing a Kiki’, please help spread the word by incorporating it into your vocabulary!

After 2 hours of present exchanging and ‘Kikis’ it was time for us to go home and rest in time for us to go home and rest in time for PART 3 of the Alsace family extravaganza; lunch at Sandra’s sisters house. However we came home to a shit mess as Siska had gotten in to Amys room and devoured a whole bag of chocolates, wrappers and all.. More on that later!

On Christmas day we got even more snow, just enough to make the roads too scary for me to drive... But enough to stop us from going to Christmas drinks! Sandra’s family is about as mental (in a good way) as mine so we all matched quite well! We ate Fois Gras, even had BBQd seafood, Sandra vomited after tasting an oyster and Laurent ate one and took it in his stride! Between 8 of us we drank well over 12 bottles of cremant, red and white wine, before testing out the new beer barrel that Santa delivered!

We had the 2 bottle rule again which was good for Amy, especially as we got through the 2^nd bottle in record time! It was such a fantastic evening with impromptu dancing, lots of laughter and translating, and even at one stage an indoor snow fight! Looking back at the photos it seems we also had a Hat catwalk happening, I rocked the gangsta sequins, obviously!

The saddest thing was Francois’ disbelief at how much Amy and I could drink, he kept remarking on how well we held our alcohol... We did Aussies worldwide proud apparently! And in true Christmas day fashion we were home and in bed by 8.30pm!! Ah busy days!

Our last day in France was a great day for nursing hangovers and packing bags. We had a situation with Siska vomiting everywhere... It became clear very quickly that it was the plastic wrappers from the pack of chocolates she inhaled on Christmas eve! Let’s just say cleaning up litres of Rottweiler vomit when you are hung-over is less than pleasant!

So Christmas is over and done for another year, I’m so glad I go to fit in a traditional French Christmas, but I am looking forward to a hot Christmas with beach and bathers and PRAWNS!!

Joyeaux Noel

Le Tour de France

For the three weeks prior to Christmas I embarked on my own Tour de France, minus the cycling.

I figured this is my last trip to France for a few years so it was time to visit all my favourite family friends. Plus I am broke so bunking with relatives and friends is a perfect way to stick to the old budget.

First stop was my Home away from Home, Mulhouse. The whole purpose of my trip back to Europe was for my Grandmas 92^nd birthday, that and one last cold white Christmas complete with mulled wine and snow! Getting back in to Mulhouse was awesome, I have been staying with my mum’s cousins son, but for all intents and purposes I refer to him as my cousin, Lolo and his lovely wife Sandra. Staying at their place is always fun, between walking the Rottweilers, Greys Anatomy marathons, Sandra’s fabulous cooking and basketball I never get bored. I have my international licence and they’ve been kind enough to let me use one of their cars. The first day I drove it was in the snow, and it took me a bit to get used to driving on the wrong side of the road. I still accidentally set off the windscreen wipers when meaning to indicate! However I, and more importantly, the car, are still fine so I am happy with that.

Together Sandra and I made my first Couronne, a wreath with four candles, 1 to be lit every Sunday before Christmas. We have also been busy sampling the mulled wine at the Mulhouse Christmas Markets... YUM

Seeing my grandma has been fantastic. To say she is in a good shape would be a lie but she did recognise me and still has her wits about her enough to sass me every now and then. All in all, I’m very glad I’ve made the decision to stick around France for a while.

Next stop on LTDF was my uncle Yann’s place in Corbonod, a wee little village on the climb to the Alps. The day I set off they had up to 50cm of snow where he is (beat that Mt Buller!!) and I was certain my train would be cancelled. It seems the travelling gods where in my favour, of the 40 trains on the departures board mine was one of only 3 trains that wasn’t delayed or cancelled. BOOM! There was so much snow that when I got off the train I had snow up to my knees... good thing I wore my snow booties!

I spent a lovely week with the family going for walks catching up with my cousins and sleeping!! We celebrated St Nicholas together, a party for children, baking treats and making sweets and cooking little Brioche Men (aka Manalan). I also went out to Parves to stay with our friends Martine and Patrick for more of the same!

Next stop was Lyon to stay with my fabulous lady cousins and to catch my favourite Frenchman, Sylvain. It was particularly fantastic to catch up with Sylvain, so so far from wee little Merrijig where we originally me and worked together, such a small world!!

In Lyon they were celebrating the Festival of Lights, something they do every year. In 1643 when Lyon was struck by the plague the elders of the community promised to pay tribute to the Virgin Mary if the town was spared. As the death toll was minimal the Lyonaise now put tea lights and candles on their windowsills on the 8^th of December every year, to thank the powers that be and remember the horrors that were the plague.

Next stop after Lyon was Peronne, a town near Lille in Northern France, to see the Dannis, some very close friends of my grandmothers. Nadine had told me to catch a train to St Quentin, but I understood Cinquante Un, which sounds exactly like St Quentin but translates in French to 51. So I spent hours searching for the station 51, whooopsy! Good thing we figured out before I left or I would have been in a bit of a pickle... The joys of being bi-lingual I guess!

On my way to Peronne I was lucky enough to time a lunch with one of the greatest women I know, Deb Barron. We met and worked together at La Cave in London and have managed to keep in contact. Deb is from California but has lived in Paris for years and until recently would split her time between Paris and London. She has created a cheese and wine based tour company called Domaines et Terroirs, http://www.domaines-terroirs.com/, taking people through gourmet regions of France! It was so fun to see her and I look forward to the day when the tours kick off because it is such a great concept!

It was so fantastic to get to Peronne and see the Dannis, they are so warm and welcoming and so openly fond of my Grandma it is beautiful. The kind of friends I hope to still have when I’m 80! Peronne is a town that adores Australia thanks to our Allied Troops protecting the township in 1916 and 1918. I’ve actually written about this in a separate blog so click on the link http://angellemills.blogspot.com/2011/01/lest-we-forget.html to read more about that!

Roget and Nadine also took me to Amiens, a town with quite an extraordinary Cathedral laser show. At 7pm the facade is lit using lasers showing the true colours, the detail is extraordinary!

On the way back through Paris, I met up with my uncle Jean Marc who I don’t see very often. It was nice to see him, if only so I could report back to Grandma on how he is doing!

All in all it was a fantastic couple of weeks and I am truly lucky to have such lovely family and friends! I’m looking forward to having a place of my own sometime soon so I return the hospitality!

Lest We Forget

I don’t agree with war and I honestly don’t understand why one would enlist in the armed forces. Patriotism? Money? Job Security? Death Wish?

Don’t get me wrong, some of my closest friends are enlisted and I respect that decision but it doesn’t stop my heart from skipping a beat when I see updates on the news.

At school we learn about WW1 and WW2, wars that tore our country apart while not being of any actual threat to our shores. We learn about the Anzacs, Hitler, the Kokoda trail, land mines, and chemical warfare. We also learn that our involvement in these wars has been for little reason other than to keep our allies on side.

And it’s not to say I’m not patriotic. I don’t have any Australian descendants but that has never stopped me from attending Anzac Day Dawn services year after year. I throw Australia day parties and now matter what country I’m in I always observe a minutes silence on November 11^th. But I think it is the French part of me that can relate to war a bit better.

My mum comes from a part or France deeply affected by WW2. Her godmother was held as a Prisoner of War and was freed only because when the war came to an end she was used as political leverage. My uncle was born during WW2, at a time when Alsace was German territory. His name is Jean-Marc, but had to be named Johannes Marcus to keep the German doctors at bay.

My Grandmother, who can’t even remember what she ate for breakfast, clearly and cheekily recounts the story of her courtship with my Grandad. Alsace was occupied by the Nazis, she was an 18-19yr old teacher forced to teach in German. The locals were forbidden to speak French but in a subtle attempt to defy the Nazis the future Mr and Mrs Gerber would walk the streets talking in French. They were caught by the head of the local Nazi troops, if it were not for the fact that he was trying to gain local supporters at the time they probably would have been sent to a POW camp for their insolence. The same man was imprisoned after the war and wrote to my Grandma from the prison, begging her to send him some food as he claimed to be famished. She sent him a large package of food much to the disgust of a local journalist who wrote a whole article about how some people seemed to have forgotten where they come from and which side they were on, even the wife of a Pastor.

I recently got back from a visit to Peronne, in Northern France, a part of France where Australians are worshiped. In 1918 it was the Australian allied troops that freed the town of Peronne and surrounding villages, and during the 4 yrs our troops were stationed in northern France they earned a level of respect and appreciation from the local French people that the Allied British and American forces would never receive.

All over Picardy (Northern France) there are huge murals and signs bearing ‘N’oublions jamais l’Australie’- Do not forget Australia. In Villers Bretonneux there is a Franco Australian museum, situated above the Victoria School, a gift from the children of the state of Victoria (in Australia) to the children of Villers Bretonneux as proof of their love and good will toward France and in memory of the 1200 Aus men lost in the battles of freedom for this town.

So at the end of the day, as opposed as I am to war it can’t take away from the excellent work our troops are doing, for whatever reason they choose to do it. I will continue to attend Anzac day ceremonies and Australia day parades, I will carry on to observe a minutes silence on the 11^th of November every year and I will keep on supporting my friends who are enlisted.

It was said of the Australian Troops ‘the horrors of war do not rule out moments of relaxation and good humour in the camps’, a testament to the attitude held by our troops.

Just outside Peronne there is a large statue of an Aussie digger ‘protecting’ the town since 1918 and on a nearby tree a visitor has scratched ‘good on ya boys’.

Couldn’t have put it better myself.

They shall grow not old,
As we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them,
Nor the years condemn,
At the going down of the sun
And in the morning
We will remember them.