THE END IS NIGH...

SUNDAY 24 SEPTEMBER - SHANGHAI TO ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA!!!

I managed to sleep a little, watch a bit of Q on demand and blow my nose a thousand times. I felt sorry for the people around me as there's nothing worse then sitting next to someone who's sick on the plane (well other then actually being sick).

The plane arrived fairly much on time in Sydney at 8am. I had around 2 hours to get my bags, go through customs, catch the bus to the domestic terminal and board my flight to Adelaide. Normally this would be enough time but my bags came out near last and the customs line was huge. I did a bit of a sneaky and eased my way midway into the customs line.

I had to declare my vast amounts of chocolate and moon cakes. Lucky for me there was no egg in the moon cakes and I and all my goodies (except the candied corn cob) were allowed through.

Then it was a mad dash to the baggage counter, onto the bus, sprinting through the domestic terminal and onto the pretty much fully boarded plane. But I was on my flight and heading back to Adelaide and not having to wait in any more lines.

Just after 12 noon I landed in Adelaide....grabbed all my luggage and headed to the taxi stand where I was asked 'is it only you' due to my mountain of luggage. Yes it was just me, my souvenirs, over 2500 photos (lucky for me mostly digital) and absolutely fantastic memories....but I am pleased to be back in Adelaide....well until the next trip anyway!!!

There is so much more to see out there that it wont be long until I head back out into the world of unknown, adventures, awesome sites and more fantastic photo opportunities!

SATURDAY 23 SEPTEMBER - HANGZHOU TO SHANGHAI

I awoke and unfortunately still felt rather ill. My head was stuffy and I just wanted to stay in bed and rest. Luckily for me I had gotten nearly all the way to the end of my trip before coming down with any lurgy.

Having packed the bulk of my stuff the day before the packing task was not too daunting. However the number of bags I had was - ie. one big suitacase, one little suitcase, one small back pack, one brief case and one handbag!

I had one last chance to look around the apartment building and take more happy snaps. I went up to the top floor and saw the penthouse they were building complete with inground pool, good views and intricate wood panels.





With my family I headed to the 'fish place' for a farewell lunch. It had tables beside large wall aquariums. Dad ordered the rice which comes as a 3 course meal and very nice (not so for the warm beer), Mum and Deb stuck to coffees with biscuits (and picking at others food) and I had the fruit platter in hope of getting some much needed vitamins and a boost. The fruit must have come fresh straight from the markets as everyone had finished their meals by the time I got mine.

The car that was taking me to Shanghai arrived at 1pm and I said my final goodbyes. It was a little overwhelming considering I was leaving my immediate family again and also the fact my round the world trip was about to come to end. But I've had such a great time so there were many fantastic memories.

Just outside Hangzhou, which took over an hour, I had to change cars for some reason. Lucky I can understand hand signals! Then an hour and a half later I was at the airport. All my luggage and I made it into the terminal and I was hoping it would make it onto the plane without a fuss.

One suitcase was fine....but the next suitcase sent the scales over the limit and I had to move it to the next scales. Only 18kg over the lady cried. Lucky for me I had a round the world ticket with Qantas, through the US, which meant I could have two bags and up to 32kg each. So I was well and truely under the 64kg limit. No excess baggage for me...YAY

I spent the next couple of hours reading, having my last rice meal and enjoying hearing all the Australian accents. Considering I'd spent the last 3 weeks in non-english speaking countries it was a treat to hear the Aussie twang again.


FRIDAY 22 SEPTEMBER - HANGZHOU (LAST MINUTE SHOPPING)

On waking I knew it was my last full day in Hangzhou so wanted to savour every minute. I had plans of shopping, looking around, taking photos, unfortunately packing and one last foot massage.

Mum, Deb, K a& I headed to History Street for last minute shopping of goodies I had not yet bought. The experience was similar to the last the previous week where the Chinese people just follow the pram and watch the 'western baby with blonde hair and blue eyes.' I was quite sick of it now as the people do not seem to understand what polite, personal space or tact means. But I suppose I am in their country so have to respect them.

Deb decided to get a 'Kialah' sign made and the way it was done by strokes and swirls of paint was quite amazing. The crowd flocking to catch K was too.



I had to look out for a Christmas present I wanted so haggled with a store owner for some bamboo prints for me and also Mum. I managed to get the price down considerably and was happy with my last haggling effort. By the time the pictures were wrapped another crowd had formed around K but at least this time there was a little boy for her to play with.



The walk home was fun with four pictures weighing what felt like a bag of cement. But we got home without mishap. At this time I started to feel a little under the weather and spent the afternoon relaxing.

By the evening I felt worse and so much so I decided against a foot massage (so I must be sick)!

The evening was quiet with more resting and the inevitable packing!

THURSDAY 21 SEPTEMBER - HANGZHOU (BIKE RIDE)

Hooray hooray for a very interesting day! It was time to go for the oh so dreaded bike ride on the Chinese roads with the Chinese mad motorists, scattered scooters and plenty of pedestrians.

Mum, Deb with K and I (on Dad's bike) all headed off on the wonderful invention of electric bikes. I had never seen them in Australia before but I beleive they are slowly starting to be introduced - being marketed as an alternative cheap way to get around. The bikes were great....you can pedal all, pedal some or pedal none. The top speed on the straight would be well above 30km/h and of course even more on the downhill sections as I and the poor pedestrians I nearly hit discovered! Lucky for my horn and shrieking voice! ;)

We headed to West Lake and wanted to ride around it (which we had done by way of tourist cart last week). There werent as many people as there had been on Sunday strolling around the Lake which was nice.



I stopped frequently for photos which turned into smoking breaks for Mum and Deb. It was a pleasant ride until we got to near the Shangra Li where we had lunch on Sunday. This was a section where we had to go off the paths and on the road with the cars and buses and scooters. It was bareable until......BANG! No I didnt get hit by a bus or run into a pedestrian (this time) - my seat had collapsed mid pedal. It was a jolt but nothing serious except the fact I now had to ride with my knees near my ears! It went from enjoyable to feeling like I was on the pee wee herman show!





After being told off by several police for riding where we shouldnt be (ie. we should be on the roads with the maniacs and not on the nice serene paths) we had a coffee break (or frappe) at Starbucks. Wandering by our table were the same family who had spent an hour staring at Deb and I on the train from Shanghai. Yes it is a small world!

In the evening, after Dad got home from working hard, we all headed to the Night Markets on foot. It was a world of tables with everything from pictures to jewellery to teapots to DVDs AND it was a world where haggling was a must.

The first item I picked up was a stretchy cord key ring I wanted for my USB stick - in Australia it would probably cost $1 or $2. The first price I was quoted (by calculator) was 45 RMB or about AU$9. I laughed out rather loud and kept walking. After the lady followed me down the market aisle I got it for AU$1. The rest of the night was fairly similar.

The rule of thumb - at least halve the initial asking price and depending on how much you want it maybe up it a little, or if not then just walk away, and they come running! There was no thing I was refused due to my lowered price. This probably meant I was still paying too much. But as long as I thought of it as good value in terms of Aussie dollars I was happy to pay for it.

SHANGHAI SURPRISES

WEDNESDAY 20 SEPTEMBER - SHANGHAI TO HANGZHOU

It was our last morning in Shanghai and I was keen on seeing the Yuyuan Garden which was tucked away eight or so blocks south of the Bund. The light rail took us to Renmin Square and then we walked and walked and walked towards the gardens. Along the way we saw various green open spaces which seem to be quite rare. Standing on the grass was a big NO NO. These areas did offer a peaceful retreat for the locals but make sure you stay on the delineated paths.

The buildings started to change as we neared the gardens and we came across market stalls everywhere and were happy to have a quick look. Some memorable items included the genuine 'Borona' in lieu of 'Corona' bottle openers and a little clay boy that wee-ed when you poured water on his head.



It took us a good 45 minutes of going around the blocks of markets and food stalls to find the gardens as it was seriously like a maze. Along the way to the gardens we did visit a temple which had a gold Buddha and other displays.

Then it was time to explore the garden which was quite fascinating with the temples, fish ponds, gardens, rocky outcrops and even what seemed to the world's smallest gardens (something you might find at the back of a townhouse at an exclusive suburb in Sydney).




After bumping into a westerner, who had also bought a lucky cat with the arm that swings and mimicking it, we headed back to the hotel to grab our bags and then to the train. The trip back took 2 hours so half an hour longer then on the way there as there were more stops. The air conditioning was not working and it was hot, stuffy and smelly on the train. A family that had sat in our seats, before we took them back, took pleasure in staring at Deb and I until they moved carriages due to the unbareable heat.

TUESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER - SHANGHAI

At 9.15am after a semi Asian/Western style buffet breakie at the hotel we were on the move again. This time it was express all the way by light rail to the Oriental Pearl Tower in lieu of the less spectaular Jinmao Tower. The fifth or sixth building on my holiday that I went up just to see the view!

Even before we went in the tower Deb got hounded by people for her photo and then a group of men wanted both of our photos with each of them. Im glad Im not a celebrity every day! It is just such a weird thing having the interest of the Chinese, since in Australia it is so multicultural that we arent gobsmacked when a person, no matter what nationality, walks down the street.


The next two hours was filled with going to each of the different areas of the Tower including the 'Space Capsule' at 350m. Many photos and a few souvenirs later we descended, bought the obligatory tacky tourist photo, and then headed for the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel. The tunnel, under the Huangpu River, involved sitting in a small carriage whist zooming along the 647m rail line watching glitzy lights, lasers and props jumping out.

Next it was the famous Bund (meaning embankment) area, with its row of rather grand buildings, great views of the Pudong area and touristy stalls. On the way to discover these delights we found turtles sunbaking on a pontoon in the river. Little did the poor turtles know they would soon find themselves in the supermarket, wrapped in netting, ready for someone to buy them and make a turtle delicacy.



Next we wandered up Nanjing Road - much like our Rundle Street and Rundle Mall but with an Asian influence of course, and we found out lunch is not served after 1.30pm! At the end of the mall was Renmin Park which had a art exhibition throughout which was rather unique.


Deb was a little disappointed there were no western surfy shops so when I suggested we catch a taxi to the Nanpu Bridge and have a look at this engineering feat I was surprised she agreed. Pity the taxi driver wasn't so accommodating! Even though we were able to show the driver in Chinese were we wanted to go he decided to go under the river and further east. Needless to say it was no where near our desired destination.

After paying the most expensive taxi fair to date 30 RMB (AU$6) we were at the Shanghai Science and Technical Museum! Mmm not exactly happy Jan! We discovered the real reason why the taxi driver head there - not cause we wanted to go there but because he was about to have a shift change with what seemed like hundreds of other drivers and he wanted to join the queue. Deb and I would have been better off had he refused to take us.

Anyway the next 2.5 hours was an adventure but not a favourable one. First of all there was no way to get a taxi since they were in changeover mode, then we couldnt actually find the underground station (later we found out it was shut due to more construction), and the walk back to the River took us close to two hours. Most of our afternoon was wasted but on the positive side we got to see more of the Pudong area which we wouldnt have seen otherwise. But disappointingly I wouldnt be getting to see the bridge!


After Deb went shopping for Kialah and I took hundreds of photos of the Bund area at night we embarked on a cruise on the Huangpu River.


After a misunderstanding on which boat we were to catch it all turned out in the end. We decided to eat on the boat since it was 9pm and the best view would be from the uncrowded restaurant on the ground floor of the boat. The meal consisted of eight courses; one which looked like snail but also looked like it used to have feathers - so who knows what it was. An hour later we docked before we were bombarded with more sellers. 'No No No,' I said and then started saying 'DVD, handbag, shoe' before they had a chance to say anything. It was effective as they laughed and left us alone - not so for the teenage girls who hounded Deb for more photos with her.



MONDAY 18 SEPTEMBER - HANGZHOU TO SHANGHAI

I was up and at em at 7.30am as Deb and I wanted to head to Shanghai in the morning so we would be there by early afternoon as it was a whole other city to explore. Shahghai's population surpassed 20 million in 2003 which means the 15 districts and 4 counties which make up Shanghai (and is about 2.5 times the size of the ACT {Australian Capital Territory}) has the whole of Australia living in there.

After Deb dropped Kialah off to big school we were out of there and caught a taxi to Hangzhou train station. We found out what platform we needed but when we headed there we were herded into a room with everyone else that wanted to catch the train. Apparently they do not let people on the platform until the train has emptied. Mmm well it was hot, crowded and a little smelly but like everything else - was all part of the experience.


After a just over an hour and half we made our way into the Shanghai South Train Station and then managed to find the Light Rail line and much easier ticketing system then Hangzhou - as we didnt have to speak to anyone and the computer translated everything into English. Wahoo

After the light rail we caught a taxi and made it to our Hotel - the Shanghai Hotel. When attempting to check in more local people pushed but Im learning to be as forceful back.


Then it was time to explore the sites of area primarily in Jing'An (Northwest Shanghai), Huangpu (Downtown Shanghai), Bund (along Huangpu River) and Pudong (over the river) all of which are filled with cars, scooters, bikes, pedestrians and people selling everything from dvds and matches to handbags and belts - all genuine of course!





First stretch of road we explored was Huahai which included:
1. Xiangyang Market - which we discovered had been demolished and I mean demolished! It would have once been an area filled with markets six times that of Queen Victoria markets in Melbourne but was now a levelled building site.
2. Dodgy central - a guy, who thought Deb was beautiful eventually persuaded us to follow him to a secret location filled with dvds, belts, wallets, bags, watches, sunglasses and the like. The first shop was easy to get to whilst the second was tucked away and felt like we were being lead up the garden path - but ended up being ok!
3. Ten Fu's Tea shop - we spent a good 45 minutes in this small shop trying varieties of tea, snacks and sweets and I ended up leaving with a very expensive tea infusion mug, tea and moon cakes since the moon festival was only a few weeks away.




4. City Shopper - small western style supermarket where my family could buy Weetbix, sour cream, taco mix, baby food. Deb stocked up on a few items.
5. Times Square - Shanghai style and not at all vibrant or stunning as the original in New York

I was quite amused with the carpark at City Shopper. The photo below tells all...



Then it was back to the Hotel and out for dinner at an American hamburger joint, Meloneys, since Deb was starved of Western food. The food was reasonable but the coke I found out after drinking two was 35 RMB or AU$7 a glass! Various places delivered meals and Meloneys was one. For much of our meal there was a lad on his bike out the front with his warmer box, waiting for his next delivery.

WELCOME TO CHINA....BEEP BEEP

SUNDAY 17 SEPTEMBER - HANGZHOU
(Temple and Shangra-Li Birthday Lunch)

After my request to 'see more then just shops and eateries' Dad and I headed up to the see Temple which they can see from their apartment. It was in walking distance - a few blocks away and up a hill which people seemed to find hard to traverse on their low powered scooters. It was an interesting walk as observed construction works (where people seem to live on site for the duration), men chatting around a table, women playing cards on whatever they could find to sit on, and various tea houses.

The temple with other smaller temples was quite impressive and when we arrived there was Yoga or Thai Chi(or similar) being performed. Dad and I explored the grounds complete with Buddhas, bells and bonsais. The view from the top floor of the temple was amazing as it was a 360o view of Hangzhou and the surrounds including the beer festival!



We wandered through the streets and Dad pointed out some apartment windows that were tinted blue. I can't confirm the real reason but it may well have been so that people see blue sky out their window. Without the blue tint the sky would never be blue as it is always hazy. People think of the damnest things!

For lunch we all headed to the Shangra-Li for a western/Asian style buffet to celebrate Kialah's birthday in August, Fathers Day & Mum's Birthday in September AND Deb's and my birthday in October! That's definitely one way to be done and dusted with all the celebrations.

After filling up we headed for a walk along West Lake. There were plenty of people out exploring the sites and enjoying the greenery and scenery around the lake. Kialah got plenty of attention again from passer-bys.

Deb and I left the rest half way back to catch a taxi (before change over time) to the train station to buy tickets for tomorrow to Shanghai so we knew we had tickets, knew the time and that way we shouldnt have too much trouble tomorrow.

It was an adventure trying to find where to buy tickets and then trying to pick a counter that wouldnt close before you got to the beginning of the line. In the end we got our two tickets to Shanghai and all was looking good.

SATURDAY 16 SEPTEMBER - HANGZHOU
(Leather market)

This morning we were picked up in a van and taken 1.5 hours northish of Hangzhou to the Leather Market which had actually recently been revamped and now resided in a nice, new, fresh, air conditioned building in lieu of a big shed. It was quite amazing really.



On the way I discovered that although there is clearly 3 lanes marked on the road in each direction that motorists pay absolutely no attention to the lane lines and drive as many abreast as possible. Oh, and honking the horn is a must. Everybody honks so Im not quite sure what use it is. Maybe each vehicle should have a different pitched horn and the drivers could plan musical tunes whilst they wait hours in traffic queues each day.

Then it was time for more haggling. The shops on the ground floor were filled with every fake you could imagine of handbags, purses, wallets, briefcases, shoes, gloves and the like, whilst upstairs were leather jackets, other jackets and clothing in general. The standard of manufacturing also differed as they had different categories of fakes......good imitations and not so good imitations.

I ended up with 2 handbags, one work briefcase, a pair of leather gloves and a leather jacket. I think the leather jacket was the pick of the goods and great value. I couldnt buy any shoes as I had BIG feet in the land of the Chinese.



In the interval for lunch we headed across the road for a meal at the hotel. It was quite nice and Mum and Deb had western meals whilst Dad and I enjoyed an Asian delight.

On the way back to Hangzhou we stopped at a roadside shed and Mum bought a handmade rocking chair made from bamboo. It was well made and even included a foot rest/massager. A steal at only AU$35 considering all the time and effort that had gone into it.

FRIDAY 15 SEPTEMBER - HANGZHOU

In the evening we all headed to the German Pub, 1828 Bar and Grill, where they had home brew. It was not quite the taste I like when it comes to beer so enjoyed a few Heinekens after the first home brew. A couple of Philipinos, who looked and sounded great, sang karaoke style for most of the evening.

Mum and Dad took K home and Deb and I stayed for a few more drinks before heading to the Irish pub which was deserted. So enjoyed a banana dacquari and then headed home as well.

THURSDAY 14 SEPTEMBER - HANGZHOU
(Silk Markets)

It was time to venture out in a taxi, which I have not done much of at all during this trip as I have been eager to catch public transport in each place to learn more about the towns and cities and of course save money for more important aspects of the holiday!

Mum, Deb, K and I headed to the Silk Markets which was a long paved area with quaint shops on each side. Each shop was filled with genuine silk garments ranging from shirts and pyjamas to wraps and dresses. Being restricted in sizes I ended up buying some slippers and wraps.

It was also interesting to see the OHS of the road works that were going on along the paved area - the area was not bunted off, electrical cords were laid out everywhere and the guy was angle grinding with a power board in the rain.



Then we walked around the area and found murials on the walls and also a nice little coffee shop. I don't like the taste of coffee so was thinking I was ordering a chocolate frappe but in the end it was a coffee frappe with a bit of chocolate. All part of the adventure of not understanding the language.

WEDNESDAY 13 SEPTEMBER - HANGZHOU
(History St and Foot Massage)

It was my first full day in Hangzhou and I was ready to see the sites. In the morning we strolled a few blocks to History Street where, on one end they had the 'Snow' Beer Festival and the other end consisted of shops and even a new McDonalds.

Firstly we wandered through the crowds at the beer festival and had a look at the weird and wonderful foods and associated smells. There was everything from coconut drinks to whole chickens to seafood.

My two year old neice Kialah, with her blue eyes and blonde hair, drew a crowd, which Deb said was very normal. The locals would stop, stare, poke her, prod her and take photos with their mobile cameras. It did seem extreme but then they don't often see a western baby.

Next it was onto the shops and it was a magical world of souvenirs, local arts and crafts, pictures, jewellery, clothes and the 2 RMB shop instead of $2 shop which we have in Australia. The 2 RMB shop was much better as goods cost less then 40c!



We stopped and had lunch at the central food market which lined one of the side streets. I had been told by many people, before leaving for my trip, when I got to China to stay aware from the fresh salad, watch out for meat, don't eat food from street vendors and only drink bottled water. Well here I was on my first full day eating from street vedors. I stayed with fried rice, rice roll and a bottled orange drink. It was quite tasty and I was fine!



In the evening Mum, Dad and I headed downstairs for an hour and a half foot massage (only about AU$11 a head) which included feet, legs, arms and shoulders. We were given cold water (make sure you know how to say 'cold' and 'hot' in chinese otherwise you could end up with hot water, hot orange juice and maybe cold coffee!!??) and fed water melon and corn cob lollies.



The whole experience was nice and relaxing and it was fun trying to work out what the masseuses were saying to each other. Mum worked out they were insulting her nose and Dad worked out they thought he was funny as had hairy arms. A point to note is that Asians do not really have lots of hair on their bodies, ie. non hairy arms, chests and legs etc.

TUESDAY 12 SEPTEMBER - HELSINKI TO SHANGHAI TO HANGZHOU

During the night I had to wrestle with the Finnish guy for my space as his lanky arms kept creeping over into my seat area. Not in a sleazy way but in a 'I want more room way'. I didnt mind him pinching the arm rest but I put a stop to it when his arm was in my space. Over breakie he was quite apologetic.

After arriving into Shanghai a little late it was time to walk the vast hallways to customs and the luggage carousel. It was amazing at the number of the moving walkways and the distance we travelled. At customs we had to hand in a form stating we were not diseased with the flu, fever etc. Last time I checked these werent diseases and if someone was suffering from these I doubt they would admit it as they probably wouldnt be allowed in the country. I guess it all started from the SARS and bird flu epidemics.

Customs was fairly brief and then it was time to find my sister who had got up at a ridiculous hour to come and pick me up with the driver from Hangzhou (170km south of Shanghai but a 2-2.5 hour drive due to the heavy traffic). Luckily Deb had only been there for a few minutes as the driver was late so all worked out well.

On the ride back to Hangzhou I ate vegemite covered cruskits (thanks Deb) and caught up on the goss. Then while I napped Deb caught up on the goss in my english magazine.

We arrived in Hangzhou just before lunch when it was time to have a shower, catch up with the family and unpack. I snoozed for a few hours before Dad got home from work around 6pm.





For dinner Dad wanted to take me to the Reggae Bar for Pizza since it was Tuesday night special. It seemed a little ironic just coming from Italy (where pizza originated) to China and having pizza on my first night. But as Dad said I wouldnt be in Hangzhou for another Tuesday night this trip as next Tuesday Deb and I would be in Shanghai.

The pizza was quite nice but I was more impressed with the size and price of beer. I ordered a carlsberg for AU$3 and expected a normal 330 or 375ml bottle but out came a long neck. Bargin!

We walked home along West Lake which due to the silting up of the shallow sea inlet became a lake many moons ago. It is six square kilometres and has an average depth of just five feet. The lake comprises five distinct sections and is surrounded by distinctive peaks, serene forests and springs, dense foliage and beautiful blossoms.

Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo (960-1127) compared West Lake to Xi Zi, 'the most beautiful woman in ancient China:'

"Ripping water shimmering on sunny day,
Misty mountains shrouded the rain;
Plain or gaily decked out like Xizi;
West Lake is always alluring."

At 9pm we were able to watch the water & light show where water and lights danced to music. It was quite amazing and even more so with respect to the effort the locals went to set up the area for each show during each day and night. Out would come the chairs before each show and then after the show they would be packed away and the street sweepers (ie. people with dustpan and brooms) would sweep the area. Worked like clockwork!



MONDAY 11 SEPTEMBER - MILAN TO HELSINKI

MOVING ONTO MILAN

SUNDAY 10 SEPTEMBER - MILAN











SATURDAY 9 SEPTEMBER - FLORENCE TO MILAN

It was our last day in Florence and it was to be off off and away, north, to Milan by train. After packing up most of our stuff Rach headed off to find bubble wrap for all her wine purchases (since no liquids were permitted as cabin baggage) and I headed off to see the Boboli Gardens on the outskirts of the built up area of Florence.

I tried to play the dumb tourist and sneak past the guard but it wasn't to be. I handed over my money but avoided the bag search. I must have looked like I some coinage but I wasn't a typical suspect planning on taking cuttings?? :)

The gardens, which are ,on the side of a hill(hence hilly!)were laid out in around 1549 by the Medici family behind the Palazzo Pitti and the gardens are absolutely massive. I only had a couple of hours before I was planning to catch up with Rach so I had to use the maps installed around the gardens to be efficient and cover as much ground as I could. The gardens full of trees & shrubs, shady spots, hidey holes, fountains, sculptures, old buildings, great views and was well worth the visit.

One of the sculptures I had seen in the middle of florence actually had an exhibit within the gardens. I like the smooth curves of his scultpures and how they seemed to evolve. Im not that arty but I do like the odd bit of cultural experience.

FIRENZE HERE WE COME!!

FRIDAY 8 SEPTEMBER - DAY TRIP TO PISA (FROM FIRENZE)
















THURSDAY 7 SEPTEMBER - DAY TRIP TO SAN GIMIGNANO (FROM FIRENZE)















WEDNESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER - SIENA TO FIRENZE

Happy xxth birthday Mum! I know you dont want the whole world to know your age but lets just say it's a biggy and it's not your 21st :). Hope you had a fantastic and memorable day!