We are back home after a harrowing return trip. Our Chicago-Los Angeles flight was delayed by several hours and we were clearly going to miss the flight out of LA to Sydney on Qantas late that evening. So, we were re-booked on the far less desirable American Airlines flight leaving an hour later. But there were no Business Class seats available on that flight so sadly, the longest leg of our two months journey (14 hours) was spent in Economy - something I vowed never to do again. Sob!
I was thinking longingly of the flat bed I enjoyed on the flight out of OZ for which I had paid handsomely. Now for the claim for the refund.
To cap it all off, our luggage, in spite of reassurance at American Airlines Customer Service in Chicago, did not make the flight and there was no luggage for us in Sydney as we alighted from the plane. It was four days later that we were re-united with our luggage. By that time we were home in Canberra.
The only silver lining to this sorry tale was the four hours we spent in the American Airlines Lounge waiting for our much delayed flight. Being a Business Class passenger, I am able to take a guest into the airlines lounge in most places, except for Helsinki. In spite of flying with Finnair, I was not allowed to take a guest into their airline lounge which is rather deplorable. I will certainly think long and hard before using Finnair again which is a shame as their Business Class facilities in all other respects was very enjoyable.
A sad ending to a wonderful two months holiday. Apart from the ending everything went pretty smoothly.
Sunday, October 21, 2018
Friday, October 12, 2018
Chicago
We flew into Chicago to visit Tonja and Matt on our way back home. It is lovely to see them both and Chicago is a great city to visit.
Here are a few of photos of the cityscapes. The buildings are all architect designed and it is well worth taking an architecture tour down the canal. We have done that on previous visits. This time we just walked around with our eyes directed skywards.
The Chicago Tribune building.
Trump Hotel dwarfing some of the buildings nearby.
When we arrived, only four days ago, the weather was summery. The temperature was around 22 degrees. Only a few days later we are in winter gear and maximum temperatures are around 8-10 degrees.
We are very happy that we had a couple of days to enjoy the sunshine and have a swim in the pool before it all turned cold. It is amazing the difference a few days made weather-wise.
A garden scene in the city.
Floral decorations abound. There seems to be great city pride.
Another view of skyscrapers.
The view from Tonja and Matt's apartment over Navy Pier.
Tonja unpacking goodies from Amazon.
Tonja's delicious home-made bread. I am a bread aficionado and I have to say, her bread is wonderful. Crusty and chewy.
Last night Andrew and I went to see a play being performed at the famous Steppenwolf Theatre. This was the theatre where actors such a John Malkovitch and Gary Sinese had cut their acting teeth and they are both foundation members.
We saw an excellent production, The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night-Time. We had both read the book by Mark Haddon and I was particularly curious how they made a play of it. It was very well done. The acting was excellent by a mainly African-American cast who sustained a British accent throughout the night.
Here are a few of photos of the cityscapes. The buildings are all architect designed and it is well worth taking an architecture tour down the canal. We have done that on previous visits. This time we just walked around with our eyes directed skywards.
The Chicago Tribune building.
Trump Hotel dwarfing some of the buildings nearby.
When we arrived, only four days ago, the weather was summery. The temperature was around 22 degrees. Only a few days later we are in winter gear and maximum temperatures are around 8-10 degrees.
We are very happy that we had a couple of days to enjoy the sunshine and have a swim in the pool before it all turned cold. It is amazing the difference a few days made weather-wise.
A garden scene in the city.
Floral decorations abound. There seems to be great city pride.
Another view of skyscrapers.
The view from Tonja and Matt's apartment over Navy Pier.
Tonja unpacking goodies from Amazon.
Tonja's delicious home-made bread. I am a bread aficionado and I have to say, her bread is wonderful. Crusty and chewy.
Last night Andrew and I went to see a play being performed at the famous Steppenwolf Theatre. This was the theatre where actors such a John Malkovitch and Gary Sinese had cut their acting teeth and they are both foundation members.
We saw an excellent production, The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night-Time. We had both read the book by Mark Haddon and I was particularly curious how they made a play of it. It was very well done. The acting was excellent by a mainly African-American cast who sustained a British accent throughout the night.
Sunday, October 7, 2018
Helsinki
The Sibelius Monument.
We are having a two day stop over in Helsinki. It is cold here, especially after being on a Greek island. The temperature was was 6 this morning and maximum of 11. In spite of some complications with accommodation and lost luggage, we are having an enjoyable time here.
Helsinki Cathedral.
Senate Square is considered the heart of Helsinki. It is a lovely wide open square.
Havis Amanda fountain.
Those are seals spouting water. Not often you see those as part of a fountain.
Today was the first day of the herring season and the herring market celebrations started in Market Square. These fishermen are selling their wares straight from the back of a boat.
The stalls where the various fish are cooked and eaten by the Helksinki-ites.
Two ladies enjoying my favourite, salmon soup.
Art Nouveau or Jugend architecture flourished in Helsinki at the turn of the twentieth century. We were told on our Hop on Hop off tours that there are more Art Nouveau buildings in Helsinki than anywhere else in the world.
This modern style of architecture is more favoured by the rich owners along the waterfront where the concept of light and air being let into one's dwelling is the vogue.
This sight of a lady travelling on the train with her cat was a wonderful one. I wish Australians were more accepting of animals on public transport, restaurants and shops.
Booking.com - we are not happy
We tend to travel without booking a hotel room ahead but we do use Booking.com from time to time. Our experience in booking ahead for Helsinki has made us unhappy about some aspects of the service. We had a similar experience with Booking.com in Sicily two years ago.
This time we booked an apartment for two nights in Helsinki. After we paid and were notified that the payment was not refundable if we cancelled, a further notice appeared that the key had to be picked up from a different location in the city from where the apartment was. This is unacceptable to us as tourists, Arriving with your luggage in a strange city is bad enough but to then have to go to two different places is an awful burden.
We are unhappy that this was not made very clear on the listing for the apartment as we would have booked elsewhere. Listings need to be up front and transparent when you actually book, not afterwards. We would like to have cancelled but two years ago when we booked a room in Sicily, after payment there was a notice that a 30 Euro charge would be made for cleaning. For one night's stay????? We cancelled straightaway but it took Booking,com four days to decide, after consultation with the property owner, that we would not be charged. We did not want to face that uncertainty again so we stuck to the Helsinki booking.
Then, to add to all our woes, the airline temporarily lost our luggage when we arrived in Helsinki. It turned up and the airline was going to deliver it but the apartment we rented had no buzzer system in operation. As a compromise, our luggage was delivered the next day to the office where we had picked up the key to the apartment. Our two days stay in Helsinki was more fraught than it should have been.
This time we booked an apartment for two nights in Helsinki. After we paid and were notified that the payment was not refundable if we cancelled, a further notice appeared that the key had to be picked up from a different location in the city from where the apartment was. This is unacceptable to us as tourists, Arriving with your luggage in a strange city is bad enough but to then have to go to two different places is an awful burden.
We are unhappy that this was not made very clear on the listing for the apartment as we would have booked elsewhere. Listings need to be up front and transparent when you actually book, not afterwards. We would like to have cancelled but two years ago when we booked a room in Sicily, after payment there was a notice that a 30 Euro charge would be made for cleaning. For one night's stay????? We cancelled straightaway but it took Booking,com four days to decide, after consultation with the property owner, that we would not be charged. We did not want to face that uncertainty again so we stuck to the Helsinki booking.
Then, to add to all our woes, the airline temporarily lost our luggage when we arrived in Helsinki. It turned up and the airline was going to deliver it but the apartment we rented had no buzzer system in operation. As a compromise, our luggage was delivered the next day to the office where we had picked up the key to the apartment. Our two days stay in Helsinki was more fraught than it should have been.
Friday, October 5, 2018
Diamond Bridge prize giving and Greek dancing to end with
Our last night at the Hotel Esperides consisted of the prize giving and drinks, communal dinner followed by a short one hour bridge session which was not to be taken seriously together with liquors and ending with a lovely performance of Greek dancing. Almost everyone got up to join in the dancing and it was really very nice evening on which to end this wonderful holiday. Skiathos is a very compact island but with many walks available to Andrew and he thoroughly explored the terrain all over.
This is me doing an imitation of Dame Edna. I purchased these magnificent glasses with my last event's winnings. As well as presenting winners with trophies, Mike and Carol also give out tokens for coming first in the bridge events and you can either cash these, use them towards your next holiday. or purchase things from the display table.
Photos of some of the winners. Anne and Jeremy Dodd won one of the pairs' events
Chris Kennedy won the Diamond trophy. In this event you play four sessions with different partners and your two top events count.
Alan and Diane Dean who are good players and Diamond Bridge tragics. They have been to over 40 Diamond Bridge holidays. I have to say, if we lived in the UK or somewhere closer, we would also be Diamond Bridge tragics. Mike and Carol put on an excellent holiday, with bridge 😃
This year has been an incredibly successful one for us bridge-wise. We won both teams events, the Grecian Teams with Sonja and Paul Mayfield
and also the Skiathos Teams with Bob and Margaret Mackie. We thoroughly enjoyed playing with both couples. It was exciting to win one teams event and then to win the other one as well was just amazing.
And then, to top it all, I won the New Partnership Pairs with Birte Ditchburn. I had arranged to play with someone else who had double booked herself and Birte and I came together after that. This event you have to play with someone with whom you had not played with during the fortnight of bridge. Both Andrew and I played with a lot of people on this holiday, sometimes Acol and sometimes Standard. It is good to be able to play both systems which opens up possibilities for new partners.
The evening continued with some Greek dancing.
The spectacular fire circle where one of the talented young men danced inside the circle.
The audience enjoying the show.
The enthusiastic bridge players getting up to dance.
It was a marvelous ending to a wonderful fortnight. We feel we have made new friends and enjoyed the company of lovely people. And we played a lot of bridge. This time, pretty successfully.
Now we are slowly heading homeward but first, a night's stopover in Athens. Two days in Helsinki and then a week in Chicago visiting Tonja and Matt.
At long last, we were able to taste the kumquat liquor that has been recommended as a Greek specialty. I asked everywhere and it was not available. On our last night here in Greece were are able to sample it, thanks to the driver at the Varaba Guest House where we are staying near the airport in Athens. I mentioned it to him and he had a bottle which he brought along with our dinner. It is nice.
This is me doing an imitation of Dame Edna. I purchased these magnificent glasses with my last event's winnings. As well as presenting winners with trophies, Mike and Carol also give out tokens for coming first in the bridge events and you can either cash these, use them towards your next holiday. or purchase things from the display table.
Photos of some of the winners. Anne and Jeremy Dodd won one of the pairs' events
Chris Kennedy won the Diamond trophy. In this event you play four sessions with different partners and your two top events count.
Alan and Diane Dean who are good players and Diamond Bridge tragics. They have been to over 40 Diamond Bridge holidays. I have to say, if we lived in the UK or somewhere closer, we would also be Diamond Bridge tragics. Mike and Carol put on an excellent holiday, with bridge 😃
This year has been an incredibly successful one for us bridge-wise. We won both teams events, the Grecian Teams with Sonja and Paul Mayfield
and also the Skiathos Teams with Bob and Margaret Mackie. We thoroughly enjoyed playing with both couples. It was exciting to win one teams event and then to win the other one as well was just amazing.
And then, to top it all, I won the New Partnership Pairs with Birte Ditchburn. I had arranged to play with someone else who had double booked herself and Birte and I came together after that. This event you have to play with someone with whom you had not played with during the fortnight of bridge. Both Andrew and I played with a lot of people on this holiday, sometimes Acol and sometimes Standard. It is good to be able to play both systems which opens up possibilities for new partners.
The evening continued with some Greek dancing.
The spectacular fire circle where one of the talented young men danced inside the circle.
The audience enjoying the show.
The enthusiastic bridge players getting up to dance.
It was a marvelous ending to a wonderful fortnight. We feel we have made new friends and enjoyed the company of lovely people. And we played a lot of bridge. This time, pretty successfully.
Now we are slowly heading homeward but first, a night's stopover in Athens. Two days in Helsinki and then a week in Chicago visiting Tonja and Matt.
At long last, we were able to taste the kumquat liquor that has been recommended as a Greek specialty. I asked everywhere and it was not available. On our last night here in Greece were are able to sample it, thanks to the driver at the Varaba Guest House where we are staying near the airport in Athens. I mentioned it to him and he had a bottle which he brought along with our dinner. It is nice.
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Driving around Skiathos
We hired a car as usual and Andrew retraced many of the routes he took walking all over the island. Unfortunately two things had a negative influence. Firstly, the car had a worn out clutch and secondly, there was much rain since he walked some routes and the roads were badly affected. But in spite of all that, we had a really nice time driving around. We were going with Gordon and June but June took ill and in the end only Gordon came.
Looking down on Skaithos town again. It is such a lovely view and this is from a new angle than the last post.
I did not think this photo would come out but the vivid green colour of the hills really shows up.
The view of the rock on which the Kastro was built.
The mosque on the Kastro. The island was under Turkish rule for about three centuries.
We visited the Evangelistria Monastery, some 4 kms from Skiathos town on a steep hillside. This is the church at the monastery.
Our stop for coffee at a lovely restaurant on the Skiathos waterfront. As we were sitting there a low flying jet about to land at the airstrip just behind, flew overhead between us and the hills. Skiathos is a spot where you can watch planes fly very close by.
Lunch at the Big Bad Wolf at Koukounaries.
This is what we ate: stuffed mushrooms, zucchini fritters and cheese balls with jam. All delicious.
The animals we saw on our journey around the island. The goats were on the rocks below the Kastro.
A black rabbit at Koukounaries Beach which seemed to be tame. It was hanging around the cafe on the beach eating bits people have left.
The black swan at the same beach.
Looking down on Skaithos town again. It is such a lovely view and this is from a new angle than the last post.
I did not think this photo would come out but the vivid green colour of the hills really shows up.
The view of the rock on which the Kastro was built.
The mosque on the Kastro. The island was under Turkish rule for about three centuries.
We visited the Evangelistria Monastery, some 4 kms from Skiathos town on a steep hillside. This is the church at the monastery.
Our stop for coffee at a lovely restaurant on the Skiathos waterfront. As we were sitting there a low flying jet about to land at the airstrip just behind, flew overhead between us and the hills. Skiathos is a spot where you can watch planes fly very close by.
Lunch at the Big Bad Wolf at Koukounaries.
This is what we ate: stuffed mushrooms, zucchini fritters and cheese balls with jam. All delicious.
The animals we saw on our journey around the island. The goats were on the rocks below the Kastro.
A black rabbit at Koukounaries Beach which seemed to be tame. It was hanging around the cafe on the beach eating bits people have left.
The black swan at the same beach.
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