We had a 3 night stay in Vienna. Our accommodation was comfortable but outside the usual tourist area. A quick trip by rail system & we were in the thick of it! Karen organised a biking wine tour. Although initially apprehensive the day was a major success. We had a fabulous guide, Mario, And a group of 12 (3 Australian couples & 3 young American couples). We all gelled so well & had a fabulous time cycling in the sunshine, seeing glorious sights and sampling the delicious produce of The Wachau Valley vineyards. They predominantly produce whites (which we can purchase at Dan Murphy' in Australia). A day which will not be forgoften meeting people who we will remember for their friendliness & vitality.  We also enjoyed an evening in Vienna watching the buskers perform in the square. We all agreed "life is good ",

Prague: Prague was the the most amazing & beautiful city. We arrived there on my 57th birthday and I will remember this birthday always. Firstly our accommodation was amazing. We were in a side street that fed into Wensceslaus Sqaure & very accessible to everything. The beauty of the architecture, the vibrant colour palette & the atmosphere were outstanding. We walked our feet off, over cobblestones that had a patina of age & history. Every turn was an amazing photo opportunity. We did a walking tour of the city which was informative & entertaining with our young Canadian guide. We also did a Palace tour which was also informative. The history of Prague is astonishing (Tony is convinced Game of Thrones was based on this!) We enjoyed the sights, food & beers of Prague (beer is their staple food)! An absolute joy for the boys. We had a day trip to Chesky Kromlov  which is a medieval town 2 hours from Prague. Amazingly beautiful and enjoyed every minute of our stay. We all agreed it was an amazing place to visit. We were sad to leave but new ventures beckoned.

Paris

Paris was its usual vibrant self. After meeting up with Tony & Kare we made our way to Canal St Martin and the first of our "homes". And what a home it was. The apartment was huge, grand and very comfortable, the only downside was being on a main road it was a bit noisy.

Paris weather was fine & very hot with temps in mid 30's. We took to the streets and walked revisiting some areas & exploring new. We decided not to revisit the tourist attractions like Notre Dame & Eiffel Tower but I did revisit St Chappel and was able to observe the fabulous stained glass windows which were under repair in 2010. Stunning!

Our last day we travelled out to Monet's garden. Our tour guide Gael was a character and gave us a wealth of information on the life & work of Monet. The gardens were simply stunning and a photo opportunity every few steps. The scents surrounding us on a summer afternoon delicious.

We finished our stay in Paris enjoying a drink and watching the sunset as Parisians danced the tango in the square. You can never fail to be awed by its beauty.

We left Lennox Head in a flurry of inefficiency and exhaustion really. The week leading up to our trip was eventful to say the least. On the Wednesday before we left Ash had an accident on her way to work disabling her car. That afternoon someone ran into the back of our car parked outside the house and it to had to be towed away! The next few days were spent dealing with insurance issues and leaving everything in Ash's capable hands. Then the morning we were to leave a blocked drain. What dramas!

After a quick catchup with Marg & Ken and an early dinner we managed a few hours sleep and then off to Brisbane airport at 1.30 a.m. After a very long wait we had lift off at 5.00 a.m. and didn't see night sky for another 24 hours.

A hot shower, comfortable bed, buffet breakfast and late checkout were like a lotto win!

Firstly I have to give a big thank you to Carly for once again setting the blog up for us and talking her un-techy parent through the process of posting our thoughts.  For better or worse you will follow our travels and experiences. I hope you enjoy the ride.

The excitement is certainly bubbling over.  We leave in 6 days and life is fairly hectic getting everything organised before we go.  Obviously for those that know me you would be aware that I am in a cleaning frenzy.  The house has been cleaned and sorted from top to bottom.  I tell my family I will be 'zenned out' sitting on the plane on Sunday morning at 5.00 a.m. knowing my house is in order!

Introducing the new adventures of Ros, Gra and Co.

Following on from the success of the first blog, Ros, Graham and the chosen ones are off to Europe again and you can follow their adventures and photos here...