Austria - Alpine Meadows & Lakes

Austria - Alpine Meadows & Lakes

We set off for sunnier regions during the Cape winter. Austria was our first stop. Whilst waiting in Johannesburg airport we came upon a choir from Idaho, USA who were entertaining the crowd with many South African and other songs. Their superb rendition got them spontaneous applause from by-standers. We chatted to a few of the students who raved about their experience in South Africa and voted Cape Town as their very best city! Sorry folks, we locals know it just surpasses Johannesburg in the popularity stakes!!

Flying with Lufthansa, operated by SAA was a pleasure – the staff were pleasant, attentive and friendly. A huge bonus when you are stuck on a flight for 10.50 hrs or so! Due to the strife in Libya, the flight was longer than usual as they had to fly around Libya rather than across it.

We had booked our car through Economy Car Rentals and this turned out to be Dollar Thrifty in Munich Airport. We did not have a good experience with them as they insisted on extra insurance despite the Economy terms stating that all was inclusive and they also refused to accept Euro’s in cash so we ended up ZAR for the car which was not the plan. So be careful and make sure your car hire gives you all the local conditions BEFORE you have to pay your deposit. We did get a GPS for Euro 100.00 and this proved, eventually, to be a great bonus. However, the Car Rental agent did not explain how to use the GPS so we got horribly lost as we had not entered Austria into the GPS as the country required whilst we were still in Germany! Perhaps this is common sense to all the regular GPS users but as we don’t have one at home, it was all new to us. So it took us 5 hours to reach Grundlsee, Austria!! However, it was a sunny day and the frustration dissipated once we reached our stunningly beautiful destination. 

The resort of Mondi Grundlsee offers various sizes of alpine type chalets in a tranquil setting. Our unit was a studio, well equipped but with only a partial kitchen so we had to eat out most of the time. No hardship when one is on holiday!

Our first taste of Austrian food was at Village Tavern Stöckl which is in the village and down the hill from the resort. It was pleasant; the service was good and the food OK. An early night was called for after travelling for nearly 24 hrs since leaving Pinelands.

Breakfast was a simple affair in our unit – yoghurt, bread and cheese but sufficient to get us up and out for some exploring! We headed off to the next village, Bad Aussee and enjoyed a walk in lovely sunshine. The Austrians in this part favour National dress and we saw many such folk during our 2 week stay.

The Austrian villages are very pretty and well-kept. To our dismay, we discovered that all supermarkets are closed on Sundays but we did eventually find a Mini Spar attached to a fuel station. This became our life-saver and was fairly well stocked. The Spar brand is all over Austria with even a Super Spar which was great – they just don’t stay open Sundays!!!

We ventured further to Altausee where we walked past Alpine meadows in temperatures of 26 degrees. The Lake at Altausee is gorgeous with a beautiful 4 Star hotel on its shores. Being budget conscious, we opted for a tiny kiosk next to the ferry station. James has his first taste of sausage and I stuck to pizza (as I hate sausage!!) It was a little mini pizza but one of the best I have ever tasted. With beer and food the bill was Euro 12.00 so pretty reasonable. We then headed back to Grundlsee and drove around the lake where people were out in the swimming gear and catching a tan. Suddenly, the weather changed and the rain came down in torrents with hailstones, thunder and lightning! Wow –what a change with everybody scrambling for cover! We could now understand why many of the roofs have lightning conductors!

The rain stopped in time for supper so we decided to walk down to the village for supper. Bad judgement on our parts! As we got down the hill, the rain came down again and soaked us to the bone. We arrived at Post am See Restaurant absolutely drenched and dripping. The staff were amazing, offered us a table and some towels to try and soak up most of the water! This restaurant, unbeknown to us at the time, has won a number of awards and is a fine dining restaurant!! There was sat in jeans and t/shirts, clinging to the skin whilst all the locals arrived in their finery to enjoy an evening out! At no stage did out waitress or any of the staff make us feel unwelcome and the food was SUPERB!! It’s certainly gained a spot in my heart for the courtesy that was shown to us – many other places would have shown us the door, looking tramp like as we did. Whilst I was pretty cold, the food more than made up for the wet jeans and dripping hair. We when got up to go, it was again pouring down so they lent us both umbrellas to get back to Mondi. Trusting that we would return them in 2 days time…….! The bill came to Euro 87.00 so that was our treat and well worth it. A highly recommended restaurant. Luckily the resort has radiators which we could switch on, have a hot shower and be cosy and warm within minutes again.


James played around with the GPS and we decided to try and find the Alpen Garten in Bad Aussee. We did find it with no fuss – hurray for the GPS and it’s driver, James! The Alpen Garten was started in 1913 and is still going strong. It is run by the local municipality and we met the botanist who looks after this beautiful garden. Anna was a mine of information and lovely to chat to. Her passion is this garden and it shows. Anna has visited Namibia but found it too dry for her liking and with awful tasting water! Given that Austria is so green (200ml per annum) and the water is from the many Alpine rivers and mountains, I am not really surprised that she did not enjoy the deserts of Namibia. Anna mentioned that the government also struggles with enough funding for the elderly and care for children. The tourist industry brings in much needed revenue in this part of Austria whilst the East is more agricultural.

The smells of some of the plants in this garden were so divine I wished I could bottle them to bring home. A lovely morning in the Alpine air with a charming local, Anna.

After lunch we decided to try and find the Tauplitz-Alpine Road

After getting lost, we eventually found it quite by accident! This winding road seems to go on and on and eventfully reaches the ski slopes and ski cottages. The cottages are dotted all around and must be a hive of activity during the ski season. One has to wonder how many mod cons they have. Brrrrr! There were still patches of icy snow around and the only people in sight were crazy cyclists riding up that steep mountain road. Perhaps in training for the Tour de France? Why else would somebody put themselves through so much pain? But I have to admit they are 500% fitter than I am so......rest my case.

The Austrian houses in the country are very pretty; the window boxes are filled with flowers, every now and again you spot a field of cows peacefully grazing on the Alpine slopes. Idyllic?

For dinner, James had fish and chips, Austrian Style - more like a pancake! I enjoyed a lovely chicken salad which was good value at Euro 8.50 but then we spoilt it all by having dessert!


Nordic walking day dawns! We first saw Nordic walkers in Vienna and wondered if the people were all infirm until we asked why they were using these "sticks" Needless to say we were educated about Nordic walking and could not wait to try it for ourselves as it exercises both upper body and lower body. The walkers also make one feel much steadier when going both uphill or downhill so good for those of us who are not so fit!

Petra took us on a great walk, up minor hills, into farmers fields where I stumbled into what looked like masking tape only to get a rude electrical shock! This electrical tape is used to keep the cows on the required field for the day. This was basically the only electric fencing we saw in rural Austria - to keep cows in rather than keeping criminals out. What a pleasure.

Some of the farms are very small - only 30 or so cows and most of these farmers also have day jobs to make ends meet. We passed Anna's house along this walk - the Austrian houses are just gorgeous!

A welcome swim in the Mondi pool after the walk cooled us down whilst we enjoyed the stunning Grundlsee lake view.

After a light lunch we set off to the Schafberg Mountain Railway (Sheep Mountain) in St Wolfgang. The GPS got us to the area but took us all around the back streets before coming out on the main road! Who programs these things??

This Schafberg Mountain Train has been running since 1893 and climbs to 1190 metres in approx 40 mins. There are 7 lakes around this mountain and the views are spectacular. With restaurants and a hotel at the summit, you can spend a night in order to truly enjoy this magnificent view. The railway is hugely popular with tourists. We walked around for about 1.5 hrs - the time just flew past, no time even for a beer! So go up on an earlier train so that you can enjoy a longer stay on the mountain.

We decided to have breakfast at the hotel in order to “fuel” up for our 3 hour walk!
The Koppen Valley walkway meanders along the river between Bad Aussee and Obertraun and is 13 km long. We actually seemed to walk faster than some of the group but had to wait when the path forked as we didn’t want to get lost and have to walk another 13 km back! We enjoyed a chat at the conveniently situated restaurant before we were driven home by bus!


We awoke to a bright blue sky and warm temperatures! Great! So we drove to Altaussee and walked around this lake. The walk is approx. 7.5km long, very easy and beautiful. The village is below the Loser plateau. There is a lovely hotel on the shores of the lake – Seevilla 4* - looks fantastic if you can afford the prices! The little restaurant on the shore was a welcome pit stop again for lunch at extremely reasonable prices. Sitting at tables outside with a view of the lake, what more could one ask for? Needless to say, we sort of collapsed when getting back to Grundlsee – so much exercise!

Friday 27/05/2011
We awoke to a wet and cloudy day but it seemed to clear up somewhat after lunch so we headed off for a walk around Grundlsee Lake. Bad decision! The walk is great but the rain came back and we were drenched by the time we reached Gossl. We ran for the bus but it left before we could reach it. The locals sheltering in the bus station thought the bus would not be long but we waited and waited and the rain just kept coming! Eventually, we decided to brave the weather and head home – the other side of the lake just seemed to go on forever and ever in the driving rain and blustery wind. And no sign of a bus. Suddenly around a corner we spied the bus driver sweeping out his bus! He had no even reached his turning point in Bad Aussee – he had not even reached Grundlsee so no wonder we waited and waited. We climbed in dripping wet while he carried on chatting and chatting on his cell phone! All in German so we couldn’t fathom out what he was saying. All we wanted was a lift closer to the hotel so that we could hop into a hot shower. He finished his call and eventually got going again, charged us an arm and a leg for the short hop, then left us at the bottom of the hill. A short walk in sunshine, a long one in pouring rain with a freezing wind!

For supper I enjoyed lovely Apple and Carrot soup served in a “canned fruit’ jar! Most unusual for us South Africans used to soup bowls only.

Saturday 28/05/2011
Rain and snow on the hills around. A stunning sight! “The Ghosts of Sleath” by James Herbert took up most of the morning until we got cabin fever and headed off to the Feuerkogel Cable Car in Ebensee. The beautiful high plateau offers gorgeous views (on a clear day!) This area of the Salzkammergut has 40 km of marked climbs plus 10km of altitude paths. Accommodation is available in 13 cottages and at 1625m the air could not be any cleaner or fresher. The cable car goes up in about 7 mins and the locals in the car with us headed straight to the hotel at the summit. Most probably to carry on with the champagne that they had popped whilst waiting for the cable car. A rather noisy bunch spoiling the peaceful summit! The other hotel had a group of people dancing away at 16.30 hrs – looked like they were having great fun and keeping warm at the same time. The funniest sight was a group of guys who suddenly appeared from behind the bushes wearing only towels. Now you have to remember that there was snow all around, the temperature was very low and they were prancing about in towels?? Perhaps there was a hidden sauna somewhere – we did not dare go and investigate! It was rather misty so we did not get the full benefit of the views but a great place for a hike in better conditions, a great place for a party as well it seems.

Sunday 29/05/2011
We headed off to Gmuden to enjoy a trip on the lake. As non-smokers used to South African smoking laws, we found the smoking everywhere in public places rather an invasion of our rights to clean air. The Austria air is spoilt by the huge amount of smokers everywhere – one cannot get away from them as there seems to be virtually no “No Smoking” zones. Funnily enough it is marketed as a “health” resort! The Lake Traunsee was very busy as it was a Sunday – lots of yachts out and people walking along the shore, many of them in traditional dress. Upper Austrian are often seen in traditional dress and look very elegant and Austrian! We were fascinated by a skate boarding competition – admittedly, some of the teenagers looked like 60’s punks! But they were having fun which was enjoyed by the onlookers.

Monday 30/05/2011
Hurray! Blue, blue skies. Gosaukamm was our destination – up in the gondola to the top of Zwieselalm. We enjoyed a wonderful walk amongst the wild flowers with glorious views and fresh Alpine air. There was still snow in the upper reaches and there are many ski slopes in this area. Hiking in Austria is just so beautiful, the lakes, the mountains, the wild flowers and the peace.

After our descent we headed for another lake ride, this time on Lake Wolfgangsee. We were lucky to catch the last sailing of the day and we enjoyed sunshine all the way!
The town and the lake are named after Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg, who, according to legend, built the first church here in the late 10th century. This glacial lake has a surface area of 13m km and the mountains surrounding it are just so beautiful. We cruised all the way up to St Gilpen, passing hotels and sunbathing people. The boat then turns at St Gilpen and goes all the way down to Strobl. Being the last sailing of the day, we could not stop off at any points – it would have been good to stroll around the towns of St Gilpen, Strobl and St Wolfgang.  

All these little towns look fascinating – one needs time to explore all the nooks and crannies and absorb the pace of each village.

It was a gorgeous evening back at the hotel but we refrained from dining on the patio due to excessive smoke from guests. Such a pity, really, that smokers have “Right of Way” to the most scenic places in Europe! The large cities of the world battle to keep that dreaded smog at bay and here we were, in the pure Alpine air, being subjected to billowing puffs of smoke! So we ended up being the only guests in the dining room!!  This wasn’t so bad actually as we could talk about anything without fear of the neighbouring table catching parts of our conversation!  Or the other dreaded factor – a deathly quiet dining room when the background music is turned off, or not loud enough and everybody talks in whispers!

Tuesday 31/05/2011
We booked for the walk along the Eastern shore of Hallstatt Lake. Our newly made German friends gave us a lift to the start as the hotel bus was fully booked. Luckily I had taken my motion sickness pill as I had to sit in the bad seat of the car (normally my worst nightmare) whilst driving around a very winding road towards Obertaun. The driver was excellent but, everybody who knows me knows the slightest motion makes me ill.  

We had a very large lady from USA with us on the walk whose ancestors were from Austria and Slovenia. She did not have any hiking sticks and looked extremely unfit. To accommodate her, the pace was very slow but, as my camera was working overtime, it did not matter too much. The lake looked majestic and the little villages on the far shore just begged to be visited. To reach the other side, you need to catch a ferry at Hallstatt station. We were meant to stop for refreshments much further on but the American lady actually looked on the verge of passing out so our guide made us stop at the first restaurant we came to. Whilst the majority of us ordered a drink and a toasted sandwich, this lady devoured a huge plate of shnitzel and chips! I was totally amazed that she could eat such a huge quantity of food when we still had quite a way to go! We finished our lunch and chat and moved on. Unfortunately it started to rain again but we managed to get to the station without being totally drenched. It transpired that our American lady had found a lift to bring her the rest of the way so she opted out of the hike! The train was very modern, very fast but we had to endure an undisclined child running up and down the corridor at top speed – the parents seemed oblivious to the racket and the fact that he was disturbing everybody else on the train. Takes all sorts, I suppose.

Wednesday 01/06/2011
Cloudy and misty! So out came the Rumikub for a few games before we set off on what became our favourite walk along the river towards Bad Aussee but turning off into forest then the farmlands towards Gosern. The views from these farmhouses are stunning, looking across the valley. Even in bad weather it is just so peaceful, still and picturesque. I got to talking to the cows – one answered me back! Unfortunately, my cow dictionary was not in my pocket so I can’t tell you the long story that she gave me. But I can imagine it went like this……no, on second thoughts it is best left between the cow and me. We picked some narcissus in the fields to scent our hotel room as this was the Narcissus Festival time in the area. The scent is very powerful and the flowers delicate.

Festival time means party time for the locals so we headed into Bad Aussee to enjoy a night watching the fun. There was a huge marquee set up for the Brass Band’s Jubilee concert. As you can imagine huge tankards of beer, sausages and the inevitable saukraut. And the BIGGEST bags of charcoal I have ever seen. They put us South African’s to shame with our puny 5kg bags. These must have been at least 25kg.     

The band was very weird – they were smoking and drinking and there was no flow to the songs but this did not seem to faze the audience who appeared far more interested in their beer and friends. The music was just “there” It was not too exciting so we left and headed for home.

Thursday 02/06/2011
Rain and grey skies again this morning so I devoured a repeat read of “Sleepy Head” by Mark Gillingham. When it cleared up, we did our favourite walk again and this time talked to the cutest little steer you ever did see. So sad to think that he will soon be on somebody’s plate. The farmer seemed quite worried that he was so near to us so he called him and gave him an affectionate pat. Perhaps he heard me talking to the cows the previous day and thought I was mental enough to steal the steer? I do prefer vegetables!! Honest!

Friday 03/06/2011
We headed off to drive up Loser Mountain in Altausee. This is a very winding road with many hairpin bends. It reaches approx 1700m. The Ski lifts look extremely scary – high up and with nothing to stop you falling out – or that’s how it appears! There were not working though so I did not have to drum up some feeble excuse as to why I was not going to risk my life in one of them. Again, there were a number of cyclists riding uphill on this torturous road. They must be super, super fit – I felt tired just sitting in the passenger seat going up and up and up. Again the views are just stupendous from the top where you can talk a number of walks/hikes. The air is bracing and it’s a lovely spot to enjoy some lunch at one of the “hutte”

After the most divine goulash soup, we set off back into Bad Aussee to experience some more of the Narcissus Fest spirit. The town area was a pedestrian zone for the festival and it was buzzing! Lots of people in their traditional Austrian dress looking very elegant and beautiful – even the little kids were dressed up to match mom or dad! There were numerous spots where bands had set up and were playing to their various audiences. Flowing beer and the ever-present mounds of sausages! This time the bands in the marquee were all more youthful and the music was great. Excellent musicians despite the large tankards of beer which they have on the mike stands – yes! On the mike stands! I have never ever seen this before. Thirsty work, playing in Austria? It must be the mountain air or something! It was all local music in German so we did not understand any of it but great fun, nonetheless. The atmosphere in the village was truly abuzz and people were celebrating in groups, on their own, with their families or those like us, with wide-open eyes and ears. The weather did not play along entirely but this does not daunt their high spirits – just add the water-proof and carry on drinking! Whilst heading back to our car we came across a group of Morris dancers – all the way from UK just for the Narcissus Festival!

Saturday 04/06/2011
Sadly, we have to leave Grundlsee and the Austrian Alps today. It seems that we have grown into this part of the world and I am very loathe to leave it. Everywhere we have seen cyclists, hikers, camper vans. Dogs are treated like royalty and go on holiday with their owners. Traditional dress is still common amongst both young and old, everybody is so polite and greats with a cheerful “Gus Gott” but they don’t let you in when stuck in traffic! Beer flows freely. The weather is changeable by the second and the thunderstorms are awesome! The Alpine scenery is picture postcard perfect and the well-kept Alpine houses have their window boxes in full bloom. We enjoyed the lovely smell of cows or narcissus in the farmer’s fields. The alpine meadows evoke memories of “The Sound of Music” – it’s a magical part of the world.

We hope to return one day!

    

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

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Istanbul, Turkey - City of Colours & Chimes

Istanbul – City of Colours & Chimes

We had never considered Istanbul as a destination as we had always flown with Olympic Airlines to Greece. But horror of horrors, they went belly-up so we needed to source an alternate. It was recommended that we try Turkish Airlines via Istanbul. I cannot just land in an airport in a country not yet visited and proceed on to the next so we did some research and decided to spend some time in this ancient city. It turned out to be the correct decision, as we just loved the sights, smells, sounds of this amazing, modern yet ancient, city.

Our flight to Istanbul started in Cape Town but stopped in Johannesburg to take on more passengers. The flight was very full and we had 2 Turks sandwiched between James and myself. My neighbour usurped my ear-phones but that was not really a problem as I was not in the mood for movies. However, the one next to James spluttered and coughed the whole flight and this made James rather grumpy and worried that he would have a horrid cold by the time we landed. Luckily, the germs decided to settle on somebody else so he stayed healthy.

Fortuitously, we had eaten at the Spur in Cape Town as the food service on board was very slow and inefficient with the lady on my aisle going backwards to the galley all the time. Perhaps she should have been told how to pack her trolley. Late at night, this is not conducive to making one feel relaxed! The breakfast service was much faster but then they took forever to remove the debris so we were stuck in our seats. The landing was very good, so compliments to the pilot!

Passport Control in Istanbul was a nightmare. It took about 3 seconds to buy our Visas at USD 15.00 each but then came the horrendous queues to get through Immigration. The queues were just self-forming once they got to a certain point with nobody directing to the counters so some took forever – after a long flight this is not a good welcome to any country and one hopes that the powers that be, get a more streamlined system going.  

Thankfully, our taxi was waiting for us and took us on a very bumpy ride to the Turkoman Hotel. Between the suspension and the road, all my organs felt as if they had been pummeled! The Turkoman Hotel allowed us this very early check-in (kudos’s to them) and sent us upstairs for some refreshments and food. It’s a lovely hotel, friendly staff, and a breakfast/coffee bar upstairs with Internet access and stunning views of the Blue Mosque. The room was fine for a 3* and the soap was just heavenly. Spicy! A shower door instead of a shower curtain would be a plus. Surely, everybody hates those plastic curtains sticking to you when trying to shower? 

Although rather tired, we set off to visit the Grand Bazaar – it’s mind-boggling, huge, bustling and noisy and perhaps should not be visited until one is rested enough to be able to smile and say “No” politely to all the offers of goods.  So we vowed to go back again before we left Istanbul.

Next we strolled down to the Ferry Port – this is very busy as locals use the ferries to get wherever they need to go. The sea looked rather rough so we stayed on dry land rather than risk an unpleasant ferry trip to wherever.

The first hotel we had booked into did not offer a free shuttle from the airport and their e-mail response was not very enthusiastic or prompt, so we changed hotels at the eleventh hour to the Turkoman Hotel. This turned out to be a wise decision as they are in a quiet area yet within walking distance of all the attractions in the old town. We chanced upon the other hotel in our wanderings – it is in a very busy part with loads of restaurants in the street but also tons of traffic and noise.

The one thing you need to get used to rather quickly are the numerous calls to prayer! At 12.00, 17.00, 21.00 and again at 04.00. However, with the mosques all over the city calling out in harmony we found this a unique sound and something we actually looked forward to! Barring the 04.00 one! But we managed to fall asleep very quickly again so it was not a problem.  This Muslim city appears to be very tolerant of everybody and does not appear fanatical in any way.

Dress is casual, alcohol is freely available, and tourists are welcomed.

Don’t take Traveller’s Cheques – they are becoming more and more difficult to cash everywhere. We sat in a bank waiting, not realizing that you had to press a button to get your ticket number before you would be called. So we wasted time before realizing this. When we eventually did get to the counter, the teller told us that we would get a better rate at a “kiosk”!!  These little kiosks are all over the city – just make a note of the exchange rates as they do differ. It’s easy to change USD, Euro or GBP.

The Dolmabahne Palace is on the European side of the Bosphorus and is a magnificent example of the opulence of the Ottoman Empire. A truly interesting stop – there were fairly long queues to get in and the guard stood like a statue. I thought he was a statue until I saw his eyes. A group of kids surrounded him and many people took photos of him – he stood motionless – only his eyes moved and they were roaming all the time. Well trained to spot those who perhaps were not quite what they seemed. We had to put on pink plastic covers over our shoes to enter the palace – what a performance! And they kept coming off as the covers are all the same size but the shoes are not.

We all looked so silly!  

This palace tour took about an hour and was very informative. One does not see all 285 rooms, which would take forever! The palace faces the shore and has manned gates onto the Bospohorous.  The crystal chandeliers are huge and beautiful, many of them imported from Britain. No photos were allowed inside unfortunately. The chairs all looked so uncomfortable one has to wonder how the people endured sitting on them.  The last residents apparently left in 1922. I did not pick up any “I have been here before” vibes so it seems I was not part of the Sultan’s extensive harem! The palace is so opulent one has to be slightly envious of the life-style at the time. 

Taksim Square is the more modern part of Istanbul – it has many hotels, shops and a huge bustle of buses, cars and people. If you want “Modern” and “Shopping” then you need to stay in this area. It’s very, very busy with continual hooting so factor this into your visit! We preferred the old part of Istanbul – far more interesting – one can get modern anywhere! But different people have different needs and desires and there is nothing wrong with that. You certainly can shop till you drop in both new and old Istanbul.  

The Fish market in Istanbul is not very big but there are a number of stalls and restaurants so it’s a good place to stop for lunch. There is a walkway all the way back to Sultanahmet so we took the chance of some exercise.  We stopped to browse the Arasta bazaar on the way back to the hotel – this complex was built at the same time as the Blue Mosque and the rents went towards the upkeep of the mosque. It’s a lovely area and the shop-keepers don’t hassle you! A huge bonus when shopping for souvenirs.

It was so cold that we headed straight for the coffee bar in the hotel for tea and to warm ourselves up a little. We had to venture out in the cold again to find some supper. We walked towards the university – a long, long road full of locals scurrying home to get out of the biting wind! There are loads of shopping malls along this route and the inevitable honking of the very impatient drivers. Istanbul must rival New York when it comes to hooting – this cacophony of sound accompanies you wherever you are in Istanbul. On the way back from this long walk, we were invited to the Pierre Loti Rooftop Bar where the views were fantastic and it was lovely and warm inside. It was a pleasant interlude until the bill arrived! We had been charged for items not ordered so whether they were taking a chance that we would not notice or whether it was a genuine mistake, we did not find out. They did credit the bill and we paid for what we actually consumed! In any country in the world, one needs to be savvy – don’t just pay blindly – check your bill first and keep your credit card in sight.

The night-time pavement vendors were all setting up their goods on the stroll back – hats, gorgeous dolls, baby clothes etc. Some very poor looking vendors – we felt sorry for them but had no need of their goods.  The Pudding Shop looked inviting so in we went for some dessert. Very delicious cheese-cake but at TL 7.00 quite expensive. The tea is served black as it is in Vienna and I suppose in many other European cities. Tasty enough and a different blend to the South African Ceylon.

The Galata Tower beckoned us the next day – a long walk but good exercise and the very best way to explore any city. Istanbul is easy to explore on foot so do yourself a favour and put on your walking shoes. The fishermen on Galata Bridge are famous – they catch sardines and other small fish for themselves and their families. The traffic is non-stop with many pedestrians as well. Beneath the bridge there are numerous restaurants so you can replenish if the walk has made you hungry! We saw so many men in suits and ties – one has to wonder what they are doing wandering around during the middle of the day? They all seemed to be having very earnest conversations though and chatter even more than most women! Quite amusing to watch. 

The Galata Tower is very high and it was rather windy on the viewing platform. Scary stuff if you have a fear of heights. The views stretched all over Istanbul and on a totally clear day must be awesome. It was freezing cold though so we did not linger too long although you can take a coffee/lunch break in the restaurant. Apparently, the tower was used as a dungeon in the 15^th century, a fire tower around 16^th century and restored in the 1960’s to what it is today – a tourist attraction and magnificent view point of Istanbul.

This area of Istanbul has many ordinary shops, all spilling their wares out onto the pavement. Hardware, toilet seats, power tolls, plumbing equipment etc. The buildings are much run down yet we passed a very smart school in this district. Hopefully, the parents have their emphasis on education rather than smart buildings if money is an issue.  We were amazed to see so many school groups all over Istanbul so it seems that the children are taken to many of their heritage sights. They are all well-behaved and with lovely friendly smiles!

The Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque), built in the 17^th century, is synonymous with Istanbul. It was supposed to rival the Hagia Sophia but this was hard to judge when we visited as the Hagia Sophia was undergoing restorations. The original construction took 7 years and commenced in 1609. The mosque has 6 minarets – most have only 1, 2 or 4. The “Blue” name comes from the tiles on the ceiling inside the building. The interior is fully carpeted for prayers and the women have their own (very small) section. Does this mean that the women have less need of prayer than the men?

Visitors can only enter through one entrance and you have to take of your shoes and be suitably clad. It is certainly worth a visit.

The Hagia Sofia was in a state of restoration at our visit. Its history is fascinating as it remained the largest cathedral in the world for nearly 1000 years. It was converted to a mosque in 1453, closed in 1931 and re-opened as a museum in 1935 by the Turkish Republic. It remained the principal mosque of Istanbul for hundreds of years. Hagia Sophia is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

One attraction not to be missed is the Basilica Cistern. This cistern, built in 532 is the largest Byzantine cistern in Istanbul. The water used to come via 20 km of aqueducts from the Black Sea. It’s a spooky place with the many magnificent columns, silent water below, ghostly fish swimming languidly along and the little drips coming from above! There are walkways so you don’t have to get wet! The water was stored for use by the palace at the time – however, the cistern was later closed and forgotten. Despite being re-discovered again around 1545, it was still neglected and only restored in the 1950’s. It was opened to the public in 1987 and is a great place to escape the heat of the city - it’s a huge photographical challenge which I didn’t quite master!  Stand quietly, if there are not too many tourists, and try to imagine this amazing place built so very many years ago. Whilst our technology today is moving at such a rapid pace that it is difficult to keep up with all the gadgets, the technology of yesteryear was very different yet still totally mind-blowing. Creepy, fascinating, extraordinary, silent yet noisy, a grand old relic of another era.

We booked a Bospohorus and Golden Horn Cruise with a stop in Asia – amazing that you are in Europe one minute and then in Asia not much later! Istanbul just has to be enjoyed from the sea – there are beautiful summer houses lining the water and the Istanbul skyline is very picturesque. The wind from the Black Sea can be pretty icy so take a jacket to ward off the chill factor.

The village in Asia is know for it’s yoghurt and we did a little wander – it was not at all touristy and the locals were going about the daily business, seemingly without a care in the world. It’s always good to see the “normal” part of a city where the tourists are not the main thing people around.

However, with all the attractions in Istanbul, the tourist buses are parked bumper to bumper all day long. With such a fascinating and ancient history and a peace-loving people, it is no wonder that Istanbul is a major tourist attraction.  The waters of the Bosphorus can get very choppy so take a motion sickness pill if you are that way inclined.

The tour ended with a drive through some very dicey looking part of Istanbul for a stop at a leather factory where we had to sit down and watch some models showing off their leather goods. Lovely stuff but most of the people on the bus were not even aware that this stop would be made and many got quite irritated as they were obviously not in the market for leather goods! One couple tried to flag down a taxi on the fast-moving highway and others looked like they were going to start walking so the bus driver and guide opened the bus quickly to allow us back on! The Tour Guide was very upset by something (no commission?) and did not utter another word to any of his passengers! This spoilt a really good experience and the company should change their tactics or at least give one the option to get off at an earlier stop.  

The Grand Bazaar shop keepers are also very pushy when all one really wants to do is gawk at all the various objects on sale. The colours of goods are bright and garish, carpets abound, tons of jewelry, glassware, clothing, leather, souvenirs, gold and much more. This must be one of the biggest “ancient” city “malls” in the world – it has over 3000 shops, over 60 streets (believe it when you get lost!) with thousands of visitors daily. It is so huge that it’s quite mind-blowing – give yourself time to absorb the atmosphere – there are various cafes so you can catch your breath and get your bearings again!  It’s a fascinating explosion and overload of colour, noise, sounds, goods and people. 

Our legs had by now got very used to walking in Istanbul as we walked to all sights, except for the cruise! Although the distances may seem great, they are not really and it is just the very best way to explore any city but in the old part of Istanbul it’s a must! You can catch a tram if you get really tired – tickets must be bought at the machine before boarding – make sure you have the correct change.  

The Spice Bazaar (also known as the (Egyptian Bazaar) is smaller than the Grand Bazaar and we so enjoyed this that we visited twice.  The colours and smells here are different to the Grand Bazaar – the spices just assail the senses – one does not know where to turn next! The shop-keepers are very polite and friendly and not pushy like those in the Grand Bazaar so it’s a more peaceful bazaar to visit. Again, give yourself time to explore, especially if you are buying, as there is such a huge array of goods.

Sadly, all great travels have to end otherwise they would not be travels.

The only sour note during our visit to Istanbul was our shuttle driver who took us back to the airport. We paid the hotel who ordered this for us and the driver kept asking for a “tip”, sticking his face right up close and repeating “Tip, Tip” We only had a little Turkish Lira left which we gave him but he was not impressed and sped off without a wave or a good-bye. 

A rather irritating ending to a wonderful stay in Istanbul – all that surly driver wanted was money, and he did not care that he was doing his country’s image harm or discouraging us from returning. Petty and small-minded people should stay away from the tourism industry – they are not assets to their country.

For a number of days afterwards I kept waiting to hear the calls to prayer.

This hypnotic, yet musical sound that is so very unique in Istanbul will live on in our memories of an intriguing city with such a wealth of history that it cannot all be absorbed in a short 4 day visit.  Our legs were well exercised, our senses of sight, sound and smell were awakened, our taste buds were satisfied – what more can one ask for?

Some more Apple Tea anybody?

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

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South Africa - Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch

Jonkershoek - Hiking Activity in Magic Surroundings

Jonkershoek, just 9 km outside of Stellenbosch on the Jonkershoek Road, is a Nature Reserve of immense beauty. It's approx. 14 527 ha in extent and offers beautiful, rugged terrain for photography, hiking, mountain biking or walking.
For those who prefer the comfort of a car, the circular route is approx. 10 km and there are a number of stopping places for you to get out, smell the fynbos, take some photo's or just breathe in the fresh mountain air.

The Jonkershoek mountains have high peaks flowing down to the valley floor and the summer temperatures can soar during the day.

The vegetation of this area is "fynbos" indigenous to South Africa and it's floral kingdom. Proteas and Ericas are plentiful and wonderful when in full bloom. There are also pine plantations and mountain Cypress with many smaller flowers and bushes.

Four rivers have their sources high up in these mountains, which are also part of the Hottentots Holland range. The Eerste, Berg (famous for the Berg River Canoe Marathon), Lourens and Riviersonderend but only the Eerste River flows through the Reserve. The sound of running water is a welcome sound on a really hot day when one is hiking and the feet are needing some respite!

It can get very hot in this valley during summer so be sure to always have water if you intend cycling or hiking. The South-Easter wind can cool the temperature down somewhat when its blowing but this wind is

deadly if a fire breaks out and fans the flames. In the Cape, fire-fighters are used to summer call-outs and they can spend many weary hours, sometimes days, fighting run0away fires. The fynbos does grow again and some plants actually require fires to regenerate. In winter, the worse winds are North-Westerly; however, there are usually more beautiful sunny days than cold and wet ones so hiking in the cooler months is a favourite activity amongst the locals.

There are 5 hiking trails - all of which lead off from the circular drive - chose the distance you prefer as they range from 5.3 km to 18km. The Panorama Trail is 17.1 km with a fairly steep 4km ascent to the Dwarsberg Plateau, whilst offering brilliant views.

The Tweede Waterval route is scenic with the Eerste River in sight for most of the way. Any dangerous parts are always closed to hikers.

The reserve is home to a number of smaller animals but these are seldom seen. Just keep an eye out for snakes on VERY hot days - however, snakes don't like humans very much so they will normally move out of the way when they hear you approaching. You are more likely to spot the bird-life such as sugar birds, sunbirds, and if you are lucky, perhaps a fish eagle near the dam.

Please don't steal the trout!!

After your hike,bike or drive through Jonkershoek you can settle down at the outdoor cafe near the entrance to the reserve for welcome drinks, snacks, lunch or afternoon teas. There are sunny or shady spots depending on your mood and it's a great spot to relax after some strenous activity. 

Jonkershoek is grand no matter what the weather may be on any given day - try this valley in all her moods - you will always come back for more!

© Judelle Drake

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradclinphotography

                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com