Down Under Down Time in OZ...

Thankfully the weather has been very similar here to over in Hungary since arriving, so no great heat distress happening!

The family is all good and the younger ones will all soon be taller than me.

Oh well, that's life I guess...Oscar is the last to pass me and he's just turned 7 years old and is already up to my chin...

This way I reckon I'll always be the kid in the family!

My granddaughter is accumulating the 100 hrs driving with a licenced driver so she can get her driver licence P plates, so she chauffeured me up the Sunny Coast on Tuesday to see my sister.

We had lunch at the beach restaurant and all up it was a lovely day with my sister and grand daughter..

Yummy lunch with Judy and Asher.

My nice Greek salad...yummo...

Judy's Kilcoy steak sandwich...Asher just had special chips!

Then we went across the road for a nice walk along the beach...

Lovely Alexandra Headlands in the background...

Sisters and friends forever! My sister is so kind and generous to me, she is a great support. Thanks Sis!

Yup, went for the proverbial paddle at the beach!

Then back out to Pete's Paradise with Oscar and his Dad in the spa!

A very quiet week really as I'm organising things for the next 5 year stint seeing as the past 5 years goals unfolded almost to plan...albeit not quite expecting to end up living overseas in Europe though!

Have achieved the bucket list major things on the list. The only real biggie is to take the 14 day and 38 ports Hurtigruten cruise up the Norweigen Coast to see the beautiful fiords there.

Was waiting for a friend to come but will book and go ahead and go from there for the next best season to see the coastline at it's optimum.

The Northern Lights viewings are guaranteed on certain cruises, so will check all that out before Xmas and set a date to book it by for next year sometime. Really looking forwards to that cruise for sure.

Northern Lights in Norway...Can't wait for this trip!

Still have to organise with a Hungarian friend to go to the Eagles nest and a few other things I pushed to the back of the queue this year...but I get so involved in renovations, I enjoy the work so much, travel has taken a back seat for too long.

So, when I go back on 27th of Sept, I'll have a nicely planned out travel agenda to stick to, intermingled with renos, building programs and Lodge guests, so I should be doubly happy next year!

Xmas in OZ, starts it all off, with the Hofburg Palace Ball end January in Vienna, a trip to the snow in Salzburg for a week or 2 with friends in Feb, Skiing the High Tatras after that, a Hurtigruten cruise mid year or whenever it is best to go, visit the Eagles nest with Maria...and to top it all off, one of my sons and some friends are coming over mid year...ish, so it will be a full on year with all normal other happenings with the Lodge!

Will have to work my butt off to complete things, but it will be worth it for sure. Too much to do and so many things to see over there gets in the way of living a quiet life!

OK, am off now to create a travel plan to Europe for 3 weeks for 4 people, so this will be just a shorty blog this week...

They arrive in Budapest...

Then they visit Prague, then off to northern Czech to a beer spa where you bathe in beer and the taps run real beer!

Then down to Dubrovnik in Croatia to see the Game of Thrones sets...

Then back an hour or so up the road to my fave hang out...Split for the best ice creams in the world! Will also drop over to the island of Brac to see one of my volunteer families who have a house right on the water...sighhh.

Then a short trip across the sea on a ferry cruise from Split to Italy...

Then up to Switzerland to Lauterbrunnen and a trip up the Jungfrau...

Then after all that, a trip back to the Little Lodge for a breather before heading back to Budapest on the way back to OZ.

But on the way from Switzerland to my place we go past Neuschwastein castle in Lower Bavaria....on of the most beautiful areas in Europe. This trip is a must see.

Very exciting times ahead for sure...
See you all next week,
Cheers,
M
xxxx