I'd forgotten how beautiful northern Italy is

Here I am in Como, two plane flights, two train rides, phone may be stuffed, thought I'd lost my credit card and the airline did lose my luggage.  Am I annoyed?  No!
Northern Italy is so beautiful and this must be the jewel in the crown.  The lake and the villas and parks with the Alps in the background (or at least some seriously high hills.  Bella.

                                                        Might not look fantastic but  it sure did taste good.


I am in my room eating a stew of beef, olives, peppers and potatoe bought from a stall by the waterfront, part of a fair promoting local produce and art.  This stew is accompanied by a glass of cheap red wine from Sicily and to be followed by a large piece of coconut tart, bellissima.

villa on the waterfront

Half way through my trip now time for some reviews, interspersed with a few photos of Como.

Best airline, was going to be Lufthansa until they lost my luggage.  They have comfortable seats and good food and seem to be mostly on time.  Steward staff are tagged with their initial and surname, showing what a serious airline this is.  Mostly though, the bread roll was nice.  Imagine that, a nice bread roll on a plane.

                                                           same shot without the close up


Worst Airline  Spanair.  Late, late,  late.  All the time late.  And one of my flights changed four times before I had even left Australia.  And they bullshit about the lateness that is the worst thing.  "only a little late" they say when the plane hasn't even left its previous destination yet!



Best Hotel    Definitely the Hostal L'antic Espai.  A bit fusssy and frilly but really comfortable and the best breakfast by far.  Plenty of it and actually things I wanted to eat.

Worst Hotel  I have been pretty happy with them all, so will have to go with the Alcazar.  The whole "waiting for the tour group to finish" before you can have breakfast did p me off a bit.  The down side of being treated like an honoured guest is that you get what the host thinks is OK not what you want.

Best airport got to be Ataturk in Istanbul.  It is a bit outdated and tired but has comfortable seats.  What more do I need to say.  Everywhere around the airport, comfortable seats.  People have to spend long times in airports, why can't others pick up on this.  This reviewer isn't the only one a bit short on padding in the seat area.

Worst Airport  Athens. Nothing can make up for that appalling airport bus ride.  People do it everyday to work, no wonder they are always rioting  Cloth covers hide the hardest most uncomfortable seats this side of purgatory, and the suspension on the buses is shot.  You cannot be expected to ride this bus after or before a long plane ride.

Best tourist experience  Can't choose between the awesome sights of the Judean desert on the Masada and Dead Sea tour, and the amazing cruise up the Bosphorous to the Black Sea.  It is a tie.  The desert probably slightly more spectacular but the cruise better run and organised.  still I am in Como and am going by ferry tomorrow to a couple of villages and the Villa Carlotta, so watch this space.

                                                   building by the waterfront (Lake Como - in case you have forgotten)


Worst tourist experience  United tour of Nazareth, the Galilee and Tiberius.  Late, boring guide, pissed us about.  The places are so interesting I would still do it again, but he didn't even stop in Tiberius!!!

Best self-made experience Finding my own way from the Lion Gate to the Jaffa Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, on second visit to the city.  Closely followed by my beef, olive, potato and pepper stew + glass of cheap red I recently enjoyed.  I tried to save the coconut slice for later but failed miserably.

Worst self-made experience  Every time I have gotten annoyed about some triviality or stressed about some deadline and forgotten what amazing places and experiences I am having and how lucky I am to have them.

Best attraction    They are all wonderful, but probably the Museum of Catalunyan Art in Barcelona.  Great art, great building, great view.

Worst attraction  Don't be silly there aren't any.  Though there was this fellow in Istanbul that the bus passed as he dropped his dacks to defecate in the street.

Best technology  Skype.  Couldn't cope without daily chats with family.

Best moment  Walking along the Via Dolorosa and overhearing a preacher telling his troop "that we all have our crosses to bear and only love can help us overcome them".