Fun and Games

Today (Monday) was a rest day after two fairly arduous days of walking. immediately after breakfast we had a group photo of everyone that had come to camp. It was quite funny watching Wayne operate his camera with such enthusiasm. There must of been 10 camera's which wayne had to operate for the shot. Some time was killed before a huge meal of delicious spaghetti was prepared for lunch. This was apparently a tradition at camp and proved to be a good one. It was very tasty, perhaps as good or better then my dad's brew the only downside being that i wasnt more hungry having had breakfast only two hours beforehand. A short while after lunch we gathered in front of the pensione for what was to be a cryptic quiz based on the area we were located. Sabina read out our names in groups of 2 or 3 and we set off with the sheet of clues in search of what would turn out to be elusive answers. I got paired with a lady from Germany called Elly. Her testimony was an inspiration, being strong in the lord despite being isolated from fellowship and also traveling to camp for the second successive year at the age of 85! We got few the first few questions ok, but it started to get quite hard as we walked towards the nearby town of Natz. The clues were really obscure and required a very keen eye and a good ability to understand what the person was thinking when they wrote it. Most people found it difficult and after much wondering about everyone started to help each other out and trade answers. The rain started to drizzle so everyone made their way back to the main building where we had our meals and held the meetings. That afternoon before dinner a game of soccer was organised for those who were interested. There was a small enclosed field which was on the way to where we were staying that was perfect. Quite a few balls got booted over the high rope fence this was soon solved by getting the goalies to throw the ball instead. After half an hour non stop we were all quite tired and some young teenagers had gathered outside on the grass. Theo from Wales spoke some German to the leading guy and he agreed we could play for another 5 minutes. We headed back for some well earned foodand another night of fellowship. Quite a good day overall...tomorrow we would head for a nearby castle! cya

The Dolomites

The night before it was decided the visit to the dolomites would happen today(Sunday) as quite a few people were going home early. After an early breakfast everyone gathered in the car park and soon after the train of vehicles departed for what would be an approximately 2 hour journey. After an hour or so the road winded upwards and I was surprised to see how many cyclists were tackling the long and steep slope. Along the way there were also several villages, with quite a few buildings advertising ski/snowboard hire. The carpark at the top was filled to the brim, showing it was a popular tourist spot. The topic of conversation was not surprisingly, where was matt and nicki’s car?!? They had got lost again..This didnt deter most people from doing there own thing. All around us there were peaks which looked spectacular. The nearest one to us had cable car with 2 person gondolas stretching up the extremely steep rock face. this peak had a opening in the middle in which could be seen a small hut, which i identified as being a restaurant like that of yesterday's walk. Everyone broke off into small groups and i found myself with about 8 other's on a walk up to the top. Some creativity by Dan, saw us bush bashing our way to the right track when the wrong path was chosen. About ten minutes in, the gradient really kicked in and we all found ourselves spread out on the mountain side out and walking our own pace. I pushed on at just below my limit and concentrated on getting into a good rhythm. The combination of the hot sun and hard effort made me regret having worn trousers that day despite being told it would be cold at such a high altitude. The view was fantastic from where the hut was situated and after admiring it for several minutes a strudel was next on my agenda. While siting down and waiting to be served i spotted several people climbing the rock face. It made for an impressive sight. The walk back was both good and bad. Walking down hill is much harder on your knees and joints but with my new grippy walking shoes i had fun sliding down the loose gravel. I got close to some mountain goats which i thought was pretty neat. Not something you see every day! Some much needed rest was had on the way back in the car with the desire to catch up on sleep not working it seems. When we were nearing the bottom of the mountain we got slowed by some traffic. We saw some police at the intersection and Sabina got out to see what was going on. It turned out there was a parade happening on the street and that the road would be shut for approx 20 min. We stood with the rest of the crowd and watched as the locals dressed in traditional dress walked by. The highlight was when 3 blokes who had these huge whips cracked them non stop for a minute. The noise they made was terrific! After the evening meeting Pr Alf told us that it would be an easier the next day as everyone looked/felt tired. This was good news as far as i was concerned, i felt trashed. Still an early night once again evaded me but thats the way it is sometimes...Until next time, Cya!

Italian Camp: Climbing Mountains

Hi again,

The next day we got picked up at 8.45am from our Pensione. Walking down the staircase from our room there was several stuffed animals lining the walls including a huge turkey. Several other people mentioned seeing the same thing so it must be a tradition in that area. I hopped into the car feeling a bit tired from the reduced sleep time. It turned out this was to be the trend for the next week :) For breakfast i was expecting a typical affair with the usual assortment of toast and cereal. Therefore i was quite surprised when i found a table covered in assorted sliced meats with cheese as well. I was slightly apprehensive about digging into meat on white bread so early in the day. I ended up eating it though evenly though it felt slightly 'wrong'...at least for the first few days. Luckily there was a supplement of rye break and honey/cranberry jam as an alternative. I might add that after a few days, not surprisingly visitors including myself were going to the shop and buying cereal, yoghurt etc :P. Around 10am we all assembled into the carpark and found a seat for a journey to a village approximately 45 minutes drive away. Most of us headed off in the direction of the end of the valley which ended in what appeared like a steep slope (see pic). We wound our way up the side of the hill which was extremley picturesque. There was a stream of water on the left hand side and a waterfall about half way up. When we reached the top we went down into another valley where there was a small village set on the hill (see pic). Everyone sat down at the local restuarant, eager to taste the local cuisine. The most popular dish was probably strudel, which you can get everywhere in the region and another dish consisting of pancakes chopped up with jam. Pretty good food on the whole, walking an hour up a hill makes it much more satisfying as well an excuse to lash out. A few decided to keep walking in the direction of a waterfall close by while the rest of us made our way back down the slope. I got to chat with Antonio which was fun, interesting how much you an communicate with a mixture of very basic Italian and English vocab! Once back in the village everyone chilled in the restaurant for a while before we snaked our way back to the pensione in the cars. Dinner was a three course meal once again, and the same feeling of having eaten too much sunk in. For something different we had our evening meeting outside round a campfire set against a stunning backdrop. Matt was asked to lead choruses by Pr Alf which led to some funny moments where he didn't have a clue what was going on. Pr Pino was due to give the talk when we came to the realisation there was no light for him to read his bible! Luckily someone had a headlight handy so all was ok in the end. Following the talk came an extended period of spontaneous items from couple's or groups. Some did so willingfully while others had to be given a little persuasion from the audience i.e. cheers and clapping to get themselves in the limelight. The enjoyable night was concluded by most people heading up into Natz for the customary evening 'chocolata' (hot chocolate). Tommorow we head into the BIG mountains, the dolomites...Please leave comments, thanks! Also have lots more pictures here: Photobucket

Italian Camp

Hello everyone,
It's been over a week since i got back from Italy and now i've finally got the chance to sit down and make a record of what happened and my thoughts along the way. So here goes...

The morning of Friday the tenth of August was a special day for me for two reasons. The first was that it was my birthday (I turned 19)! The second and slightly more obvious was it was the day i would head off on a day long journey to a little town in the north of Italy. To set the scene i shall give a little background information. Nicki, Matt, Maddie, Jo and Chigga had all flown out of London the previous night to go to the camp. They were only staying until Monday evening due to work commitments however i was planning to stay for the whole duration (a week). So anyway i got up reasonably early and made a few last minute preparations for the trip. I gave myself heaps of time to get there as i was trying to be as organized as possible... just the way i am i think :) After about an hour and a half i made it to Stansted Airport and went straight to the check in line. The lady on the desk informed me that my luggage was too large for the conveyor belt and that id have to take it elsewhere. In my ignorance though i walked off and only later realised i should of picked up my bag! For a brief moment i thought i might not see my luggage again but that was quickly quelled as being paranoia. I headed for the travellex office and collected some cold hard cash (euro's) for which would hopefully last the next ten days id be adventuring. After killing some time reading some magazines i checked my watch and decided i should make my way to the security queue, which i might add was massive. After what was probably half an hour i found myself at the departure gate and eventually on the plane and ready to go. To pass the time i responded to a couple of b'day txt's and quietly chuckled as i read my b'day card from my pez that had arrived a couple of days earlier (you have to read my bro's comment). About half way through the flight the window seat i had acquired provided some spectacular views of what i assume was the Austrian Alps. The huge peaks covered in snow and gigantic valleys gave me a real sense of perspective i.e. how small the hills are in Hobart amongst other things. The houses and landscape just prior to landing showed off the rows of tree's neatly aligned and trimmed. That as well as the typical orange coloured roof's of the houses are what stuck in my mind in regards to the landscape. I was surprised to find out how small the airport was where i landed, having thought that nowhere could top what tassie has to offer. A 45 minute bus ride later and i found myself at Verona train station. I was abit nervous about the whole train business. Luckily the ticket machine was in English and so buying a ticket was no drama's. Finding the right platform was another issue though. After going onto some random platform i asked (hand signal's mostly) a local where my train would be leaving from. He turned out to be really helpful and quickly got me going on my way. Problem overcome! I found myself a seat after double checking the train was actually going where i wanted to go and proceeded to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. After leaving Verona we winded our way up into this huge valley. The scenery stayed pretty consistent throughout the 2 hour trip but the different houses, farms etc littered all over the mountain kept me engrossed. It amazed me how they built houses in places that look totally inaccessible and impossible to get to! Upon arrival i set off in the direction of the town of Bressaone hoping to find a bus to Natz. I got as far as the bus depot which was completely empty and decided it was probably safer/easier to get picked up. Pastor Helmut and Antonio picked me up and we had a basic conversation with his limited English. After saying hello to everyone and downing a delicious meal we had a brief chorus session and a few testimonies. It was fun singing in Italian even when on occasions you didnt know what you were singing. I started to recall as well all those number's i learnt in High School! That evening I got a lift a few km's down the road to the next village where my accomodation was. I was sharing a room with a guy from Sydney who's been living in London the last few years called Darren. At 1.30am in the morning he arrived at last after travelling up from Verona airport by car. Much to his and my surpise we discovered that the two single beds was in fact one large bed with two single sheets! lol, anyway there wasnt much we could do about it so went to sleep. Thus ended the first day of my travel's. Stay tuned for more updates...
In the mean time, check out all the pic's ive taken here.

Day in Greenwich

Hey there,
Hasn't been much to report the last couple of weeks, hence the lack of a blog update. I worked on Saturday last week so the weekend went by quite quickly. Probably the highlight was seeing a couple of recent film releases, Transformers and The Simpsons Movie. I enjoyed both of them, the former for its excellent special effects with the opening scene in particular having a huge 'wow' factor. The Simpson's was good to, although it did feel alot like a long drawn out episode. I got asked by Dan on Sunday to give a talk at the house meeting this week. I managed to scrape something together on the Wednesday, still scribbling my thoughts down on the 20 min bus ride to Dan and Alice's place. Worked out well in the end, Praise the Lord.

Today i had the day off work so it was suggested i check out Greenwich. Matt had already been previously with Laura and Sam a week ago so could fill me in on how to get there. This morning i told Nicki my plans and she decided to come with me, so her, Maddie and Jo came too. We had the choice of either getting there by train or boat, in the end we opted for the train as Matt had been somewhat 'underwhelmed' by the 55 min journey along the Thames. After 20 min we got off and followed the signs to a Huge park. It was there where the maritime museum and royal obsevatory were located. The museum was packed full of lots of things all to do with ships, from early explorers to the history of passenger vessels. The most interesting exhibits were of a selection of small models war ships and a brief history of passenger ships, culminating in the 'Grand Princess' released in 1998.

We headed for a cafe and got some drinks, maddie's icecream unfortunately fell on the ground. By this stage she was getting quite tired, having stayed up late the night before. Eventually we made our way up the hill in the centre of the park to the Observatory. In the main court yard area there was the prime meridian line layed out on the ground. The tourist's seemed quite keen to take photographs of themselves on the line :) The view from the hill was pretty cool as you could see some sky rise buildings and the huge 02 Arena, not to mention the historic buildings in the park. We wandered through some of the buildings before we heard over a speakerphone that a guided tour would be starting shortly in the main courtyard. It was quite interesting hearing about the history of the place and the people that lived there. By the sounds of it there live's were not the most exciting, getting paid 100 pounds a year to map the stars every single night. Definitely not my idea of fun! According to the guide in the 17th century there was a 20 000 pound reward declared(3million in today's money) for whoever could build an accurate way of keeping the time aboard a ship. The idea of this was, that if you knew the time relative to GMT then you could calculate the latitude of the ship and that combined with a longitude value could be used to calculate the ship's position. Anyway, there were various problems associated with using ordinary clocks such as the movement back and forth of the ship and temperature etc. This one man set about designing a clock which could overcome these problems. He dedicated his whole life to finding a solution to this problem and winning the prize money... it wasn't until the fourth design that he made that he managed to convince the panel of judges that he was worthy of the reward(you can see each of them working on display). The irony was that when he finally got the money he'd worked so far for, he died 3 years later! I thought that was quite funny and made me wonder what was motivating him to complete this machine, the money, fame or maybe a chance to make difference in the world. Forty five minutes later and we were ready to go home, Maddie had in the mean time fallen asleep. We had a quick stop at a art and crafty market where Nicki found a watch she liked. Lasagna for tea, the perfect way to finish a good day out! Hope you like the pics. Cya, gad

Hey Guys,
As some of you know the 'le tour de france' came to london on the weekend. It had been something id been looking forward to for a while, in fact ever since i knew i was coming over here. On friday evening after work i headed to trafalgar square for the riders presentation. As i headed down i immediately regretted not bringing my camera with me as i knew there would be a huge crowd. I made my down just as they were about to start. After a short video promoting the race and a few facts about its size etc they presented each of the teams. It was good to see the riders up close that i've been watching on T.V for the last few years. I waited around till that had finished and then a pop band came onto play. They were pretty average however i stuck around and read the paper for abit before heading home. The next day the racing would begin with a 8km time trial through hyde park.
On saturday morning i helped Dan clean the house up abit before i got some keys cut from a place down the road. Matt went to the pub down the road while i took a train to the closest station. I walked into the park and already there was huge crowds three hours before the start. I bought myself a souvenir t-shirt and then found a nice spot along the road to watch the riders warming up. Even as they were warming up the speed they were traveling at was quite impressive. I took a few pics and then found a nice spot on the grass where a big screen was located. For about an hour they had a long caravan of cars which were mostly advertising, people speaking into megaphones, throwing away freebies, girls waving etc etc. They had a few kangaroo cars promoting south australia i think as well. Anyway when that was done and dusted i got to watch some more riders warming up around the course. Then finally the race was on with the riders going by at a furious pace in approximately one minute intervals. After about an hour of hugging the railings with other people in close proximity i headed for the grass and relaxed there to watch the big name riders do their thing. Attempts to meet up with Matt and co proved futile due to the HUGE crowds (least a million came out to watch it) and my phone battery dieing. Still it was a good day out and i enjoyed myself.

On monday i had the day off work so i decided to head off to, yes you guessed it, another museum. This time it was to be the Imperial war museum as Dan had reccomended it and plus im abit of a fan of modern world history. Arrived their around 12ish and was immediately mpressed by the huge guns outside the entrance to the building. In the main hall there was a huge array of different vehicles from world war 1 and world war 2, most of those being tanks. I headed downstairs to the ww1 exhibition. They had recreated a trench that you could walk through which was quite realistic and the conversations from the dummies added to the immersion. The actual info was laid out really well, with plenty of interesting things to look at to go with the boards on topics. They had a 5 min show that ran every ten minutes which recreated what it would be like in a bombing raid in London. After 3-4 hours in there i headed home slightly exhausted however its another place ill have to check out again in the near future. Bye!

Update: For those who are interested, here's a couple of pic's of the two main counter's i've been working on. Note the charcuterie stuff is all wrapped and covered because i took the photo after we had closed, but u get the idea.

Working in a big city....

Last week while i was in the hostel where we were staying i got a call from a temp agency asking me if i could make an interview for that afternoon. I quickly got into gear to get ready and headed for the tube following the directions that i had been given in the txt message. In some back alley in london i found the place and headed up not really knowing what to expect. After filling out some forms i had an interview/discussion with a nice lady regarding a job at a place called Fortnum and Masons. She described it as a really posh upmarket place where all the 'richies' went shopping, wearing suits, top hats etc. She told me she was waiting for a phone call to get more details about the position but it seemed they needed staff immediately so i was told that id be contacted soon. All was going well so far.

The next day i was at a bit of a lossreally know what to do as Matt had gone to work and i had checked out most of the stuff in the area i.e parks, museums etc. After meandering in the park for a while i got the call i had been semi expecting with the information i was to start tommorow! After pondering on it for a while i headed off to buy some clothes in Oxford street. I thought i had better look the part if what i had been told was true. I ended up buying a cheap pair of shoes, socks and a shirt.

Friday was abit crazy for me to say the least. I got up early in Euston (north London) and headed towards picadilly only to find when i got there that the station was closed. I promptly got out of the station and tried get my bearings. There was police tape all along Leicester square which i thought was abit odd, by this time i was wishing i had allowed more time. After consulting my trusty A to Z i eventually found the street i was after and made my way up the six floors to the HR department. It turned out i wasnt the only one late as i waited for nearly twenty minutes before being told what i would be doing for the day. Due to the lack of staff i was placed in the food hall in the hands of an Italian, the man responsible for the cheese. His name was Marco and he was very friendly. The following few days i worked with the ham's and salami's with a man called pieter who is from Poland. He has a very thick accent but again hes quite friendly and happy to help me out when im unsure about something. Working with such nice food has been the best part of the job, having tried some joselito off the bone. Its a spanish ham that comes from a semi wild pig that feeds mostly on acorns. Very tasty but also extremely $$$ at 15 pounds per 100g or you can buy the whole leg for a cool $3000 AUD. The worst part about the job is the often boring intervals of time when there are no customers and seemingly nothing to do other then wait...and also the slight inconvenience of having to walk up 8 flights of stairs to get to my break, sign in for the day etc. The job was meant to only be for two weeks but hopefully that gets extended abit longer so i don't have to find another job in a hurry as this one pays pretty well and is quite good on the whole:) Ive got tomorrow off work, yay! Ill have to write next time about the tour de france prologue that went through the streets of London last Saturday. Till then, Bye!