Bern and Neil's Travels

A photo diary of the places we've been

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Life around camp is laid back for sure

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It far from Gellibrand is the Californian Redwood Forest . So quiet, quite small in area but the trees are giants

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Gellibrand at Easter is an annual favourite. It lacks the luxuries but the experiences pack a powerful punch.

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Our Top 10 moments from the ceremony

1. The amazing dress

2 . My amazing family looking sharp

3. The service itself... a highlight of love and commitment

4. The Wedding Crew

5. Blacksmith Provedore Mulwayla... perfect venue for a getaway wedding

6. Guest list... all the good people in our lives

7. The speeches, Neil and Brad did very well.

8. The cocktails

9. The vibe including the weather

10. The last song from the DJ.

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COVID-19 was the lead up to Chris and Lyndsay’s wedding. After lots of shakey experiences like border closures, lockdowns that stopped us from travelling outside a 5km and mask wearing whenever we were outside the big weekend arrived and we were COVID safe. We crossed over into NSW and found out accomodation at Mulwayla Ski Club. It served the purpose well. Neil and I in the motor home and Brad, Bec, Ruby, Max, Aimee, Matt and Harry all stayed next to us in the upstairs apartment. The Wally World gang stayed in cabins at the cp. We arrived on Thursday and spent the day socialising and relaxing.Friday was also quite chilled out and a few appointments. My hair was a great success and makeup quite nice. We visited the boys getting ready at their house. Timing was good. We were off to pre drinks before the wedding. The anticipation waiting for Lyndsay was exciting. She was certainly the razzle dazzle bride . Absolutely beautiful. We loved everything about the service they planned themselves. It was sincere and full of love and commitment. The song they chose at the start and end was The Heart is a Muscle. The wedding celebrant was Lyndsay’s friend and she conducted a beautiful service. It was definitely different to any other wedding- no religious connections at all.

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Grandma’s 83rd Birthday.

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Emirates Stakes Day

Wonderful weather, gorgeous fashion, delicious food, delightful company.

Thank you for a lovely day everyone.

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Tom took us to his new cafe that is due to open in December. 

He told us the story of the unknown Emirate coming into Tom&Serg cafe daily and sitting inconspicuously at a table watching what was going on. After a few weeks he introduced himself. He was a very wealthy Businessman and was building a new hotel along Sheikh Zayed Rd. He was looking for a new concept for the cafe. He invited Tom and Serg to become interested and things have progressed since then. 

The apartments are already operating but the hotel is still a building site. 

Tom has incredible passion and vision. He loved showing us his plans. The new cafe will have a similar industrial look to Tom&Serg and will be called “The Sum of Us’. He is keen to operate this cafe in a similar way but not let the franchise dictate the way it will evolve. 

With so many hotels and huge buildings with businesses booming, Tom seems to be on a good thing.

It is an amazing success story about the St Joey’s boy from Geelong. 

We are all very proud of his hard work and dedication. 

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Tom was a gracious host while we were in Dubai. I have followed his Facebook and Instagram so I was really looking forward to seeing the cafe. It is a great space, with a buzz and a fantastic atmosphere. The food is simple, tasty and Australian. The staff are friendly and welcoming. Ex pats, Emirates  and locals come for the great coffee and relaxed vibe.

Tom picked us up after work and took us to where he lives at The Marina. We  watched the sun set over The Palm and met up with Irena at the Yacht Club. Only in Dubai would you sit outside in high humidity with an air conditioner trying to keep you cool. 

Thank you Tom for this great day. All the very best to you and Irena as you plan your wedding day. 

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Four Points Sheraton

Sheikh Zayed Road

Dubai is a happening place. Last time we visited in 2008, we stayed in the old part and I never quite got my bearings around this vast city. 

This time we stayed half way between each end on the main road. Tom explained that Dubai has two ends and nothing much in between. 

Our location was great for exploring both parts and locating Toms&Serg in the Al Quoz area. 

We were exhausted after the intensive last days in Istanbul. The welcome sight of a gorgeous room with a magnificent view of the buildings along Sheikh Zayed Road was very welcome. The bathroom was the size of the bedrooms that we had become used to in Turkey. 

We arrived in Dubai at 2:30AM. Even then the weather was 34 degrees after a 43 degree day. The humidity was so high that the phone revealed that it 'felt like' 52! I knew that we wouldn't be spending very much time outside in Dubai!.

We travelled the busy Sheikh Zayed Rd quite a few times during our four days in Dubai. The buildings are amazing. The colours are varied- blue, green, gold, and the architecture is spectacular. 

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BUSY BEES

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Aya Sofya

We visited many places where people gathered to worship during this tour of Turkey, Ireland and England. They are all important monuments and rich in history. You cannot help feeling spiritual and believing that there is something real and worthy in the stories that have withstood so many wars and upheavals throughout  history. 

The Hagia Sophia is an extraordinary building. it was built around 500 AD and seen as the greatest Christian church until it was converted into a mosque in 1400s. In 1935 Ataturk proclaimed it as a museum. 

We enjoyed exploring the floors and galleries. We tried to digest the long complicated history. We knocked on Heaven's door and entered!

The magnificent mosaics grabbed my attention. They are childhood memories because we had similar pictures hanging in family members homes and in the old days little holy pictures were like swap cards and they were gorgeous. 

I still love them. The mosaics are being restored. They are magnificent. 

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Beyoglu, Istanbul

We left our hotel at 10:30 the morning we explored Beyoglu and we returned at 7:30. It was a huge day of walking!

Beyoglu is very different to the old city. It is modern Istanbul with galleries, cafes and boutiques. The grand boulevard leads to Taksim Square. All the big name, high end stores are along this busy pedestrian street. 

We reached Taksim Square where the riots occurred in May and June, 2014. Apparently social media connected 3.5 million protestors across 5,000 demonstrations during the months of uprising. 11 people were killed and 8,000 injured during the troubles. The list of complaints from the protestors were varied from social to environmental concerns. 

The story of the rainbow stairs was interesting. Beyoglu is built on a very steep hill and there are many sets of steps. A member of the community began painting a set of stairs in rainbow colours to add some colour to the area. The public loved the idea but the Government painted over the steps in a dull grey colour. Twitter went into overdrive and other neighbourhoods joined in a movement of defiance against the government. 

“The air of conflict that our world is caught in, all those human losses, misery need healing. Colorful scenes might be a remedy.”

The rainbow stairs is an inspiring story of a peaceful protest against an oppressive government.

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Galata Bridge, Istanbul

We kept going back to this happening place.

The fishermen must catch plenty of fish because there are always anglers and lines stretching the length of the bridge.

We were intrigued from all the angles- The Golden Horn, the Old Town where we stayed, Beyoglu (across the bridge where we walked to Taksim Square), ferry cruises along the Bosphorus Strait, looking  across to Asia and along the Marmara Coast.  

Istanbul is very well situated! 

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Street Food along the Galata Bridge

Cafes, restaurants, street food- no need to go hungry in this magical area. 

The street food is fresh, tasty, cheap and plenty of choice to tantalise the taste buds. Fast food in Istanbul is very healthy!

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One last visit to the Spice Bazaar

It is a feast for the eyes. The colours of the spices are amazing. The displays are gorgeous. There are so many varieties of Turkish Delight that it is too difficult to make a choice. Stunning!

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Canakkale to Gallipoli

The ferry crossing from Canakkale to Gallipoli, across the Dandanelles began a day of mixed emotion. 

Ozan guided us around the battlefields. The familiar names of the sites of ANZAC lessons over the years became a reality. Today the battlefields are peaceful places. The memories of the 120,000 people who died in this campaign makes it a haunting place. 80,000 Turks, 44,000 British and French, 8,500 Australians and 2,700 New Zealanders - so many soldiers who gave their lives fighting for control of the narrow stretch of water that is the gateway to Europe. 

The cemeteries and memorials of Gallipoli stretch along the peninsula. There are 22,000 graves but only 9,000 of these are actual burials. Approximately 27,000 men are commemorated by name at 5 memorials. Lone Pine was a very sombre place. 

Our mini bus driver didn't speak English and we didn't speak Turkish. It was difficult to communicate most of the time, expect by a friendly smile. He ran up behind Neil at ANZAC Cove and wanted a photo.... 

' There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side now here in this country of ours... you, the mothers, who sent their sons from faraway countries wipe away your tears; your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace. After having lost their lives on this land they have become our sons as well.'