What Took You So Long?
Well, we finally made it!
We left Broome at 2:00 pm on Tuesday and arrived at our accommodation in Rome at around 11:00 pm on Wednesday (Broome time). It was a very long couple of days, and by the end of it we were definitely ready for a shower and a bed.
The real adventure started when we landed in Rome. The lines and confusion at the airport were something else! There seemed to be queues everywhere, but nobody knew what they were queuing for. We just followed the crowd and hoped for the best. It ended up taking us almost two and a half hours to get out of the airport, which was a little frustrating!
Thankfully, once we arrived at our little apartment in Monti, things improved quickly. It's a lovely spot and we're right on the doorstep of Rome's historic centre. After all those hours of travelling, it was pretty exciting to finally step outside and realise we were actually in Rome!
Ancient Rome (The Archaeological Zone)
This is the oldest part of Rome and where, according to legend, the city was founded in 753 BC. Walking through this area feels a bit like stepping back in time. It's home to many of the grand monuments of the Roman Republic and Empire and is packed with history around every corner.
More exploring to come!
Day 1 in Rome
Date: 18-06-26
Temperature: 35 °
Steps:. 15000
We started the day with a bit of a wander to get our bearings, followed by breakfast at a little café around the corner. Stavros, as usual, was navigating like a local while I am struggling to find our apartment in the building (unfortunately , I'm not exaggerating).
One of us had read somewhere that many of Rome's basilicas are open to the public and well worth a visit, so we decided to pop into our local one and pay our respects. It was absolutely magnificent, completely over the top in the best possible way. The artwork, sculptures, gold leaf and soaring ceilings were glorious, extravagant, and just a little bit insane. I loved every minute of it.
Colosseum
After breakfast, we made our way down to the Colosseum. Surprisingly, it felt a bit like walking into Optus Stadium or the MCG. Same vibes more lions. The crowds weren't too bad early in the morning, although it was still busy. Seeing it in person was incredible. We were completely blown away by the scale of it and the engineering involved in building something so monumental.
From there, we wandered through the Roman Forum, taking in the ruins and some spectacular views across the ancient city. The history was spectacular and the people watching was also stellar. I like to try and guess people's nationality based on their fashion. It means I have to stalk them to hear their accents. It's not creepy.
Eventually, we made the long walk back to our neighbourhood in the blazing midday sun and rewarded ourselves with some much-needed victuals and a bevie at a little local restaurant. It is common in Italy to have a glass of wine with lunch, which I am going to work on embedding as a daily habit. The pasta was sensational too—one Carbonara and one Bolognaise, we definitely replaced every calorie burnt.
Finally, the moment Stavros had been training for. SIESTA or in Italy riposo.
Riposo is the traditional Italian midday break—often referred to as la pausa or a siesta—where small shops, family-run businesses, and some museums lower their shutters for an extended lunch. It typically lasts for 2 to 3 hours, usually running from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM or 4:00 PM.
After siesta we wandered again. Aperitivo, bruschetta and tiramisu.
Day 2 in Rome
Date: 19-06-26
Temperature: 34 °
Steps:. 18000
We left early and did the Pantheon, Trevi fountain, Castel St Angelo, Vatican and the Jewish Quarter, plus some city neighbourhoods when we took a shortcut and were not lost.
You might think this is a look of love after all of these years, it's not. He was mocking my attempt at a selfie, because he is so good with technology.
We struggled to find a nasoni (drinking water fountain) until I found the app, they are actually everywhere.
Didn't notice the body in red when I took this.
Our flight to Malta with Air Italy was cancelled for some reason,so we have rebooked with Malta air and head off early to stand in random lines at the airport.
Day 3 Malta
Date: 20-06-26
Saturday
Temperature: 30°
Steps:. 8805 all hills and staircases.
An easy " domestic " flight from Rome, just over an hour. No passport checks. We arrived in Valletta around 11am.
What a place! It is so beautiful it's difficult to describe. Very Game of Thrones!
It is busy, but very laid back and easy to navigate, even for me.
Valletta
Happy hour again!
Day 4 Valletta, Malta
Date: 21-06-26
Sunday
Temperature: 30°
Steps:. 14401 all hills and staircases.
For Haz. World Cup fever is huge here!
Little leftovers from being a British colony.
Obsessed with the door lined streets.
I love the doors, all different and beautiful.
OMG the stairs!
Drinking on an angle.
Giving vampire vibes.
Day 5 Valletta,Malta
Date: 22-06-26
Monday
Temperature: 30°
Steps:. 9879 all hills and staircases.
Don't pay the ferryman.
We went looking for the ferry to Sliema and found little traditional boats that will take you for 3 euro each, about $5 per person, it was lovely on the water and the trip took 10 minutes. Sliema was very busy and touristy, some good shops.
Steve marching into Next.
Tried the national dish, rabbit stew. Delicious! More step drinking.
Moving on to Rabat tomorrow ( where I was born).
Day 6 Rabat, Malta
Date: 23-06-26
Tuesday
Temperature: 30°
Steps: 8500
Got an Uber from Valletta to Rabat. About 10 kms, took 30 minutes. Much more laid back and traditional here. We looked at the catacombs and went to the Silent city of Mdina. Silent because it is a walled city with no road traffic. Very interesting and medieval. Some of the GOT scenes with Arya and the waif were filmed here.
Absolutely NOT having horse stew!!
Day 7 M'Tarfa and Rabat, Malta
Date: 24-06-26
Wednesday
Temperature: 29°
Steps: 12000
Well, this is what we came for.
It was quite an emotional day for me, thinking about Mum and Dad and the years they spent living in Malta. We walked from Rabat over to M'tarfa (only about a kilometre), doing our best not to die in the heat, to visit the hospital where I was born and see the buildings that would have been military quarters back in the day.
A local shopkeeper told us that this part of Malta remained under British control until the 1980s, when the land was gradually sold off to local residents. These days it's a very quiet area, mostly residential, with little hint of its military past.
We also checked out some ancient wheel ruts carved into the rock, just on a vacant block of land. Of course, Stavros had read all about them beforehand and just happened to "accidentally" find them as we walked past. Lots of cats everywhere and the locals put out food for them, Dad would have loved that, he was such an animal lover.
M'Tarfa clock tower.
Probably what their flat looked like.
This looks like it was taken in Valletta.
In their Malta garden.
Day 8
Date: 25-06-26
Thursday
Temperature: 29°
Steps: 8000 ish, lots of time driving today.
We hired a car so we could do some exploring. It's a cute little Ford Puma, very zippy. The driving is ok, ( for me because I'm not driving) but parking is a challenge. We used the inbuilt navigator for our first trip to look at some archaeological stuff and must have accidentally selected " only use goat tracks" OMG! It was interesting/ terrifying, tiny little walled lanes through farms, complete with unexpected excavators knocking down stone walls. A very Maltese experience.
We went to see two archaeological sites, the birth place of Khal Drogo and Hagar the Horrible or something like that. They are thousands of years old and pre date the pyramids. They just don't build em like they used to.
Ħaġar Qim (Maltese pronunciation: [ˈħɐd͡ʒɐr ˈʔiːm]; lit. 'Worshipping Stones') is a megalithic temple complex found on the Mediterraneanisland of Malta, dating from the Ġgantija phase (3600–3200 BC).[1]The Megalithic Temples of Malta are among the most ancient religious sites on Earth,[2] described by the World Heritage Sites committee as "unique architectural masterpieces."[3] In 1992 UNESCO recognized Ħaġar Qim and four other Maltese megalithic structures as World Heritage Sites
The Hypogeum of Ħal Saflieni is a Neolithic subterranean structure dating to the Saflieni phase in Maltese prehistory, located in Paola, Malta. It is often simply referred to as the Hypogeum, literally meaning "underground" in Greek. Wikipedia
The Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum is an outstanding underground burial complex that bears testimony to a civilization that has disappeared. It was in use between 4000 BC and 1500BC. Covering a remarkable 500 square metres, it was amongst the first Maltese entries on the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the Ġgantija Megalithic Site.
Some of the religious stuff for Brother Travis.
Everything is so ornate.
Last day in Malta tomorrow, planning to find a beautiful beach, drink some Maltese wine and enjoy the Mediterranean before we head to Scotland.
Day 9
Date: 26-06-26
Friday
Temperature: 30°
Steps:
We spent our last day in Malta at the beach. You had to descent a cliff via a staircase for about a kilometre. Hire of two chairs and an umbrella was $50 but the swim in the Mediterranean was worth it!
We drove through St Paul's and Golden Bay and checked out some of the popular tourist areas. It was all stunning, but so busy!! We are so lucky in Australia and particularly Broome with the beautiful beaches we can access and have no one else in view!
This is Maltese ftira - so delicious.
Ally can you add this to your sourdough repertoire please?
Day 10 Edinburgh
Date: 27-06-26
Saturday
Temperature:°
Steps:
Arrived in Edinburgh around 5pm after a few flight delays, but we finally made it! We caught the bus into town, found our hotel with no trouble, and headed out to wander around the city. What a welcome, several drunks and crazies, lots of fun.
Dinner was proper Scottish food, a pie and a pint. Steve was impressed with his steak pie, tasted like Trahair's in Kalgoorlie apparently.
The city has such a great atmosphere, with so much happening everywhere you look. I can't wait to explore more tomorrow and the shopping looks awesome, tartan and highland coos everywhere.
Day 11 Edinburgh
Date: 28-06-26
Sunday
Temperature:19°
Steps: 11000 but the hill climbs and steps are insane!
Can't fault it, we have had a fantastic day wandering around the city. This morning Stavros was mucking around exchanging money or some kind of pleb task and I was stood in the street listening to a piper and taking it all in and not going to lie, a little bit emotional. It has raised so many memories. So many things I hadn't thought of for years! We took the obligatory selfie, which I asked the robots to enhance and we finished the day by jagging a seat at an amazing Indian restaurant. We were lucky enough to walk right in and after us people were lined up for ages. Ok I will give it to the poms, it was the best Indian I have ever had in my life! Looking forward to to Dundee tomorrow!
SIDE NOTE: Last night, when we got back from dinner, we realised our neighbours were having some kind of music rehearsal. I thought it was a guitar. Stephen (now answering only to Andrew Lloyd Webber) insists it was a sitar. I mean he would definitely know what a sitar sounds like if anyone does. Either way, it was loud and repetitive.
This concert went on for hours. I tried every passive-aggressive tactic in the book, loud comments, dramatic cupboard slamming, exaggerated sighing... nothing. By 11:30 pm they were still going strong, so I resorted to knocking on the wall between our rooms in the universal language of "please, stfu"
Unfortunately, this also woke Stavros, who skipped straight past passive aggression and went full percussion section on their door. They responded by yelling in a language neither of us recognised and enthusiastically banging back, it sounded like at least 6 people.
Eventually, one of two things happened: they gave up... or I finally fell asleep. (I was ready to rumble obvs but also tired).
I've just heard them arrive back at the hotel.
Stay tuned for Round Two of Hotel Neighbour Feuds. 🎸🎶🥊
Day 12 & 13 Dundee
Date: 29-06-26 to 30-06-26
Monday - Tuesday
Temperature:17° 4 seasons in one day
Steps:
We had one last wander around Edinburgh, where I somehow managed to find a pair of earrings that perfectly match my tattoo. Clearly they were meant to come home with me! Then it was time to hop on the train to Dundee, my mum's hometown.
My cousin Colin and his daughter Debbie also caught the train to Dundee from March and Chester. We met up at the hotel bar before heading out for dinner, which made for a lovely first evening together. The nicest people! I felt instantly connected to both of them.
Today they hired a car and treated us to the most amazing personalised tour of Dundee. We visited Mum's family home, the schools she attended, and the hospital where she began her nursing career. Some places brought a lump to my throat, while others had us laughing at Colin's stories. He really is a brilliant storyteller and brought so many family memories to life.
We also drove out to the seaside at Broughty Ferry, where Mum's family used to go, stopped for a beer at my grandad's little local pub, and then continued on to St Andrews, where Steve and Colin happily provided their own running golf commentary, despite there not being a tournament in sight.
To top off a brilliant day, proper fish and chip dinner. It doesn't get much better than that. I'm so grateful for this experience, how awesome to spend this time with my Scottish family. They have promised to visit us in Broome, I hope they do!!
Day 13 - 14 Aberdeen to Inverness
Date: 01-07-26 to 02-07-26
Wednesday - Thursday
Temperature:17° 4 seasons in one day, felt much colder, the wind was arctic
Steps:
Wednesday started with breakfast with Colin before we said our goodbyes and jumped on the train to Aberdeen.
My cousin Ian picked us up from the hotel and took us back to his place in Westhill to meet his wife Carol and, best of all, reconnect with my Aunty Sheena, my Dad's sister. It was one of those afternoons that reminds you why family history matters. We heard more stories about the Stuart and Anderson families and discovered we come from a long line of gardeners, cooks and animal lovers. There we go, a few things started making sense!
Ian's cottage garden is absolutely magnificent. I could have wandered around it for hours. And then there's Aunty Sheena. At 92 she's sharp, and full of stories, you would never guess her age. Spending time with her was something I'll treasure.
That night we headed to a cosy little village pub to catch up with even more cousins—Kathryn, Charlotte and Evelyn (Ian's sisters), their hilarious partners. There were lots of laughs, stories flying in every direction and enough colourful personalities to keep us entertained all night. They completely ignored our attempts to pay for dinner, taught us some Scottish sayings and sent us on our way armed with bags of lollies for the trip. Can highly recommend rhubarb and custard sweets!
This morning we caught the bus to Aberdeen Airport, picked up our hire car and set off into the Highlands. We drove through Tomintoul, where my Granny and Grandad lived for a while, before ending up in Inverness for the night.
I know everyone says Scotland is beautiful, but nothing quite prepares you for it. Every bend in the road revealed another postcard worthy view and every five minutes one of us was saying, "We have to stop here!" Mountains, forests, rivers, heather-covered hills... it just kept getting better.
We've topped the day off with another fantastic dinner, and tomorrow we're off to Fort William via Loch Ness. If Nessie could put in a quick appearance, that would really round out the day.
Day 15 Through the Highlands. Inverness - Isle of Skye - Fort William.
We'll be didn't see a Monster in the Loch, just outrageously beautiful wilderness. We stopped so many times because it was breathtaking. The countryside changed around every turn and it is so perfect it actually looks like AI!
Had lunch on the Isle of Skye. Met a herd of Highland Coos ( Trip highlight) and now in Fort William for the night. This is the middle of summer and it is cold! I don't think we could cope with winter!
I'm definitely having a wee dram of whisky tonight! In honour of Dad and to keep out the cold.
Speaking of Dad. When we were with the Aberdeen mob they were telling us some of the local words and they were all so familiar from my childhood and bought back so many memories. It is called “Doric” and is the dialect of North Eastern Scotland.
Aye-Yes
Nae-No
Bairn-Child
Loon-Boy
Quine-Girl
Blether -Chat
Braw-Excellent, splendid
Muckle- big, large
Dreich- miserable, cold, drizzly weather
Clarty- Muddy
Messages-Groceries/shopping
Greet - cry
Bide- live, stay
Sark- shirt
and lots more which I hope will one back to me😁
This grace was often said in our house, as a bog in don’t wait kind of thing. I hadn't thought about it for years.
Talisker
Day 16 Fort William to Glasgow
The hotel we stayed at in Fort William was a bit Fawlty Towers, unfortunately no Basil. The rain set in, not too heavy just consistent. The drive through to Glasgow was unbelievable, we couldn't see the tops of the mountains for mist, but it was stunning and so vast. Glasgow was going off last night, party town.
We are leaving Scotland today for two nights in London before heading home.
Curry sauce on chips mmmm
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