Categories
Adelaide

A Night of Illuminations

A Night Of Illuminations

It was getting close to 10PM, the summer air had cooled and I pulled my scarf closer around me as we joined the people gathered in front of the Art Gallery of South Australia.

The normally brown facade was changing. A blue bird perched itself on a rock, peered at us, and then flew off, disappearing in to the black. Fish swam into view, before jumping and diving their way around the building. Waves of ocean were quickly dispersed by blades of green grass. A stegosaurus appeared out of nowhere.

Tom Moore's surreal 'The Bureau of Comical Ecologies' projected on to the Art Gallery of South Australia
Tom Moore’s surreal ‘The Bureau of Comical Ecologies’ projected on to the Art Gallery of South Australia

Tom Moore’s ‘The Bureau of Comical Ecologies’ is just one of the many projections on display as part of the Adelaide Fringe Illuminations. A free event held as part of the Fringe, the projected ‘Illuminations’ are displayed on buildings along Adelaide’s North Terrace, and just add to the fun of being in Adelaide right now.

South Australia is known as ‘The Festival State’, and at this time of year, Adelaide plays host to so many festivals that we call it ‘Mad March’. It all begins in February, with the Adelaide Fringe Festival, the largest arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere. But we don’t stop there. We cram the rest of February and all of March full with even more festivals: the Adelaide Festival of the Arts, the Clipsal 500 car race, the world music festival WOMAD, and the Adelaide Cup to name a few. You find yourself going to two shows every night and needing a rest by the time April comes around!

We stood and watched the Art Gallery animated projection as it finished its cycle, and then moved on to the next beautifully lit up building along North Terrace, dodging pedalos ferrying people between Fringe shows, and stopping to listen to a Scottish bagpiper on the way.

Roll Up Roll Up by The Electric Canvas - projections on the South Australian Museum
Roll Up Roll Up by The Electric Canvas – projections on the South Australian Museum

Ever since I went to the Sound and Light Show at Château de Blois I’ve been fascinated about how projections like these can transform these beautiful buildings from something I’m used to seeing every day to amazing works of art. In just one hundred metres, you could see portrayals of Aboriginal culture, learn about the treasures of the State Library, discover the surreal ecology on the Art Gallery of South Australia, and be entranced by the circus montages on both the South Australian Museum and Bonython Hall.

You could even try it out for yourself, with a station set up to give passers-by three minutes to try creating their own works of projected art!

The Fringe Illuminations is on from February 12 – 28 2016 from 8:30PM – 1:30AM.

Categories
Musings

Hello February!

Hello February!Where did January go?! Every year it seems that time speeds up and each month flashes by faster than the last one. Now January has disappeared in a haze of summer holidays and February is already upon us! Time to make some plans for this month.

I never do well with following up on my New Year’s resolutions in January. With the start of a new month, it’s a perfect time to reboot, and plan to fit more language learning, day trips, and relaxation into my days.

Here’s what I’m working on for February:

Re-introducing myself to French

This will technically be the sixth year I’ve learned French, so you’d expect me to be pretty good, right? Mais non! Having taken a break from it since last October, I can feel myself forgetting my vocab and grammar. Classes start back this month, and at the level I’m at, staying quiet and self-doubting in class is not an option anymore. If I’m going to get better, I must practice speaking.

I need to drag out my French books, brush up on my vocab, and face my fears of conversing in French by attending my local French Meetup Group.

If you have any suggestions to help with this, I’d love to hear them!

Writing

I’ve taken a break from blogging, mainly due to the lack of faith I had in my writing style, and why people would care about what I write. Every time I’d sit down to write I would judge myself even before I had written anything. My mind would go blank and the doubts would creep in. This changes this month.

I need to establish a writing routine and stick to it. If I keep showing up to write, eventually the writing will happen.

Exploring my local area

I want to travel more around South Australia as well as interstate. We have so many great and interesting things to see and do here in Australia, that I want to take advantage of what my local area has to offer.

It’s unseasonably cool here in Australia at the moment (last weekend was in the low twenties) – the perfect weather to get out and about exploring the Adelaide Hills and checking out the city.

Finalising my next overseas trip

I’m currently planning to visit the US and go to Disneyland, which I’m really excited about, and working out how to fit in Canada and Ireland into the same trip. Scotland and Norway, get ready to meet your match!

What are your plans for February?

Categories
Cambodia

Climbing Ta Keo Temple

Ta Keo temple
Ta Keo temple

Don’t like heights? Then Ta Keo might not be the temple for you!

Situated to the north of Ta Prohm, Ta Keo was built during the reign of Jayavarma V (968 – 1001) and is thought to be the first of the Angkor temples to be built of sandstone.

However what most captured my attention during my visit to Ta Keo was the stairs that visitors must climb in order to reach the top of the pyramid-like temple. I love the challenge of climbing to the tops of hills and belltowers and Ta Keo offered me another!

The entrance to Ta Keo
The entrance to Ta Keo

In order to enter the temple compound itself, you have to climb up a set of wooden steps. These are easy compared with what’s to come – there are handrails and the steps are set a reasonable amount apart.

The second flight of stairs are more discouraging. The stone steps stretch up towards the sky so far that you can’t see what’s waiting for you at the top of them.

At the bottom of the daunting second flight of stairs at Ta Keo
At the bottom of the daunting second flight of stairs at Ta Keo

The final flight of stairs to the central tower, rising to almost fifty metres above ground level, are deceptive. They might not look that bad, but they are the most difficult to scale. There is no graceful way of climbing them – you have to clamber up with your hands and feet to get to the top. They lead up to a sanctuary containing a shrine to the god Shiva. (And a tip: climb down using the stairs behind the shrine – they’re much easier to navigate!)

The stairs that lead to the highest point of Ta Keo
The stairs that lead to the highest point of Ta Keo

Even if you don’t make it to the top of the third flight of stairs, you can still take a rest, catch your breath, and look over the Cambodian jungle at how far up you have climbed.

Looking over the entrance to Ta Keo temple and taking in the view from the top of the second flight of stairs
Looking over the entrance to Ta Keo temple and taking in the view from the top of the second flight of stairs

Once you’re back down on the ground level, make sure you look up at the top of the central tower as it pokes up above the wall that surrounds the temple. How fantastic it feels to know that you’ve conquered all of those stairs!

Categories
Cambodia

Guide to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, Phnom Penh

The dancer's pavilion
The dancer’s pavilion

The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh was constructed on its current site in the mid-eighteenth century after King Norodom relocated the capital from Oudong to Phnom Penh. It contains three separate compounds – one area housing the palace grounds, another containing Wat Preah Keo, and a final area where visitors can view displays of traditional costumes, music, and artefacts. The Royal Palace of Phnom Penh is the official residence of King Sihamoni, and because of this many buildings and spaces are closed to visitors. However, there are some that remain accessible: you can glimpse the opulence of the throne room, pay your respects in ‘The Silver Pagoda’ of Wat Preah Keo, and learn more about Cambodian traditions and culture in the exhibition halls.

Where is the Royal Palace of Phnom Penh?

The Royal Palace is located on Sothearos Boulevard near the riverfront of Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia.

How do I get there?

The easiest way of getting to the Royal Palace is by tuk-tuk (although if your accommodation is on the riverfront, then it could be just as easy to walk there!).

The gardens as you enter the Royal Palace
The gardens as you enter the Royal Palace

How to Dress

All visitors must conform to dress standards in order to enter the Royal Palace grounds. You will need to make sure your shoulders and knees are covered – a top with sleeves or a T-shirt, with three-quarter length trousers or a long skirt is enough. It’s also a good idea to wear shoes you can easily remove, as you must take your shoes off in order to go inside the Silver Pagoda.

A naga stands at the foot of the steps to the throne room.
A naga stands at the foot of the steps to the throne room.

What to See

It can be a bit disorienting as you enter the Royal Palace grounds, pass through the entrance gates and come out on to a large open area with manicured gardens. Don’t worry – a map of the grounds is provided with your entry ticket, and shows the expected way of visit, passing by Preah Tineang Tevea Vinichhay, Hor Samritvimean, a model of Angkor Wat, the Stupas, Wat Preah Keo, Kailassa Mountain, the Reamker Mural and the Exhibition Halls. The areas of the palace grounds that are prohibited to visitors are clearly marked with signs. If you lose your map, there is one on the wall between the Royal Palace and Wat Preah Keo compounds.

Preah Tineang Chanchhaya

Preah Tineang Chanchhaya (the throne hall) is one of the first buildings you see upon entering the palace grounds
Preah Tineang Chanchhaya (the throne hall) is one of the first buildings you see upon entering the palace grounds

Preah Tineang Chanchhaya is the royal throne hall. Built in 1917, it is the place where coronation ceremonies and meetings with foreign dignitaries are held. While you can’t step inside, you can view the throne room with its thrones and beautiful chandeliers through the open windows that surround the hall. Photos of the inside of the throne room are not allowed.

The main spire of the throne hall is magnificent in itself. Standing 59 metres tall, it displays four faces of Brahma.

The four-faced spire on the throne hall
The four-faced spire on the throne hall

Hor Samritvimean

Looking out over the grounds of the Royal Palace
Looking out over Hor Samritvimean and the grounds of the Royal Palace

The only other building within the palace compound that we were able to go inside of was listed as ‘Hor Samritvimean’ on the map we were given. It contained a collection of costumes and coronation regalia, including the seven outfits pictured below, whose mannequins were named ‘Monday’, ‘Tuesday’, ‘Wednesday’, ‘Thursday’, ‘Friday’, ‘Saturday’ and ‘Sunday’.

Mannequins inside the Hor Samritvimean wearing colourful costumes labelled as the days of the week.
Mannequins inside the Hor Samritvimean wearing colourful costumes labelled as the days of the week.

Wat Preah Keo (The Silver Pagoda)

 Wat Preah Keo (The Silver Pagoda) is known for its emerald Buddha and its silver-tiled floor
Wat Preah Keo (The Silver Pagoda) is known for its emerald Buddha and its silver-tiled floor

Wat Preah Keo is a Buddhist temple and contains an emerald Buddha. Wat Preah Keo is also known as ‘The Silver Pagoda’, because of the 5000 silver tiles that cover the floor. Unfortunately, these are hard to see, as the floor is covered up by carpet that protects the tiles from being damaged by foot traffic.

All visitors are required to remove their shoes before entering Wat Preah Keo – there are cubby holes outside where you can store your shoes.

Out of all of the buildings in the Royal Palace/Wat Preah Keo complex, this was the one that I wished had more explanations in English. There were cabinets upon cabinets of statues, icons and precious objects, and I would have loved to have known more about them and their significance.

Model of Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat in miniature
Angkor Wat in miniature

Behind Wat Preah Keo is a model of Angkor Wat. If you’ve been to the temple which is part of the UNESCO-listed Angkor region, compare it with your memories of your visit. Or, if like me you’ve yet to go to Angkor Wat, get a bird’s eye view of the miniature version before seeing the real thing.

The Mural of the Reamker

The Mural of the Reamker
Part of the Mural of the Reamker that was poking out from behind the scaffolding

The Reamker mural is a Cambodian re-telling of the story of Ramayana. It was covered up for the most part during my visit as it was undergoing restoration, but I managed to glimpse some of the sections peeking out from behind the scaffolding.

The Stupas

Her Royal Highness Kantha Bopha's stupa
Her Royal Highness Kantha Bopha’s stupa

There are four intricately decorated stupas (memorials to members of the royal family) clustered around Wat Preah Keo.

Kailassa Mountain

A statue of Buddha in the gardens of 'Kailassa Mountain'.
A statue of Buddha in the gardens of ‘Kailassa Mountain’.

This shady garden wrapped around a hill provides visitors with a well-needed escape from the sun. Take a seat on the stone wall and admire the plants and flowers in the peaceful garden, before setting off to explore more of the Royal Palace and Wat Preah Keo.

The Exhibition Halls

After you have visited the compound of the Silver Pagoda, you pass by a series of exhibition halls on your way to the exit.

You’ll find on display various carriages, traditional Khmer folk dance costumes and masks, silverware, live music and weaving demonstrations. If the heat and humidity’s bringing you down, you’ll love the air conditioning in some of these rooms!

Traditional dancer's costumes on display in the exhibition rooms
Traditional dancer’s costumes on display in the exhibition rooms
Musicians playing traditional Cambodian music
Musicians playing traditional Cambodian music
Silver elephants in one of the exhibition rooms
For elephant lovers, this was the room to see! There were gold and silver elephants along with a collection of crockery
The White Elephant in one of the exhibition rooms
The White Elephant. We stayed in this room for a while looking at the carved elephant – the air conditioning was lovely!

Things I didn’t expect

  • As it was my first time visiting a palace outside of Europe, I didn’t know what to expect. The palace buildings seemed lighter and more spread out than their European counterparts, and each building was essentially one big room.
  • The Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda were essentially two different compounds. From outside the walls of the Royal Palace, it looks like the palace compound and the Silver Pagoda are part of the same space. Actually, they are two distinct compounds, separated by an alleyway and gates. The same ticket gets you in to both areas though, and once you’ve paid for your ticket at the entrance to the Royal Palace, there’s no need to show it again.
  • Restoration. You’d think by now I’d expect there always to be some restoration going on when I visit a place – it seems lately it’s been inevitable. But during our visit, a lot of the buildings which would have been open were closed for restoration, including the Pavilion of Napoleon III and the Mural of the Reamker.
  • We were outside for most of the time. Make sure you bring sun protection with you – you’ll be out in the sun a lot!
Reclining Buddha, Dharmasala
Reclining Buddha, Dharmasala

Guided tour or self tour?

There are guides offering tours that you can find standing in between the palace entrance and the ticket booth, however we chose to wander around by ourselves.

It was mostly fine. There were enough signs in English that helped us work out what things were, along with the map we were given when we purchased our tickets, though as you would expect most of the information was in Khmer.

By hanging around a tour group for a little bit we were able to listen to a bit of information about the Throne Room, though it was a lot more detailed than I was looking for!

The exhibition hall exits into a lush garden setting
The exhibition hall exits into a lush garden setting

Can I take photos?

You cannot take photos of the inside of the throne room or inside the Silver Pagoda. These are well marked with signs and monitored. Photos are permitted everywhere else.

Now it’s your turn!

Have you visited the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh? Let us know your thoughts!

Categories
Musings

How to be a bad blogger

How to be a bad blogger

Castlephile Travels recently celebrated its first birthday. That’s an important milestone for a blog – it should be a sign of determination and commitment. However, over the past year I haven’t been a very good blogger.

My blog stats say that I’ve published 56 posts since I first started this blog. Fair enough, you might say. That’s an average of almost one per week. But in reality as time goes by I’m publishing less frequently. This time last year, posts would come out at least once a week. Now, I manage one post a month. That’s not good enough.

So what bad blogging habits have I picked up, and what do I need to do to improve?

Being afraid and procrastinating

It’s true – it’s been a month since my latest post about movies that have inspired me to travel, a post that I’d been working on since February.

Obviously I allow myself to procrastinate. A lot.

It’s hard to admit, but the main reason for my procrastination comes down to fear. What I call writer’s block is just a term for covering up my fear of failure. I worry that the time I put into this blog is not worth it, that my posts aren’t interesting and that my writing is not good enough to the point where I can’t make myself write anything.

Blogging regularly should be easy for me. I have hundreds of random ideas, half-drafted stories, and almost-finished blog posts stored away on my computer, however I am not ready to press ‘Publish’ on them yet. I should be sharing with you about my struggle to get to Neuschwanstein Castle, or how falling in love with the Loire Valley inspired me to learn French, or the time I went inside the magma chamber of an Icelandic volcano, but this irrational fear I have doesn’t let me. Instead, I tell myself excuses about how I can catch up on my writing later. By giving in to these fears I am doing both my blog and my writing a disservice. I need to believe in myself again.

Forgetting about social media

I appreciate everyone who shows their support and follows me on Facebook and on BlogLovin’. It gives me a creative boost and puts a smile on my face knowing that someone likes my work enough to want to see more of it.

However, I need to improve my use of social media. If you look at the Castlephile Travels Facebook Page, you’d think it was abandoned. There’s a couple of recent posts, and some likes, but I’m definitely not posting on there as much as I would like to.

While it’s okay not to be on all forms of social media at once (The idea of simultaneously running accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Trover, Snapchat and Periscope seems like it would be overwhelming for me and take up all of my time – I’ll get one social media account under control first before looking into any others!), if you are on social media, then you should make an effort to keep it updated. So in the coming weeks I’ll be paying more attention to my Facebook account (follow Castlephile Travels on Facebook and keep me accountable!).

Staying in my own bubble

One of my worst habits is lurking on the Internet. I read inspiring blog posts all the time but rarely comment on them. I’m in a Facebook group for travel bloggers but have never reach out to them for help.

Connecting with other bloggers provides you with a support group when things go badly. They understand what blogging means to you and can commiserate with the lows and celebrate the highs with you. I need to connect with other bloggers rather than keeping myself isolated.

Comparing myself with others

I have been an avid reader of travel blogs since 2010, when I found all of these blogs written by women my age who had the courage to travel solo. However, now that I have my own blog I find myself comparing Castlephile Travels to their blogs.

Comparing my blog to someone who has been working on theirs for five or more years is just crazy. There’s no way I should be comparing the success of my blog to theirs – I haven’t had the same time to build my following, work on my writing or figure out what I want Castlephile Travels to be.

Even comparing Castlephile Travels with other blogs around the same age as it is not great – their owners have been regularly posting content, making connections, reaching out to companies and promoting their work.

I need to forget about comparing my blog with other blogs. Instead, I need to focus on creating a vision for what I want it to be, and then work to align my blog with my vision.

Forgetting why I’m blogging

A sure sign of being a bad blogger is forgetting why you started blogging in the first place.

My main reason for starting this blog? I wanted to provide a place to share information about travelling. While planning my travels over the years, I’ve had many questions for which I couldn’t find detailed answers. What was the best way of getting to Neuschwanstein Castle from Munich? Was the Paris Museum Pass really worth it? How could I get from the Steel Rigg carpark to Sycamore Gap by following Hadrian’s Wall? This blog is the result – my place to share my travelling stories; my love of castles, history and fairy-tales; and the information I would have found useful during my trip research.

The other reason is to give me an outlet to practice my writing. I’m in a place now where I’m ready to commit myself to a consistent writing practice. I want to improve myself, my blog and my writing by letting go of my bad behaviours and fostering better blogging habits.

What struggles have you had with your blog?

Categories
Musings

10 Movies That Have Inspired My Travel

One of my favourite ways to relax is to spend two hours escaping in to the world of a movie. I want to be where the action takes place – see the river crossing, stand in the castle courtyard, breathe in the salty air of the beach. I watch until the end of the credits to find out where I can visit the settings for myself, and my travel list quickly builds up!

Once I’ve been there, I never watch the movie in the same way again. Now I know more about the scene – I remember the sound of the waterfall, how the sand gave way under my feet, the wrong turn I took on the drive to get there. More often than not, re-watching the movie makes me long to return to the destination.

Here are ten films that have either inspired my travels or had me racing to my computer to watch the movie just for the chance to see how it showcased the location I’d just visited.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)

ENGLAND: Alnwick Castle, Sycamore Gap, Aysgarth Falls

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was one of my favourite movies growing up, and when Alnwick Castle and Sycamore Gap both came up as day trip options when I was visiting Edinburgh, I knew I had to book myself in. Time restrictions meant that I had to choose between one or the other, and the castlephile in me jumped at the chance to go to Alnwick Castle, which served a minor role in the film (they have a framed arrow from the movie hanging on the wall in the castle garden’s gift shop).

Alnwick Castle
Alnwick Castle in Northumberland has been the filming location for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and the Harry Potter movies

I was back in the UK a year later with the freedom of a hire car, determined to tick more Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves film locations off of my bucket list. My next location was the tree along Hadrian’s Wall where on his way home to Nottingham from fighting in the Crusades, Robin first meets Guy of Gisborne. Despite spending hours scouring the Internet working out how to get to Sycamore Gap, when we parked at Steel Rigg Car Park and slowly edged our way along Hadrian’s Wall, the howling wind and darkening skies almost made us turn back without seeing the tree. Luckily, as I peered over the wall down into the next valley, there was Sycamore Gap!

Sycamore Gap
The Sycamore Gap section of Hadrian’s wall – one of the more famous locations from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Travelling through the Lakes District from Penrith to York offered up two waterfalls from the movie. The inn that charges admission to see Hardraw Force was locked up when we visited. We had more success at Aysgarth Falls, where Robin and Little John’s fight was filmed, and spent an hour exploring the Upper, Lower and Middle Falls.

Aysgarth Falls
In Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Aysgarth Falls is the backdrop to Robin Hood and Little John’s fight

Stardust (2007)

SCOTLAND: The Quiraing, Isle of Skye
ICELAND: Jökulsárlón

The Quiraing on the Isle of Skye
The Quiraing on the Isle of Skye

Stardust is one of my favourite films. Adapted from the novel by Neil Gaiman, it sees Tristan Thorne setting out on a quest to bring back a fallen star to prove his love to shallow Victoria, while evading murderous princes out to gain themselves a throne, and witches seeking eternal youth by capturing the star for themselves.

Jökulsárlón ice beach
The surreal ice sculptures washed up on the beach in Iceland

The countryside of Stormhold, the fantastical land in Stardust, looked so stunning that I assumed it was all CGI. I only discovered it was real when my Scottish tour guide mentioned the Quiraing might seem familiar as Stardust had been filmed there. And now, re-watching the film, I can see the deep emerald green of the Scottish Highlands and the Quiraing on the Isle of Skye, and the beauty of the ice washed up along the beach at Jökulsárlón.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

FRANCE: Notre-Dame de Paris

The chimera of Notre Dame
Disney’s adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame made me determined to visit the towers and their monsters for myself!

The Disney version of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame introduced me to the story of Quasimodo and his life up in the belltowers of Notre-Dame de Paris. While the cathedral itself is beautiful, with its rose windows and sculpture, climbing up to the towers into Quasimodo’s world to visit the gargoyles and chimera (and to see one of the best views of Paris) was what inspired me to make visiting Notre Dame a must. 

The Phantom of the Opera (2004)

FRANCE: Palais Garnier

Inside the theatre of the Palais Garnier
The Phantom of the Opera is rumoured to have lurked in the Palais Garnier, and even has his own box!

The 2004 cinematic version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical The Phantom of the Opera made me determined to visit the Palais Garnier, the Parisian Opera House that the phantom was rumoured to haunt. Although a tour of the ornate Palais Garnier doesn’t take you to the underground lake where the Phantom made his home, it does play on the popularity of The Phantom of the Opera with a plaque naming Box 5 as belonging to the Phantom.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

SCOTLAND: Doune Castle

Doune Castle
Monty Python and the Holy Grail was filmed at Doune Castle
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is my favourite of all the Python films – and most of it was filmed at Doune Castle. Some friends had told me that Doune Castle in Scotland was the castle from the “French Taunters” scene, and I was so excited to be there that I skipped around in front of the castle pretending to clap coconut halves together, while imagining French guards taunting us from the top of the castle with a giant wooden rabbit lurking just out of sight in the woods. It was only after re-watching the DVD when I came home that I realised that most of the movie was filmed in and around Doune Castle!

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

ICELAND

Iceland
Some of the most spectacular scenery featured in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is in Iceland
In The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Walter spends his routine life only daydreaming about being adventurous, until one day his sense of loyalty takes him on a quest through Greenland, Iceland and the Himalayas. The movie shows off the stunning Icelandic scenery, and made me long to go back and spend more time in one of my favourite countries explore Iceland’s fjords, waterfalls and volcanoes!

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

The Moulin Rouge at night
The Moulin Rouge is most impressive at nighttime

 Baz Luhrmann’s movie about a disinherited writer who falls in love with a courtesan while writing a play to be staged in the Moulin Rouge was my introduction to one of the most well-known nightclubs in Montmartre. The Moulin Rouge, with the red windmill that gives it its name, looks its best all lit up at night.

The Sound of Music (1965)

Mirabell Gardens
The Mirabell Gardens, in the Old Town of Salzburg

The Austrian town of Salzburg serves as the backdrop to much of The Sound of Music. There’s even a Sound of Music tour that will take you to many of the filming locations. I preferred to walk around Salzburg’s Old Town, and to spend time relaxing in the Mirabell Gardens, with Do Re Mi playing in my head!

The Monuments Men (2014)

Michelangelo's Madonna and Child
Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child was one of the artworks rescued by The Monuments Men

In The Monuments Men, a group of museum curators and art historians are tasked with saving priceless art from being stolen and destroyed by the Nazis in World War II. In the film, one of the Monuments Men dedicates himself to defending Michaelangelo’s Madonna and Child. I’d never heard about the statue before, and wanting to learn more, I took the opportunity to see the master’s work at the Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk in Bruges.

 The movie brought home to me how important it is to preserve our artistic heritage. Standing in front of the Madonna and Child, I thought about how it and other masterpieces could have been lost forever if not for the men who risked their lives to ensure the safety of thousands of artworks during the second World War so that I could visit them today.

Ever After (1998)

Château de Fontainebleau
Château de Fontainebleau, one of King Francis I’s residences

Ever After, an updated take on the Cinderella story, is responsible for my love of French chateaux and interest in French Renaissance history during the reigns of Francis I and Henry II. Though I’ve yet to visit the Dordogne, where Château de Hautefort, Château de Beynac, and other locations from the movie, are located (they’re on my list!), I have visited the real castles lived in by the historical Francis and Henry, including Château de Chambord, Château de Fontainebleau and the Louvre.

Which films have inspired you to travel? Share them in the comments!

Categories
Musings

Happy Father’s Day!

Happy Father's Day

Today is Fathers’ Day in Australia and New Zealand, the day where we take time to appreciate our relationship with our fathers and what they mean to us.

I caught the travel bug from my parents. While I was growing up, we spent our weekends going on drives, hiking through national parks and visiting historical landmarks. School holidays saw our family travelling around Australia, and my parents supported both my brother and I when we had the opportunity to live in Germany as part of our school’s student exchange program.

My parents showed me that it was possible to take long overseas trips and still have a day job. Together they’ve travelled to every continent, and spend their free time improving their photography skills.

Ever since he got online in 1997, Dad’s met and kept in touch with people from all over the world. He likes numbers and statistics and lodges my tax for me. He has an affinity for emus: when he talks to them, the emus respond (it’s a kind of a weird glounk sound). Dad loves trying new beers on his travels, quotes lines from The Castle and gets a little bit too distracted by Farm Town. He’s also an avid coin and stamp collector, which makes buying souvenirs for him really easy!

Dad has always supported me in everything I’ve done. He helped me with programming logic during my IT degree and over the years he’s saved the discarded drafts of my short stories and writing projects. He’s always a Skype call away if anything goes wrong while I’m travelling. He pretends to understand when I speak to him in German. He is always the first to read any of the posts on this blog and actively promotes Castlephile Travels and my writing whenever he can.

Without my Dad being the person he is, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.

So thankyou for everything, Dad. Happy Father’s Day!

Categories
Hong Kong

Aqua Luna: Escaping the heat on a Hong Kong harbour cruise

It had been a long day – after waking up at 3AM to get to the airport in time for our eight hour flight to Hong Kong, and then waiting two more hours while an issue with our transfer accommodation was resolved, the last thing my friends and I felt like doing was sight-seeing. But it was the start of our girls’ trip to South East Asia, we only had one night in Hong Kong, and we were determined to explore the city.

Looking at the lights across the harbour
Looking at the lights across the harbour

We’d stayed indoors for most of the day after beginning the morning with a wintry twelve degrees in Adelaide and remaining inside as we made our way through Hong Kong International Airport to the adjoining Regal Airport Hotel – our transit accommodation for the night. Also under the same roof was the airport’s train station, where we jumped on the Airport Express line to make our way in to the city. We were not prepared for the wall of heat that hit us as we stepped out of the station at Central. Even though the sun had set, the temperature was still well over 30 degrees.

We intended to wander around and see the city all lit up, perhaps be lucky enough to catch the nightly Symphony of Lights show, and then get back to our hotel for an early night.

The heat held us up. We willed ourselves to instantly acclimatise to the change in weather as we made an attempt to walk along the harbour. We challenged ourselves to see how far around it we could get. Victoria Harbour was pretty, surrounded by clusters of skyscrapers with coloured lights. We wanted to take the perfect photo of it.

The reflections of the lights in the water added to the wow-factor
The reflections of the lights in the water added to the wow-factor

We didn’t make it very far. Once we’d had enough of the heat, we turned back towards Central station, ready to get back to the hotel and sleep. Hot, tired, and looking for a cool drink, we saw a junk with distinctive red sails docking at a nearby pier. We had seen it circling around the harbour. We’ll go and take a closer look, we said to each other, and then we’ll head back.

The Aqua Luna
The Aqua Luna beckoning for us to jump onboard and take a cruise on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour

It was the Aqua Luna, one of the last Chinese junks that sail on the harbour. Although sailing on it was pricey at $195 HKD ($35 AUD) we jumped on with the promise of a complimentary drink and an amazing view of the harbour lights.

We snapped up the last seats on the boat and settled in to enjoy the sights. As the boat left the pier, the breeze picked up. We forgot about the heat and the humidity and, with drinks in hand, watched as we drifted past the lights of Victoria Harbour. Mellow music played as the boat sailed in a large loop around the harbour, giving us the chance to take in the entire skyline of central Hong Kong.

City lights are so pretty
  

The pier where we boarded the Aqua Luna
Looking back on the pier where we boarded the Aqua Luna, surrounded by skyscrapers

The cruise lasted for forty-five minutes, and stopped to pick up and drop off passengers at Tsim Sha Tsui before returning us to where we started at Central. Not only had the cruise provided an enviable position from which we could take our perfect photos of the pretty city lights, it had given us a welcome break from the heat, and we headed back to our hotel feeling refreshed.

The Aqua Luna cruise on Victoria Harbour came at just the right time and made our one night in Hong Kong truly memorable!

Categories
Germany

The Castle Scavenger Hunt: Berlin Edition

The Castle Scavenger Hunt: Berlin Edition

It started off simply. I had a thirty-six hour window of time in Berlin. I wanted to explore another part of the city, away from the tourist sights and the shops around Tauentzienstraße. What could I do that was different?

I tried to think of things that would take me away from Alexanderplatz and Unter den Linden, without feeling like I was wandering around aimlessly. I ended up compiling a list of palaces, fortresses and stately homes that were scattered across Berlin and challenged myself to a scavenger hunt: to see as many of the places on my list as I could in the one and a half days I had in Berlin.

Here’s how it went:

Found

I set off on my expedition on the afternoon that I arrived in Berlin and headed for the familiar street of Unter den Linden to begin my scavenger hunt at the Brandenburg Gate.

Palais am Pariser Platz

The Palais am Pariser Platz
My first stop on the scavenger hunt: The Palais am Pariser Platz

I quickly found the Palais am Pariser Platz tucked in next to the Brandenburg Gate. Built in the late 1990s, the office building wasn’t quite what I was picturing when I thought of the word ‘Palais’ but it gave me an excuse to see the Brandenburg Gate again (something to redeem my seventeen year old self’s disappointment at visiting while the Brandenburg Gate was being restored ).

Schloss Bellevue

Schloss Bellevue
Schloss Bellevue

Undeterred, I continued on under the Brandenburg Gate and through the Grosser Tiergarten to the next location on my list. Home to the President of Germany, Schloss Bellevue is one palace that is off-limits to casual scavenger hunters. While here, I took side trips to the nearby Siegessäule (Victory Column) and the Reichstag, before turning back and making my way down Unter den Linden towards Museumsinsel.

Palais am Festungsgraben

The Palais am Festungsgraben
The Palais am Festungsgraben

The last building on my list before I began to venture in to unknown territory was the Palais am Festungsgraben (Palace on the Moat). Once the Prussian Finance Ministry, the Palais now houses the Saarländische Galerie and the Theater im Palais.

Knoblauchhaus

Address: Poststrasse 23, Berlin

Knoblauchhaus
Knoblauchhaus in the Nikolaiviertel

After spending some time in the Berlin I’m most used to hanging out in, it was time to explore somewhere new. I crossed on to the other side of the River Spree, and found myself in the Nikolaiviertel, where my DK Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide: Berlin book told me I’d find Knoblauchhaus and Ephraim-Palais.

While I didn’t go inside Knoblauchhaus, which is now a museum displaying the life of an upper-middle class eighteenth century family, the streets surrounding it were lovely to stroll around complete with cobblestones and homes that looked like they had appeared out of a Brothers Grimm fairytale.

Ephraim-Palais

Address: Poststrasse 16, Berlin

Ephraim-Palais
Ephraim-Palais, one of the prettiest buildings in the Nikolaiviertel

The biggest surprise of the Nikolaiviertel was Ephraim-Palais, a curved building on the corner of Poststrasse and Grunerstrasse housing an art gallery. King Friedrich II’s jeweller, Veitel Heine Ephraim, had the palace built in the 1760s and it would have been an impressive residence, judging by the golden balustrades and the detail on the sculpted cherubs.

Zitadelle Spandau

Address: Am Juliusturm 64, Berlin
Closest U-Bahn Station: U7 – Zitadelle

Zitadelle Spandau
The inside of Julius Tower at the Zitadelle Spandau

The next morning, I jumped on the U-bahn and took the U7 line all the way out to Spandau – almost the last stop on the line. The Zitadelle Spandau was quite easy to find, and armed with an audio guide, I spent half the day exploring its towers, museums and halls.

Schloss Charlottenburg

Schloss Charlottenburg
Schloss Charlottenburg – one of my favourite places in Berlin

I left the grounds of Schloss Charlottenburg – my favourite place in Berlin – until last, knowing I could chill out in the peaceful gardens before returning to my hotel and preparing to leave Berlin.

Things For Next Time:

I wasn’t able to race around to every place on my list, but that means there are more places to explore the next time I’m in Berlin.

Here’s the list of the sights I missed, if you’d like to search for them yourself!

  • Pfaueninsel Palace (Nikolskoerweg 14109 Berlin)
  • Schloss Glienicke and Schloss Klein-Glienicke (Königstraße 36 14109 Berlin)
  • Jagdschloss Grunewald (Hüttenweg 100 14193 Berlin)
  • Schloss Koepenick (Alt-Köpenick 1, 12557 Berlin)
  • Friedrichsfelde Palace (Am Tierpark 125 10319 Berlin Lichtenberg)
  • Schloss Britz (Alt-Britz 73 12359 Berlin)
  • Palais Podewil (Klosterstraße 68-70 10179 Berlin)

While I enjoyed discovering new areas of Berlin and re-visiting old favourites, the only place I had time to really explore was the Spandau Zitadelle, which I wouldn’t have ventured out to without the challenge of this scavenger hunt. The next time I’m in Berlin, I’ll make sure to spend a morning wandering around Nikolaiviertel, and perhaps even go on a second scavenger hunt to see the rest of the places on my list!

Have you attempted a scavenger hunt while travelling?

Categories
Musings

Right Place, Wrong Time: Three Sights I Didn’t See

Travelling can lead to some amazing experiences and sights that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. But sometimes the travel gods are against you, and while you might be in the right place, you are most definitely there at the wrong time.

Thankfully, none of these times have been life-threatening, but after years of planning and anticipation, you can’t help but be disappointed to turn up somewhere and not be able to see the thing you came for (though it does give you a reason for a return trip!).

The Brandenburg Gate, Berlin

On my first overseas trip at 17, I had two things I wanted to see: the Brandenburg Gate and Neuschwanstein Castle. I managed neither – our group of exchange students voted against going to Neuschwanstein, and when it came to the Brandenburg Gate, well, it just wasn’t how I had pictured it …

The Brandenburg Gate, undergoing restoration works in 2001.
The Brandenburg Gate, undergoing restoration works in 2001.

 

Nine years later, I made it back to Berlin and was so excited to see the actual Brandenburg Gate!

The Brandenburg Gate
My favourite part of visiting Berlin – seeing the Brandenburg Gate!

The Bridge of Sighs, Venice

Advertising surrounding The Bridge of Sighs
Almost the perfect image of The Bridge of Sighs, complete with gondolier. If only there weren’t any ads…

Oh, advertising. You really are everywhere. Even covering up restoration work on the second most famous bridge in Venice. What should have been an idyllic scene was almost choked by Coca Cola ads.

The Northern Lights, Norway

Perhaps the biggest disappointment of all was having the Northern Lights dazzle in the sky above me while I was fast asleep! The next morning we woke up to the rest of our tour group gushing about the incredible experience they had and showing us the photos that they had taken. After that we stayed up night after night waiting to see the Northern Lights for ourselves, but the sky was too cloudy to be able to see the light show.

Now it’s your turn! Have you ever been in the right place at the wrong time?