ze vine country is the place to visit pv.
Ahr Valley etc, beautiful places if inclined.

Berlin has a great museum where they basically lifted a temple out of Babylon and planted it there.

The parts of wall, checkpoint Charlie are all great as well. Really friendly people as well.

One thing which I didn't get to do was tour the BMW factory in Munich. Something slightly different imo - I managed to go to the Toyota one in Japan a few years later and that was great.

Ishtar Gate?

One of my highlights of Madrid was the Temple of Debod which the Egyptian government donated to Spain, rather than someone just plundering it. Was a pretty surreal kind of sight considering the location. 

That's it. I was quiet impressed considering the hype you get from the Elgin marbles and I agree that it was plundered which is a shame but chances are it would have been destroyed had it not been...

Doing a trip seeing more of the UK. Bristol is awesome. Birmingham is alright but one visit feels enough. Been to London at least 20 times.

Visited Birmingham last year, isn’t somewhere I’d recommend for tourists at all. Nice place but not much to do for mine. Great county to hire a car and drive around.

Yeah we hired a car to drive from London to Edinburgh via a few different places, we travelled from wocester to Manchester one day but bypassed birmingham the second friends that are from there said "do not stop" haha.
As for car hire it was fantastic, for 7 days hire it cost approximately the same as hiring for 2 days in tassie and that's including dropping the car off in Edinburgh instead of returning to London.  

Just got to Amiens. Going to Villers Bretonneux tomorrow. Going to be interesting. Always had interest in Anzac history.

Weather absolutely scorching. 37 forecast tomorrow.

Want out to Villers Bretonneux early in the morning. Walked the 3.7km to the Memorial. The heat was a slight issue but I managed in 24 and 27 degrees there and back. Bikes or a rental car are the go but I'd always intended on walking. It felt like something of a pilgrimage as I'd been planning to go there since high school.

The new Sir John Monash centre is the best and most confronting exhibition I've ever seen. The AWM is definitely a top place too but this place has the latest technology. It's so informative about the entire Australian western front. It's interactive with a smart phone. 

The Franco Australian museum in the town is also quite good for its small size. 

Definitely felt a bit homesick being here and the landscape with a battle is just insanity. It looks flat but running through mud and wire across that area is so crazy. 

So Hawaii...

Anyone been? Not really my first option (or even in the top 50) but the mrs wants to go, we have free accomodation in Waikiki, wifes family will be there but only see them for one day (fantastic) except for one sister who is going to come baby sit for us a couple of times (even more fantastic). We will have a car also. 

We aren't going til may so have ages. 

What's cool to do, interesting or fun?

Lots of history there. I've never been but I have this imagination it's a pretty easy going place where you can get away from it all without a schedule. At least that's what I've heard from those who have been.

To me... that sounds like a nightmare. I like to be busy when I'm on a holiday.  I can't just lay about.  The history side of things might be interesting.

For me Hawaii is all about the food.
Yeah it has beaches and oceans and volcanoes, but it was the food culture that made it memorable, especially compared to other Pacific Islands. 
The combination of Polynesian, American, Japanese, Filipino and a few other cuisines have melded into this very unique Hawaiian style. Generally huge servings of everything, great seafood and local meat. You will come across some very unusual items and combinations that you would never consider at home, but give it a go and you'll probably love it.  

Yeah I'm actually the same. I just can't seem to embrace the idea of doing nothing on holiday i.e taking it easy. 

Completely agree.  Told the missus, who's keen on somewhere different, that I don't care where we go as long as there's activities when we get there.

agree mate, food is great there.
The Jap influence had us more though.
Great small taverns to have a great feed we loved it.
scubaroo, plenty to do depending what your into and the wife I guess.
Hard when away and your partner wants to do this but your interested in other things.
Car good to have but Waikiki is small.
You drive around in a day easy so best to look what you like to do and go out there and back depending how long your there.
North Shore beachs are famous and epic, I'm an ol surfer so I was into it, as long as the surf is up nothing like seeing angry huge swells hit Waimea Bay, further up the famous Pipeline, just watching surfers go for broke and get nailed is exciting lol.......
Check out a Pineapple plantation.
Ah, depending where our A$ is at the time, visit the AlaMoana Centre to shop, great savings to be had.
Head to famous Diamond Head, beautiful spot and if into golf, great course to play !
Plan a day visit elsewhere, the other close islands are very nice to see.

off to Frankfurt Monday for work then Friday lunchtime fly to Venice - having 3 free days before more meetings.
Checked up SerieB game on the Sat week arvo I'm in to watch.

North Shore will be good,  bodyboarded all my teens and surfed a bit in my 20s.
Will be doing diamond head for sure.
The wife is keen on the pineapple plantation and if course shopping.
Food will be interesting,  everyone says the seafood is great but I'm not a massive fan,  back home ill eat squid, prawns depending on how it's prepared, whiting and flake... cannot stand anything else. 
Weve got a car for the week so getting around is easy. 
Would love to play golf but am beyond garbage and my playing partner would be my sister-in-law who plays off 4 and she has no patience for hacks. Hahaha

Thanks for the tips. Keep them coming. 

Ok so off to hawaii in may... heres my dilemma, we come home sunday 19th of may.

If anyone would know of any places that would have the f.a cup final on, i think its on about 7am honolulu time and also that's the weekend of the a-league grand final, would much prefer to watch that but doubt i could. 
Our accom has cable but i don't really know what that includes,  any bars or anything?

Just came back from Europe. Was sick. Going to New Caledonia in September. 

Nice. Where did you go? Favourite or best place if possible to say?

In Adelaide for a few days. Any recommended watering holes? 

Off the top of my head:

Big Shed
Pirate Life
NOLA
Gilbert Street Hotel
The Austral 
Kings Head Hotel

Thnx. 

Going to Peru (country of birth) in late November, first time I've been been back since arriving in Australia many moons ago. Looking forward to it, including the trip to Machu Picchu.

Bad luck about the Copa but you guys did amazing to get to the final though.  :cool:

Cheers. Happy to have made it to the final, beating Chile en route was sweet :-), but realistically we were never going to beat Brazil.

haha Ero but not a bad result for them, small chaotic place.
Enjoy Solano, I've been to Lima, mad place right on the coast and good food, stoney shoreline is impressive.
Love to do more traveling around the place.

Nice!

Off to Noumea in a couple of months. Might see some of Oceania's best football talent there.