Tiff's 2026 Winter Olympic Italian adventure

I woke after a solid sleep in my comfy hostel bed. A short video call to chat to my darling grandbaby Charles before walking a short distance to my Flixbus stop, arriving half an hour early. A lot of busses came and went and I could see far down the road other brands of busses also coming and going.  My bus did not arrive.  I tried to seek assistance from the Polish bus drivers who lived up to my previous experience and proved very unhelpful.  I walked and talked to other drivers from other brands of busses and it turns out that I had missed my bus as operated by a different brand😥😥 I looked online and the next bus was sold out and the one after arrived just when the uniform and accreditation centre closed, meaning I couldn't collect my uniform and accreditation ready for my 6.30am shift in the morning 😥. I walked up to the alternate bus stop with a plan to see if there was a no show on the next bus and maybe the driver was a helpful one.  Then a local bus company...

My Italian adventure continues.  Only 1hr 15 mins by train through vineyards with houses dotted on the surrounding hills and I arrived at Venice station on the mainland.  A short walk to my funky hostel to drop off my backpack and then back to the station to catch the train 2 stops to Venice (the Island part).  Travelling over the long bridge that connects the two brought back the emotion from September when I cycled across the bridge after riding Munich to Venice over the Alps.  Amazing to be back again so soon. Today I was drawn back to Venice to experience the annual Feb Carnivale.  What an experience to wander through the narrow streets with people walking around in costume with masks on, all happily posing for photos.  The sun came out for a while and it felt quite balmy at 10 degrees.  St Marks square has a huge stage set up as part of the Winter Olympics Arts program and so...

Marvelous Monday! After a great sleep and a hotel breakfast that included apple strudel and the local speciality cake (😂), I said a reluctant goodbye to the town of Mantua and walked to the train station for my next destination. A short 45 min train ride and I was in Verona. I dropped my bag at my hotel and then met up with the guide for a free walking tour of Verona. The meet point was the old city gate, built in Roman times but dismantled by Napoleon but thoughtfully all the blocks were numbered and it was able to be relocated and rebuilt in the 1920’s. We wandered through the mediaeval cobbled streets lined with Palaces. Lots of history explained. We stopped at bakeries to marvel at the local delicacies.  We stopped to see the famous balcony from Romeo and Juliette and interestingly Shakespeare had never visited Italy! The tour finished at the Arena, the 3rd largest in Italy but the largest...

Brisbane - Shanghai - London - Milan 🇮🇹 (38hrs+) ✈️✈️✈️✈️🚄🚝🚶‍♀️ I'm heading off on the most wonderful adventure.  This one started in my mind in the year 2000 when I attended the Sydney Olympics as a family, heavily pregnant with Matty.  I loved being immersed in the excitement of the Olympics. I've had the privilege to work at Commonwealth Games and volunteer at UEFA Euros and the Virtus Games for the intellectually disabled (twice). I applied to volunteer at the Paris summer Olympics but they had 300,000 applicants.   So, not deterred, 17 months ago, on the day the applications opened (21/09/2024), I applied to be a volunteer for the Winter Olympics.  I am glued to the screen watching the winter events every four years and am avid skier.  130,000 people applied for 18,000 volunteer spots.  It's been a long series of steps, starting with making it to interview in May last year, completing 20+ hours of online training (often seemingly ...

What an experience. Brought tears when Andrea Bocelli sang, echoing throughout the stadium. Even more so to be able to share it with friends Andrew and Narelle who decided to sign up as volunteers too when I did. Andrew received his confirmation middle of last year for the Ice Skating arena. Narelle just confirmed in the last week as a volunteer at the Milan Athletes village!  The whole show was filled with tasteful style, uncluttered, made full use of lighting (many spectators were given a flashing wristband). From our seats we could see the Milan cathedral in the distance all lit up.  Cheering the Aussies entering the stadium and supporting the other countries. Being a part of the crowd was moving. Everything I wanted and more!  And bonus... Young Gregorica had stayed back to wait for me at his family restaurant with his bags. Narelle had an Aussie flag pin which he gratefully rece...

A fabulous Saturday wandering around Milan. A pretty comfy night's sleep on the lounge and a bit later start and we headed on the train into central Milan in time for our booking to visit Milano Duomo (Cathedral). The cathedral is such an impressive sight when you come up the stairs from the underground train station!  The Cathedral was finished in 1387 and the walls, floor and even the roof are all made from marble. We were able to access the roof and 360 degree views of Milan. They have completed a lot of restoration work and more to come. The level of detail in the stone carving decorations, from the 1300's is impressive. The whole cathedral is impressive! The interior marble flooring is stunning and the stained glass windows depict Bible stories, designed to educate parishioners who were mostly illiterate at that time. We emerged early afternoon to the crisp air...