What I've been surviving on
It's really a Godsend. Mel and I have spent many an evening dining on a €1 meal.
It's really a Godsend. Mel and I have spent many an evening dining on a €1 meal.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Ciao
Mel and I just finished up 2 weeks in Italy with visits to Venice, Rome, Florence, Milan and Lake Como, however there is one place in the north of Italy I cant speak highly enough of; the Cinque Terre region.
Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It´s in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of La Spezia city where our bus dropped us off. The region is composed of five villages; Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Mel and I had accomidation in Riomaggiore with an amazing view of the town and port. We stayed with another couple from Australia; Ali and Alex, who became good friends of ours.
We spent the next few days swimming and jumping off rocks by the port, drinking beers on our balcony while watching the sunset and and hiking our way through the 5 towns along the coast with Ali and Alex.
Above is a map of the region which shows the 5 towns we hiked through (Riomaggiore to Monterosso)
This hike ended up taking about 10 hours and covered some very rough terrain but the beach at the last town; Monterosso made it all worthwhile.
After spending time in Italy I've come up with some pros and cons for the country shaped like a boot.
PROS
Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It´s in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of La Spezia city where our bus dropped us off. The region is composed of five villages; Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. Mel and I had accomidation in Riomaggiore with an amazing view of the town and port. We stayed with another couple from Australia; Ali and Alex, who became good friends of ours.
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| Riomaggiore |
We spent the next few days swimming and jumping off rocks by the port, drinking beers on our balcony while watching the sunset and and hiking our way through the 5 towns along the coast with Ali and Alex.
Above is a map of the region which shows the 5 towns we hiked through (Riomaggiore to Monterosso)
This hike ended up taking about 10 hours and covered some very rough terrain but the beach at the last town; Monterosso made it all worthwhile.
After spending time in Italy I've come up with some pros and cons for the country shaped like a boot.
PROS
- The Coffee! In most places you can get coffee for only €1 when you drink at the bar (if you sit down they charge about €4!), and this coffee is amazing. There is no water, just coffee and milk. There is certainly a 'coffee culture' in Italy and its evident when you walk into a cafe and its packed with Italian men lining up to get their fix.
- Free pouring of alcohol; they don't measure they just pour until they feel there is enough alcohol in the glass, and often its more than enough.
- Street drinking is legal, or at least I think so.
- Of course the pizza and pasta. There is an abundance of side markets selling slices of pizza big enough to feed a family; all for only €2.
- Late dinners; often Mel and I would go for a meal after 11pm.
- Beautiful piazzas (squares) in every city.
- Bad driving; Italian drivers are terrible! They certainly don't know how to park either.. many times I witnessed people double parking, parking people in or parking on a curb, this just wouldn't fly in Australia!
- Stairs. Italy is the land of stairs, you cant go anywhere without having to walk up about ten flights of stairs; the train station, hostels, and having a huge backpack on doesn't make it any easier!
- The main cities are packed with tourists, but I suppose you cant escape them in any major city in Europe.
- Italy is expensive
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| The view from Michelangelo's Piazza |
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| A cafe in Orvieto |
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| Gondola's on Grand Canal |
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
We arrived in Athens dazed and confused after a two day commute from Dublin. Our first impression of Athens wasn’t great, there had been a taxi strike leaving us stranded at the airport. We eventually managed to jump on a bus headed for the Port, and our ferry to Santorini.
We arrived in Santorini on a Monday night where we were greeted by Stavros, who owned the hostel we were staying at; Stavros Villas. This place was great, we had a spacious room by the pool.
The next day we hired a quad bike, this would be our transport for the next few days. I really found it hard driving on the right side of the road! We then made our way into Fira, the centre of Santorini, and found a bar with a view of the coastline.
Later that day we drove up to Oia (north of Santorini centre) to get a good view of the sunset, unfortunately about 1000 other people had the same idea!
We spent our time in Santrorini visiting beaches and wandering around the Fira town centre admiring the coastline and the beautiful white buildings. Before leaving Mel described Santorini as 'one of the most beautiful places on earth', I'd have to agree.
On Thursday morning we made our way to Ios, a.k.a Party Island. We checked into our hostel and had a few drinks by the pool. Again we hired out a quad bike and visited a few more beaches. In the afternoon we swung by Ios's main beach; Mytopolas, before having our first of many Souvlakis. If ever in Greece I highly recommend one!
We headed out later that night into the town centre where we drunk with hundreds of other people in Ios's main square. Unfortunately I peaked a little early that night.
The next day we relaxed at the beach before heading out once again. After plenty of shots and 3 souvlakis we made it home at 6am.
We had an early rise the next morning to catch our ferry back to Athens, where we spent that night. That was our Greek experience.
We arrived in Santorini on a Monday night where we were greeted by Stavros, who owned the hostel we were staying at; Stavros Villas. This place was great, we had a spacious room by the pool.
The next day we hired a quad bike, this would be our transport for the next few days. I really found it hard driving on the right side of the road! We then made our way into Fira, the centre of Santorini, and found a bar with a view of the coastline.
Later that day we drove up to Oia (north of Santorini centre) to get a good view of the sunset, unfortunately about 1000 other people had the same idea!
We spent our time in Santrorini visiting beaches and wandering around the Fira town centre admiring the coastline and the beautiful white buildings. Before leaving Mel described Santorini as 'one of the most beautiful places on earth', I'd have to agree.
On Thursday morning we made our way to Ios, a.k.a Party Island. We checked into our hostel and had a few drinks by the pool. Again we hired out a quad bike and visited a few more beaches. In the afternoon we swung by Ios's main beach; Mytopolas, before having our first of many Souvlakis. If ever in Greece I highly recommend one!
We headed out later that night into the town centre where we drunk with hundreds of other people in Ios's main square. Unfortunately I peaked a little early that night.
The next day we relaxed at the beach before heading out once again. After plenty of shots and 3 souvlakis we made it home at 6am.
We had an early rise the next morning to catch our ferry back to Athens, where we spent that night. That was our Greek experience.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Galway, Killarney, Dingle and Dublin
Mel and I heard good things about Galway so decided to make this our next stop. We took a bus which passed through Dublin. On the journey however, Mel proceeded to projectile vomit twice! I ended up using my jumper to wipe the chunks up. It was a long trip.
We arrived in Galway a little after 7pm on Tuesday to a lively crowd drinking and partying in the many restaurants, bars and pubs and outside our hostel. We quickly headed down for a few beers and a bite to eat.
The next day we watched a German circus exhibition as part of the Galway Arts Festival, then made our way to Killarney in the South West of Ireland about 4pm. It was a shame we could only spend the 1 night in Galway, it was such a vibrant place full of musicians and street buskers!
We arrived at our quaint little hostel in Killarney; the Railway Inn, at about 10 pm. We went down to Tesco; the UK's version of IGA, grabbed some pasta and cooked dinner.
The next day we went on a tour of the Dingle Peninsula; west of Killarney. It covered Castle Maine, Dingle Bay, Dingle Town, Slea Head and Strand Beach. It was worth venturing into the countryside and seeing some of Ireland's stunning coastline.
On Thursday afternoon we made our way to Dublin, again via coach. We arrived at the 'Four Courts Hostel' at about midnight.
On Friday Mel and I went to the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2 premier. It was obvious that Mel certainly enjoyed the movie, I wish I could say the same for myself. We then headed into the Temple Bar area for a few drinks.
The next day we went on a free guided tour of the city. We heard some very interesting stories and learnt a lot about Dublin's history.
Overall I found Dublin to be very pricey and quite frankly boring. In a city very different from the rest of Ireland, almost lacking in culture in comparison to the other parts of the country. My only highlight was Di Fontaine's New York Pizzeria, where I bought the biggest and best slice of pizza I'd ever had. Pay them a visit if your ever in Dublin.
Friday, July 15, 2011
A great time to be in Northern Ireland
Mel and I ventured from Edinburgh to Glasgow on Friday; not without some terenchal rain on the way to the bus stop which resulted in Mel falling over, not once but twice before we made it on to the coach! It was a vision; being soaked and having her big backpack on didn't help either! I lost my sunglasses that morning as well so we didn't start the day out in the best fashion.
We got into Glasgow that afternoon; it's a pretty trendy place, with its new age bars, clubs and pubs. We spent our days wandering around the city and visiting the West End; a great place for a drink. We also caught up with some friends; Lucy and Michael in the city on Saturday night.
On Sunday the 10th we headed for Northern Ireland; Belfast, not knowing what was ahead of us. We caught the ferry from Scotland and docked at Belfast about 10 that evening.
For those of you who are unaware there has been conflict in Northern Ireland for centuries. The disagreement between Irish Catholics and the Irish Protestants still continues to this day.
Between 1921 and the mid 1960s Catholics in Northern Ireland faced many problems. After the War Of Independence, in 1919, the country of Ireland was divided into two parts;
1. The North had a large Protestant majority, each of the six Ulster counties had their own parliament and their own government.
2. The South was largely occupied by Irish Catholics, most opposed the idea of dividing Ireland.
In 1921 a group of Sinn Fein, and IRA members signed an treaty with the British, accepting the division of Ireland. This was when what's known as 'Northern Ireland' was created.
The Twelfth of July in Belfast marks a yearly Protestant celebration which begins with the burning of the Irish flag and often ends with riots.
Mel and I were in Belfast for this 'celebration'. At midnight on the 11th the burning of the Irish flag began, with many bonfires around Belfast. We headed into the city with our mates from the backpackers and witnessed some of this madness.
We got into Glasgow that afternoon; it's a pretty trendy place, with its new age bars, clubs and pubs. We spent our days wandering around the city and visiting the West End; a great place for a drink. We also caught up with some friends; Lucy and Michael in the city on Saturday night.
On Sunday the 10th we headed for Northern Ireland; Belfast, not knowing what was ahead of us. We caught the ferry from Scotland and docked at Belfast about 10 that evening.
For those of you who are unaware there has been conflict in Northern Ireland for centuries. The disagreement between Irish Catholics and the Irish Protestants still continues to this day.
Between 1921 and the mid 1960s Catholics in Northern Ireland faced many problems. After the War Of Independence, in 1919, the country of Ireland was divided into two parts;
1. The North had a large Protestant majority, each of the six Ulster counties had their own parliament and their own government.
2. The South was largely occupied by Irish Catholics, most opposed the idea of dividing Ireland.
In 1921 a group of Sinn Fein, and IRA members signed an treaty with the British, accepting the division of Ireland. This was when what's known as 'Northern Ireland' was created.
The Twelfth of July in Belfast marks a yearly Protestant celebration which begins with the burning of the Irish flag and often ends with riots.
Mel and I were in Belfast for this 'celebration'. At midnight on the 11th the burning of the Irish flag began, with many bonfires around Belfast. We headed into the city with our mates from the backpackers and witnessed some of this madness.
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| A Mural in Falls Road, Belfast |
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| A young Protestant setting up a bonfire |
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| One of the many bonfires on July 11 |
Thursday, July 7, 2011
From England to Scotland
Mel and I are now in Scotland. Edinburgh is quite different from London; without the fast paced lifestyle its a nice change. There were a few things that kept popping up in London, so I've made a little list.
1. Tourists; at times this can be a little overwhelming. Mel and I were constantly surrounded by a sea of tourists happy snapping away. If I had more time in England I'd try and travel to areas a little less populated by tourists, though I really shouldn't complain as I am one myself!
2. Hipsters; they are everywhere!
3. Bikes; I think it's a great mode of transport for the city. In Australia we seem to be a little less tolerant to those riding along the side of the road, but in London the bikes co exist with the traffic. Mel and I experienced this when getting around the city on our 'Barclay's' bikes, riding along side cars and buses.
After a 9 hour over night bus trip from London Mel and I arrived in Edinburgh. We spent the first day pottering around the city. We went to the Castle of Edinburgh and had lunch at a pub in Grassmarket. Later that night we went out to a local club where I was downing coke and vodkas for 1 pound.
Today we went on a tour of the Scottish Highlands. It was a leisurely day out exploring the stunning scenery of Perthshire. We explored the Doune Castle; where Monty Python was filmed and went to the great William Wallace Monument; of whom the movie Bravehart was based on. There was also a visit to one of Scotland’s oldest whiskey distilleries.
Tomorrow we are making our way to Glasgow.
Photos from Brighton and the Scottish Highlands.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Wimbledon, Southbank, Tate Modern, The Lion King, Ministry of Sound, Wireless Festival, Camden and Soho
We have been busy.
Thursday morning was an early rise. Getting up at 3.30 am did not help our recovery from jet lag at all.
The only way to get into Wimbledon is to line up for a ticket before the days play. Mel and l woke before the sun rose and jumped on the Tube to Wimbledon Park Station. We weren't surprised to see hundreds of tents set up in the que; many people had camped the night before to get a ticket. We proceeded to the back of the line and were issued with a queuing card. After 3 hours of sitting in line we were finally on the move, only to find out we would be made to wait another 3 hours until 10.30am to be able to purchase a ticket. We were very proud to be number 115 and 116 through the Wimbledon Park gates that day! We wandered around the courts, saw some doubles then went to watch Maria Sharapova in her semifinal round match against Sabine Lisicki. Mel and I were so tired that we fell asleep about 10 minutes in! All in all it was a great day, the only thing we missed out on was the traditional 'Strawberries and Cream'; though I wasn't really prepared to pay 10 pound for it anyway.
On Friday we went to Southbank, along the Thames River. I went skateboarding and Mel wandered through the various shops and eateries. We then walked over to the Tate Modern Museum of Art; apart from some 1960's American Photography it wasn't that interesting.
We headed back to the hostel and geared up for The Lion King Musical at Lyceum Theatre. We downed a few beers and made our way there at 7pm. The musical was very impressive; I recommend it to anyone who has the chance to see it! Later that night we headed back to the hostel and met up with a group of Brazilians and Americans and made our way to the Ministry of Sound Club. I found it very over rated, it reminded me of Metro's Freo. We got back at 4am that morning and crashed.
The highlight of my trip so far would have to be the Wireless Festival which was on a Saturday; we saw Digitalism, Nero, Kesha; who was terrible, Chase and Status and The Chemical Brothers. Chase ans Status were insane; one of the best acts I've ever seen live.
Today we headed into Camden for lunch and a shop. It's such a lively little place, full of bohemians, markets and cafe's. At 10pm we went into Soho for dinner, this place was similar to Northbridge with it's bars, clubs and restaurants. Mel and I went to a quaint Italian place, and much like the rest of London the food was great.
Tomorrow morning we jump on the coach to Brighton.
Thursday morning was an early rise. Getting up at 3.30 am did not help our recovery from jet lag at all.
The only way to get into Wimbledon is to line up for a ticket before the days play. Mel and l woke before the sun rose and jumped on the Tube to Wimbledon Park Station. We weren't surprised to see hundreds of tents set up in the que; many people had camped the night before to get a ticket. We proceeded to the back of the line and were issued with a queuing card. After 3 hours of sitting in line we were finally on the move, only to find out we would be made to wait another 3 hours until 10.30am to be able to purchase a ticket. We were very proud to be number 115 and 116 through the Wimbledon Park gates that day! We wandered around the courts, saw some doubles then went to watch Maria Sharapova in her semifinal round match against Sabine Lisicki. Mel and I were so tired that we fell asleep about 10 minutes in! All in all it was a great day, the only thing we missed out on was the traditional 'Strawberries and Cream'; though I wasn't really prepared to pay 10 pound for it anyway.
On Friday we went to Southbank, along the Thames River. I went skateboarding and Mel wandered through the various shops and eateries. We then walked over to the Tate Modern Museum of Art; apart from some 1960's American Photography it wasn't that interesting.
We headed back to the hostel and geared up for The Lion King Musical at Lyceum Theatre. We downed a few beers and made our way there at 7pm. The musical was very impressive; I recommend it to anyone who has the chance to see it! Later that night we headed back to the hostel and met up with a group of Brazilians and Americans and made our way to the Ministry of Sound Club. I found it very over rated, it reminded me of Metro's Freo. We got back at 4am that morning and crashed.
The highlight of my trip so far would have to be the Wireless Festival which was on a Saturday; we saw Digitalism, Nero, Kesha; who was terrible, Chase and Status and The Chemical Brothers. Chase ans Status were insane; one of the best acts I've ever seen live.
Today we headed into Camden for lunch and a shop. It's such a lively little place, full of bohemians, markets and cafe's. At 10pm we went into Soho for dinner, this place was similar to Northbridge with it's bars, clubs and restaurants. Mel and I went to a quaint Italian place, and much like the rest of London the food was great.
Tomorrow morning we jump on the coach to Brighton.
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