Our host at the guesthouse was lovely and we had a bit of spare time in the morning to explore the markets and the promenade (and some of the best fast food ever) before we joined the boat. We were amazed to see so many vessels in the harbour, some that were four or five deep and people had to clamber over our boat to get to theirs.

But soon enough we were sailing, first enjoying a lovely lunch onboard and then it was off to Makarska further down the coast. This town was defined by the massive peaks of the Biokovo mountains and we spent the evening here at various bars, including one in a cave, and a wonderful restaurant where the group had a meal together. We were so glad to be enjoying great sailing weather, beautiful sunshine and temperatures of around 27 degrees.

The next morning it wasn’t such a brilliant story. We had a full day of sailing ahead and the rough weather and rocking of the boat saw everyone stay in their cabins and try to fight of sea sickness. Thankfully, we felt fine again once the boat stopped and we docked in Trstenik. This is a beautiful bay that is well-known for its locally produced wine. As there’s not a lot to do, aside from take in the gorgeous surroudings and go swimming (carefully staying away from the glass shards and needles strewn across the beach) we had a pirate party on the boat. Brendan got right into the swing of things and did a very fine Jack Sparrow impersonation.

The next day we were off to Dubrovnik, which I was really looking forward to. Happy to say that the weather had returned to normal and sailing into the harbour we were greeted by the massive bridge and numerous cruise ships. We went on an orientation walk of the city, which was teeming with tourists but still very cute with small cobbled alleys and lots to explore. B and I had an ice cream – best one of the whole trip – and then walked the city walls which provided a great view out across the ocean and over the rooftops of Dubrovnik. After spying some delicious looking food from atop the wall, we wandered down to a restaurant and then back to the boat. The island of Mljet was our next stop. B and I hired a scooter and explored the island with a few other couples.

The scenery was a lot like New Zealand and it fuelled the homesickness a bit! We visited lots of little bays and fishing villages and then headed back to the boat where we explored the rest of the marina and eyed up some very nice looking catamarans!

After Mljet we were bound for Korcula, the birthplace of Marco Polo. We had a great time here wandering around the town, eating some more ice cream, and soaking up the sun. Had a very big night out here that started with cocktails at the top of a tower overlooking the bay and we timed it nicely to witness a gorgeous sunset. More cocktails then ensued at various bars around town, as well as hours and hours of dancing to the tunes of the best DJ I’ve ever heard.

The next day we sailed on to Hvar which was a stunning island with buildings that reminded us a bit of Monaco. We climbed to the top of the lookout over the ocean and then had a lovely meal at a gorgeous family-run restaurant. After dinner we took a walk around the peninsula for some great views and then it was home to rest.

I can’t forget to mention all the swim stops that we had along the sailing route – bays with the clearest, bluest water and temperatures that were relatively warm, for the most part!

Our final stop was back to Split and we stopped in at the Black Cat Cafe for an incredible meal. Spent a lot of time during the day at the port and then before we knew it, it was time to disembark and that was the end of our journey! We had booked an extra night in Split so enjoyed another Black Cat Cafe meal with friends from the boat and then had to avoid all the puddles as the rain bore down on the short walk home.

On the morning we were due to fly out, the clouds and rain seemed to have set in for good and we were worried our flight would be cancelled (it was delayed by about an hour but we were now used to these things) and so we ended up being very lucky to have such beautiful sunshine while we were sailing. The flight did take off eventually and we were so grateful that that was our last budget airline flight….for a while anyway. Although we are thinking that when we head back to Europe, whenever that may be, we’re going to venture overland.

Now the weeks are just spent packing up our life in London and catching up with friends before we leave. Not long until the next adventure….Africa!

xoxoxo
S&B

Ibiza was fantastic – even though we didn’t visit any of the clubs (50 euro entrance fees didn’t really fit with
our Africa budget) we still had a great time visiting loads of different beaches, exploring San Antonio and Ibiza town and taking boat trips here, there and everywhere.

San Antonio was quite run-down and it would’ve been good to hire a car or a scooter to explore even more of the island, but we got enough sun, sand and crystal clear waters to last us a while. Invested in a sun umbrella – best 7 euro we ever spent – and so could while away hours on Bora Bora beach, which was right on the flightpath for the airport, as well as many of the little islands that we visited. Saw an amazing sunset and full moon and enjoyed watching the antics of the many Brits who enjoyed themselves to the extreme.

Our ferry to Valencia was good, and quicker than we’d anticipated which was good. Valencia itself was a strange town, very spread out, hardly anyone around, and not quite what we’d imagined, but we still had a great time.

Caught up with a friend from our Asia trip which was terrific fun, had a night out in the Old Town and then
struggled the next day on the early morning bus to Bunol for the tomato throwing festival.

Bunol is tiny and once a year, 45,000 revellers descend upon the main street which is about 1km long, to take part in La Tomatina. The atmosphere was terrific and as we were there so early we got a great spot and could see people try to climb up the lard-covered pole to reach the ham that was resting at the top. It’s another crazy tradition but was very enjoyable to watch – even though no one quite made it to the top. As the temperature increased, and people drank more and more, the street became bedlam and there were a few fights breaking out, girls passing out from the heat and we still had over an hour before the tomato trucks rolled down the streets. Despite being well armed with swimming caps and goggles, we decided to move out of the crowds and take refuge in a side street. It was great walking past all the buildings that had erected tarps and netting to protect the facades from tomato pulp, and B found us a great spot that was a lot safer but still in the action.

Finally the canons were let off and the trucks started heading out with tomatoes being pelted left, right and
centre. We didn’t get caught up in it all, B’s aversion to tomatoes put paid to that, but it was great to be there and see how the locals get into it – even little kids were going for it.

After baking in the sun for a while (and very glad we weren’t covered in tomato juice at this point) we finally
made our way back to Valencia where we had a few hotel room drinks and then went out to meet Ellie and Connor for dinner. We wound our way down to the beach, which was absolutely stunning and it was a shame that we didn’t have more time here. Found a nice place for dinner along the promenade and then slowly meandered back, after saying farewells, as we had an early flight the next day.

Made it to the airport the next morning and the very friendly flight attendant even made sure that our sun umbrella would get safely to Portugal. So thrilled to have assigned seating on the plan – the rush we normally endure for a seat on budget airlines is becoming a bit tiresome! – but then NOT so happy to find that our plane was delayed by two hours. So once we finally reached Lisbon, we had to make a whistlestop tour of the sites – the first stop of course being McDonald’s. Sigh.

We did manage to see a lot in a very short space of time, my favourite being the walk up the winding, slippery cobbled streets to the Castle of Sao Jorge, which provided stunning views across the city. We wandered through the castle ruins and then it was back down through the alleyways to the subway and back to the train station. A bit of a panic along the way as we thought we’d lost the code to get access to the locker where we’d stored our bags for the afternoon, but it turned up (luckkyyyyyy) and then were up to the platform to catch our train to Faro.

The train was comfortable enough, although very, very slow and the air-conditioning was left on for the entire journey so by the time we reached our destination our feet were frozen. But our hostel was handily located not too far from the station and so we checked in and oh, what should be a few doors down….McDonald’s. So of course that was our dinner stop, I tried the soup which was quite nice and then we retired to bed. Unfortunately there was no air conditioning in our room and so by the morning it was stifling. We were up and dressed early, grabbed some breakfast and then headed to the beach. This was glorious as it was Friday so wasn’t too busy and the sand was soft, the water was a lovely temperature and we ended up spending the entire day there (as well as falling asleep for a few hours which saw me get rather burnt. The umbrella was good but it wasn’t great!).

Saturday we caught the coastal train to Tavira. This was a nice journey and we had another great day in the sun, wandering around the small fishing village and then caught a ferry out to one of the islands. We spend the day there and then had to wait around in the heat until our train home (spent some time cooling of in Lidl) and then we had drinks on the rooftop bar at our hostel. Met up with a few other travellers and went over to see the ‘Folk Faro’ concert that was happening – basically folk music from various countries. Of most interest to us was the market that had been set up alongside and had all kinds of foods and drinks, deeelightful.

On Sunday we caught another ferry out to Ilha Deserta – deserted island! The place certainly lived up to its name, and as we caught the first ferry out that morning, we had our own patch of unspoilt white sand and nothing but clear, blue ocean in front of us. It was absolutely perfect, only marred by the fact that we had to return to London in a few hours! So we finally packed up our things, donated our sun umbrella to a French couple who looked like they needed it – clearly too many hours in the sun the day before had turned them both pink and they were grateful for our gift – and then it was off to the airport.

Check-in proved an absolute nightmare – despite getting there three hours before the flight we nearly didn’t make the plane due to a mix-up with seating earlier in the line. But finally we were boarding, only to be sat between some screaming family with a crying baby and to top it all, there was no air conditioning. Thankfully that was our last Ryanair flight ever.

Although sadly we are nearly at the end of our European travels and only have Croatia to go! That will be the next update.

xoxox
S&B

First stop, Madrid. We weren’t prepared for the heat, 40 degrees at 10pm, but it didn’t take long to adjust and we soon fell in love with the city. We had a cute room near San Miguel that was next to an amazing food market and close to Plaza Mayor. We spent long hours wandering around the cobbled streets, stopping for sangria when we needed to rehydrate. Soon found it best to adopt to the Spanish way of life, starting the day early, sleeping in the afternoon (well, as best we could without air-con!) and then carrying on long into the night.

We picked a bustling pub to watch the World Cup semi-final between Spain and Germany in – what an atmosphere! It was easy to get swept up in the excitement and we headed out into the streets after half-time to pick up more of the vibe (and to get dessert). When the first goal was scored there was a rumbling in the streets, shopkeepers raced out of their stores waving flags and car horns blared.

As the hype downed down the next day, we stopped by the palace, scouted out some terrific parks and picnicked in the sunshine. Went to Reina Sofia, a modern art museum, and then it was time to catch the train to Pamplona!

We’d been looking forward to the Running of the Bulls festival, and even though neither of us ran (not that stupid) we still had a great time. It was up early to catch a coach to the centre of town and then we had to fight our way through the crowds to get tickets into the arena to watch all the runners storm through the gates and get bandied about by bull horns.

It was 8am on a Saturday and we were surrounded by drunk Spaniards. The atmosphere was electric and we got to watch the run on big screens and then in just a few short minutes the lunatic runners were right in front of us, madly trying to get into the arena before the bulls reached them. But then once they were all in the ring, the crowds milled around and the bulls charged. We saw a lot of people get absolutely caned and quickly rushed away on stretchers. After the initial rush, they rounded up all the bulls and then would just let one out at a time – one that would charge out of the gates and leap over a row of men who were lying on the ground (not always missing them either, one guy in our campsite got nicked and ended up with stitches). After enough of the animal cruelty (there really is so much taunting of a 300kg beast you can take) we wandered back through the sangria-soaked streets and headed back to the campsite where it was absolutely scorching. During the days we’d cool ourselves off with a few drinks but then had to take our mats out of the tent and lie in shade wherever we could find it, not always easy – one day we had to wait for people to take down the tents that were set up next to a cabin so we could nab the shade of the eaves – but we found that was the best way to get a few hours’ sleep in the afternoon.

There was a pool but it was throbbing with Antipodeans so we headed to a creek further the down the road that seemed to have been taken over by some kind of hippy commune. Not to worry, it was cool and quiet and we needed to rest. That night we had drinks and met fellow travellers but the next morning decided to flag the bull running as we had a big night ahead with the final of the World Cup! We got dressed up in Pamplona red and white and headed to the town square where a big screen had been erected to show the game. It was a great atmosphere (again, the Spanish know how to party), the sangria was flowing and all was well – until a grizzly bear was led out on stage. It started to do tricks much to the delight of the locals, but we found it a bit odd and very unfair and were pleased once it had finished its little show and was taken off again.

Then the game began and it was all on! No one was safe from the spraying sangria (even though that was only supposed to happen during opening weekend but try telling that to a bunch of drunken Aussies) but as the game ran into overtime the interest had started to wane – luckily the drink had not! Once the winning goal was scored there was a huge celebration, lots of hugging, fireworks…and a sneaky dash to get fried food before the masses descended upon the streets. Must say, very impressed at the organisation and civility of the whole event, not to mention the final result!

The next morning we were up early to catch a bus to Barcelona. After nervously waiting for a cab to pick us up from the campsite – would one turn up, wouldn’t one turn up, should we start hitching, do we have enough time, thankfully one lone camper came back in a cab from the morning bull run so we nabbed his driver – we then had to navigate the Pamplona station which, for a small town should’ve been easy, but as we had to pick our way through the sleeping post-World Cup celebrators who had camped out all across the floor, and find our platform, it wasn’t as stress-free as it could’ve been, especially as the departure notices on all the tv screens were late or incorrect. We finally did make it to the bus and settled in for a long ride. Brendan was very unimpressed at the bus itself, definitely not up to train standards, but the five hours allowed us to see more of the country and then get some much-needed sleep as well.

Arriving in Barcelona at last, we ran into a friend of B’s at the station. Very random but good to see a familiar
face. Then it was straight to more familiar surroundings – McDonald’s – as a certain someone was having burger withdrawals.

Hunting out our accommodation was a piece of cake and it was conveniently located right in the middle of town, although alas, again with no air-conditioning. The host of the guesthouse was very friendly, pointing out all the local eateries and informing us of the latest ploys that pickpockets are using in the street. Handy.

We wandered down Las Ramblas in the evening and were amazed at the sheer number of people and activity happening close to midnight on a Tuesday making it a very different experience from Madrid. The port was beautiful although we were keen to see it in daylight so headed back to the room, looking forward to the next day’s adventures.

We started off our first morning in Barcelona by heading to the nearby market which was a feast for the eyes. So much fresh fruit, brightly-coloured candy, meats, cheeses and vegetables, not to mention seafood so fresh that the crabs were still crawling across the ice. Definitely a fun place to wander round, even if you weren’t buying anything. Then it was off for some Gaudi, cathedrals and La Sagrada Familia which was a phenomenal sight as you step out of the metro station. We chose not to go in but plan on visiting again once it’s completed (and not during school holidays!).

Then it was on to Parc Guell – a gruelling climb to the top but worth it for the views and the park itself. With
the sun beating down, we then made our way to the beach where we picked out a spot among all the sunseekers and before we headed to the water, we watched a boat come into shore and scoop up all the garbage from the ocean. Nice. People didn’t seem to care and just swam around it. People also didn’t seem to mind the hawkers on the beach and really we were just happy to be on an (almost) sandy beach – none of the pebble nonsense of the UK.

After a few hours we wandered back along the promenade and picked up some dinner before retreating to the non-air-conditioned room. Next morning we were up early to hit the beach again and stayed there until we had to catch the train to the airport. Unfortunately that night, our plane got delayed by quite a few hours and when we finally made it back to London it was raining – a definite departure from the 40+ degrees we’d been enjoying.

The last few weeks have seen the end of Brendan’s cricket season – splendidly finished off with a huge bbq at our place that didn’t end until well into the small hours – and a brilliant show in a Shoreditch church based on the seven sins with a circus theme. This also didn’t end until the wee smalls as the party carried on in the church after the show, a very good night indeed!

Till next time,
S & B
xoxoxo

Till next time
xoxoxo

Come May we were set to fly again and arrived in Monaco the weekend before the F1 race which was terrific as the track was all set up so we could walk around it while taking in the sights. Had a terrific day in Monaco and visited the museum and aquarium, where we saw an excellent Damian Hirst as well as lots of sea creatures. Stopped by the casino and Brendan took lots of snaps of the cars that were parked in the surrounding streets. Wandered down through the marina and then caught the train to Cannes. very impressed with the rail system, easy to use and quite inexpensive.

Cannes was also being prepared for a big event – the Film Festival – so there were tents erected all over the beach and lots of officials everywhere. We wandered along the promendae then had to make a mandatory McDonald’s stop (Brendan prides himself on the fact that he has eaten McDonald’s in every country we’ve been to) and then headed back to Nice. We stayed in a converted monastery atop a hill which was an amazing building – not so amazing was the fact we had to share a room with a hideous snorer. But the 1 euro beers in the common room made up for it.

The next day we wandered around Nice and bought strawberries and bread from the market before heading to the beach. Walked to the lookout for spectacular views across the city and had a good time just browsing the streets.

Arrived at the airport to find queues of angry people at the easyjet counter. Turned out the ash was back and their flights were cancelled. Just as we were starting to worry, it transpired that all the flights before ours were cancelled, as were the ones after ours, but our flight was able to make it out of the airport! Luckyyyyyyy.

Our next trip was to Egypt and Jordan, a fortnight of sightseeing and serious sun (some days up to 42 degrees!). Our guide was a trained Egyptologist so had excellent knowledge about the country’s history and legends. We started in Giza and then went to Cairo to see the Pyramids and the Sphinx and I rode a camel! Had a delicious buffet lunch and then we boarded the bus back to the hotel.

We geared up for our overnight train to Aswan which was long, loud and not the quality we were used to in Thailand But finally we arrived and went exploring the High Dam and Philae Temple. The temple was incredible and very well-preserved. We travelled on to the Unfinished Obelisk, which, while impressive, wasn’t worth making a special stop for so we carried on after a few obligatory photos. We went by boat to a Nubian village that night which was terrific. Our Indiana-Jones style driver had us ducking trees and swerving eddies and once we arrived at the village we were greeted by cute children all wanting to be the first to show us inside their home. The houses were very basic but did feature a few pet crocodiles which a lot of people took out of their cages and held. It is part of the Nubian beliefs to worship the crocodile, hence the unusual house guest. After learning a bit more about their culture, we were treated to the tastiest meal and sweetest tea. This was followed by lots of dancing, which the children loved. A highlight of my evening, aside from dancing with a darling Nubian toddler, was heading out on to the balcony afterwards, looking out across the village and hearing the prayer call.

We had shisha atop the hotel roof terrace that night which was good fun, although even at 10pm the heat was still stifling.

The next day was an early start as we boarded a bus at 3am headed for Abu Simbel. The journey had to be taken as part of a police convoy and we had an armed guard with us in the bus for the three hour trip. The temples here are incredible, absolutely huge and carved out of one piece of stone, then shifted there from their original site following the building of the dam. Heading back to Aswan after a tour through the temples, we spent the afternoon relaxing on a felucca, although a lack of wind made for a slow start! Then it was off for another delicious meal in town and we were pleased to be rid of the hassling shop owners that we had encountered in Cairo.

Then it was on t Luxor with more temple visits, taking in Komombo, which had strong Roman influences, and Edfu, the largest and best-preserved temple in Egypt. Our hotel in Luxor was gorgeous and we took time to visit the local markets, and get Brendan his hit of McDonald’s. Quite an amazing view from the first floor of McD’s though, looking right out onto a temple and the myriad horses and carriages below.

The next day we travelled to Valley of the Kings which was an incredible experience. We visited three tombs and were blown away by the intricate detail, the colouring and the way in which everything was so very well preserved. The staff had done a good job at trying to keep the heat at bay, although one slowly moving fan in each of the cavernous tombs didn’t really help much. We also visited Hatchepsut Temple which was another marvellous work not only for the sheer size but also for the storytelling within the carvings.

Then it was time to face the overnight train back to Cairo – this train unfortunately even worse than our first one. Once in Cairo we visited the Egyptian Museum, which was most impressive for its Tutankhamum exhibit. Also on the list was the Hanging church which featured beautiful mosaics, and then we rounded off the city tour with a visit to the markets, which were cramped and dirty – far better things were to come in Dahab!

Arriving in the coastal city of Dahab we were split into two groups as some people were not continuing on to Jordan. Our hotel was average, although its proximity to the town centre was a bonus. Dahab reminded us a bit of Vang vieng, with a strong backpacker culture, cheap markets and lots of restaurants and bars. Plus it had the added benefit of being right on the Red Sea! Brendan and I had opted to climb Mt Sinai early the next morning but our attempt to get an early night were foiled by the wait staff at the restaurant who took their sweet time getting us the bill. We ended up only having time for a quick shower and then to pack our bags before we set off close to midnight for the drive to the mountain.

Our guide met us and impressed us with his skills of being able to navigate the rocky terrain in the pitch blackness. We started out at about 1am and the stars that we saw were stunning. Heard a few spooky noises, stopped and saw the wall where Moses had supposedly drawn water from, and sometimes wondered what an Earth we were doing at such an ungodly hour exercising muscles that hadn’t been used in quite some time climbing up the hundreds of stairs to reach the summit. We stopped along the way at a few tea huts but were the first party to reach the top and our guide showed us the very best spot to rest for a few hours before the sun rose.

Bunking down on a concrete platform, and carefully using one of the worst toilets I’ve ever come across in my life, was all part of the experience, as I suppose were the hordes of tourists who arrived after we did to find it quite amusing that we were sleeping there. It was worth it though as we had excellent views out across the mountains and gorges once the sun came up. It was spectacular to actually see it rising, and from the second highest mountain in Egypt as well! After a lot of photo taking, we met up with our guide again who showed us a ‘shortcut’ down the mountain. We stopped by st Catherine’s Monastery, the oldest working monastery in the world, and then braved the kamikaze driving back to Dahab.

Despite having had very little sleep, we were still keen for snorkelling, and headed out that morning with the rest of the group. It was great fun, so nice to be in the ocean again!, although the salty water took some getting used to – not as much as when it came out of the tap and the shower head though!

The next day we were off to Jordan and so we had an early star to drive to Taba where we caught the ferry across to Aqaba. This was a lovely port which reminded us a bit of Tauranga. We spent some time in town and noticed how much more developed and cleaner it is than Egypt. After lunch we headed out to the desert, Wadi Rum, where we set up camp for the night. We were all expecting a very rough set-up but were surprised to find flushing toilets, running water and lovely twin-share tents (not so lovely for the person whose tent got a huge rip in it though, forcing them to shift house!). After a wee siesta, we headed off on a Jeep safari through the desert with our guide. It was fascinating to see rock formations, wild camels and Bedouin camps (actual ones, not like our tourist imitations). Awaiting us at camp was a delicious traditional meal, following which we were encouraged to dance around the campfire with our hosts. A dubious idea but a few people joined in. It wasn’t for us though so we headed off in search of stars and the moon, although the lights from the campsite made this rather difficult.

We eventually made it to sleep – in the most comfortable camp bed ever – and we were woken to crazy camels and howling dogs. We farewelled the desert and made our way on to Petra. This was an incredible site, the highlight being The Treasury as well as the off-the-beaten-track sights that our guide took us. A real-life Indiana Jones who revelled in jumping from rock to rock, precipice to precipice. As B and I headed back to the hotel, we saw two horses race toward each other and smack into each other, which resulted in one horse dropping dead. Not quite what we’d bargained on but perhaps the heat had gotten to their riders as well.

That night was B’s birthday and I had secretly arranged with our guide to set up a special cake for him. Everybody in the group knew what was happening, except for Brendan, so it was a real surprise for him, which was great. After dinner, and the embarassment of the birthday surprise, a few of us went to the hotel bar for another drink before bed.

We had the luxury of a sleep-in the next day as our group travelled back to Egypt, so we were back to the ferry (which, as the decks were closed, featured the weirdest cartoon DVD that we were all forced to sit through) and then our coach took us to Dahab. This time we were staying in a much nicer hotel which everyone was very pleased about. It wasn’t as close to town but had a sea view and amazing food. We enjoyed time by the pool, in the sea, meandering through town and lots of eating and drinking. We celebrated Brendan’s birthday again that night in a lovely restaurant that was fully decorated with lights and lanterns and looked out across the sea to Saudi Arabia, followed by another surprise cake (yuss!) and then a bout of karaoke – which Brendan excelled at – and a few too many cocktail buckets. Was a terrific night, ending with a ‘taxi’ ride back to the hotel on the deck of a ute, although a few of us were suffering the next day, and by few I mainly mean Brendan. It took him most of the day to recover but he was grateful to have such nice surroundings in which to do so!

We were all very sad to leave Dahab (and to have to catch a cramped, rather unsafe bus back to Cairo), but the trip had come to an end, although by booking a later flight, we got another full day of sunshine and relaxation as we chilled out by the pool, watched the first England game of the World Cup, and caught up with friends who returned from Jordan the night before we left.

Returning to London was a shock to the system, but it was a terrfic holiday and we met really great people.

The End
xoxoxoxo

We headed off Friday night, direction north. Thought we’d drive as far as we could and then just park up as we’d brought the tent with us so there’d be no problem. We spied a national park on the map so headed in that direction (after a massive traffic jam due to a bus on fire) but found that it wasn’t a national park as we knew it and as it was filled with houses and fenced sections there wasn’t really anywhere for us to camp. So we drove on and came to a small village. We were going to park in a layby opposite a pub but decided against that and so B scouted out some old castle ruins atop a hill and we headed there.

The drive up provided a spectacular view of twinkling lights and even some stars. We arrived at the top to be greeted by another car with a man inside (a little odd since this was now past midnight but we thought he might be there to enjoy the view and catch some sleep as well). We didn’t set up the tent, favouring sleeping in the car just in case we needed to make a quick getaway at some point and so settled down for the night.

I fell fast to sleep and it wasn’t until I heard B moving around that I woke up. While I slept, the man had gotten out of his car to walk over to us then left again and another car had driven to the summit, circled the carpark twice and then parked not far from us with it’s full beams pointed at our car. B had watched them for a while and thought it was a good idea that we relocate. So we headed off, after the other car had left, and saw them further down the hill loading up loads of people into their car all in hoods and dark clothing. It could have been nothing but it left me feeling very uneasy. We ended up catching some sleep in a services carpark past Leeds – a very long first night driving!

The next day we were up early and saw the incredible Angel of the North towering over the motorway – a steel sculpture 20 metres high and 54 metres across. We also drove to Holy Island as the tide was out (can only be accessed then otherwise water covers the only road to the island). It was a beautiful place with old castle and church ruins, a great sense of community and a very nice place to stop and stretch our legs! Then it was on to the Scottish border and we were greeted in Scotland with sunny skies and slightly warmer temperatures than England had offered. We made our way to Edinburgh and visited the castle then went to stay with Hilary for the night for a night of catching up, pizza and wine.

The next day we swung by Aberrrdeeeen for a pic on the beach and then it was on to Inverness and Loch Ness. So gorgeous to drive by, clear water and lush greenery, even met Nessie! From here we drove down to the Highlands and Fort William, taking in Ben Nevis. The scenery here reminded us a lot of the South Island. We then went past Loch Lomond and into Glasgow for dinner. Then we were determined to find somewhere to pitch the tent. We headed off the motorway to a little village which miraculously had a campsite (we had to concede that we weren’t be going to truly camp wilderness-style) so we set up, amongst what were the most sophisticated caravans I’ve ever seen, and got a great night’s sleep. Woke in the morning to a frost! Couldn’t believe it as it had been a gorgeous sunny day the day before.

Then we were on the road again, stopping off at Liverpool. We quite liked it here, the waterfront was lovely and it just had a good vibe. We were going to stop off at Manchester at well but thought it best to keep going as we were anticipating the traffic into London to get quite bad. Saw some gorgeous country villages on the way as we took a few back roads here and there and then finally it was back to London. All in all a fantastic weekend and so fun to be back in a car with the freedom to stop where we pleased. And Brendan of course did terrific driving once again, while I did sub-standard navigating and superb off-key singing. Ahh bliss.

February also saw me start at a new job, we hit some more crazy clubs and live music venues and did some more travelling. We went to Amsterdam which was an ‘interesting’ visit – our sightseeing got interrupted by an unexpected trip to hospital which was a bit of a nuisance. Still got to see the markets, canals, red light district before the drama hit. And we stayed on a barge which was very exciting. The following weekend we were off to Berlin for a Florence + the Machine concert and to see the city itself. An excellent night at the concert, very intimate venue which was close to our hostel and we did a lot of sightseeing in the following days.

March was a quieter month travel-wise so we kept ourselves busy with lots of London activities – Blues Kitchen, night photography, football in the park and a few cheeky bbqs.

April began with Easter in Turkey which was an excellent trip. Istanbul is a great city and we were lucky enough to have brilliant sunshine while we were there. We took in the Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace as well as the Grand Bazaar and some rooftop bars (and dodgy accommodation!). We also arranged a guided trip to Gallipoli and Troy which included an overnight stay in Canakkale. Seeing Anzac Cove was incredible and visiting the various monuments was very poignant. Troy was interesting and made all the better with the guide we had. We had a nice stay in Canakkale and a great ferry ride over in the sunshine. The bus ride to and from Canakkale was long but made not so tiresome with a lovely host serving food and drinks during journey. Back to Istanbul and we were swept up in the city’s charms again before heading back to the airport. Waiting to board we were told by the captain that we would be leaving 26 degree weather for a grey, chilly 8 degrees in London to which the whole plane just laughed.

Back to work and back to London and then our travel plans to the French Riviera were disrupted when the volcano in Iceland erupted, resulting in cancelled flights. Luckily we were able to transfer them to another date so now have that trip to look forward to.

We went to Belgium last weekend. A relaxing, comfortable trip on the Eurostar made for a pleasant start to our journey. We weren’t really sure what to expect from Belgium but ended up having a terrific weekend, with an afternoon outing to Brugges being the highlight. With glorious sunshine and map in hand we wandered through the cobbled streets, taking in the canals and historical buildings. We witnessed the so-called coagulated blood of Christ and Michaelangelo’s Madonna statue; feasted on Belgian waffles with strawberries and cream (and some beer on the side); stepped inside an old courtyard that used to belong to the Medici family (the coolness of the stones was a welcome respite from the heat) and were amazed at the beguinages, a community where nuns live in little houses and basically keep to themselves. The area is a Unesco World Heritage and the centre is covered in daffodils. We witnessed nuns walking to church through the flowers, was a memorable sight. Then it was back to Brussels for a very large and delicious dinner and then to our hostel for much-needed sleep. The next day we explored the capital, saw grand old buildings, lay in the park, scoured the streets for McDonald’s, much to B’s delight we found once just as he was about to pass out from hunger and annoyance at the city’s lack of Golden Arches, and were amazed at the lack of people in the city on the weekend. Obviously weekdays are hugely busy but even train stations were relatively empty – a pleasant relief from London! Another highlight was the music in the underground station – a little Shania on a Sunday afternoon is a wonderful thing.

Once again we arrived back to a grey London evening and are back into another working week but we’ve got plenty more adventures to come and a long weekend just around the corner!

Oh yes, and we went to the greyhounds. Almost deserving of a blog entry in itself it was so much fun. Highly recommended. Didn’t win a thing but it didn’t matter.

xoxox

Days were spent with mini ping-pong, some dubious games of Risk, eating, drinking and resting. Nights involved movies, charades and sing-a-longs. We made our very first snowman on Christmas Day and had an amazing Christmas meal overseen by Chris with the boys chipping in as needed – of course that left the girls to do the dishes though.

We also headed out on a road trip to Aberstwyth and stopped by the Devil’s Bridge on the way back. Emma made some wicked scones and we learnt all about ‘Buck’s Fizz’ aka a mimosa which went down very well.

Juliette did a terrific job in administering an awesome birthday breakfast for me, complete with room-serviced champagne then a pancake breakfast with fresh berries, cake and a card. So thoughtful and very much appreciated. We headed back to London, stopping off at Swansea (very nice beach) and Cardiff (terrific castle) before driving back to Heathrow.

It was a very special Christmas holiday spent with great people at a great location.

New Year’s Eve in London and we headed to a friend’s flat. Fantastically we got access to the roof for the countdown and could see fireworks and lanterns going off all across the city. We even saw the digital timer at the London Eye. The night of mayhem continued as B started a sing-a-long on the Tube on the way home which everyone loved, including one very enthusiastic American girl. The next day the only words B could conjure up were the lyrics to ‘Achey Breaky Heart’ as he dragged himself to the bathroom. I think it took till about midday on the 2nd to come right again. A very good night then!

After that mammoth night we spent the rest of the holiday catching up on sleep and watching movies. Once we got back to work we decided it was best to book in things to look forward to so we took in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Avenue Q on the West End and went our very first pantomime, Dick Whittington, with a group of friends. What an experience that was! A terrific show in a very intimate theatre above a pub. Later that night we found ourselves walking back to the station in the snow. Was so peaceful as there was no one around and everything was covered in a blanket of white. very good memory indeed. Adds to another favourite London memory of when Brendan and I randomly end up on the same train platform, or train carriage, at the same time after a day of work. Odd but special.

Have rounded out January with trips to Hampstead Heath, Parliament Hill, Primrose Hill and Highgate Cemetery. Went out to Clapham for a good old Kiwi BBQ in the snow, and had a midwinter barbie with the flatties a few weeks later. Have had some crazy nights out – and in – which may or may not have involved Brendan applying eyeliner on the Tube and racing round Camden like a lunatic.

Til next time,
xoxoxox

First up was Prague. We arrived there on 2 December to a chilly 2 degrees and hit the Christmas markets on our first night there. Mulled wine, hot dogs, weird sugar bread treats and tasty toasted nuts were consumed as well as amazement at one of the best Christmas trees we’ve ever seen! The atmosphere was fantastic and definitely made for a good start to our trip.

The next day we visited the castle and got great views over the city. We witnessed the changing of the guard and beautiful patterns from the stained glass windows inside the cathedral. Tiki-touring through the city we crossed over the Charles Bridge and down to Kampa. Had tasty pizza for lunch and then we picked up some beers and treats from the supermarket for a dinner in our hotel room as we had an early start out to the airport the next day.

Really enjoyed our brief stay in Prague, such a beautiful (and cheap!) city.

We had one day in London entertaining our friend Simon who was over for a visit and then we were off to Greece! Landed in Athens to pouring rain – clearly the city wasn’t designed for it as gutters were overflowing everywhere. We were amazed at how dirty the city is, but we were stoked to be there nonetheless as Brylee and Steve were soon to meet us! Had a terrific view of the Acropolis from our hotel, and were really centrally located which was good.

First stop was the Acropolis which was incredible to see. We lost Brendan for a bit as he flittered off to take arty photos, and I made Brylee and Steve have couple-y photos together. Yuss. Then it was on to the Temple of Zeus, which, with the overcast skies and the Acropolis in the background made for some great photos. And the gelato helped too! Then it was a stop to the Acropolis Museum.

That afternoon we started on the cocktails – boys ordering Long Island Ice Teas does not a good combination make – and then we found ourselves at the Hard Rock Cafe, one of the only joints open due to the earlier riots that had taken place. Many, many, many drinks – and some tear gassing later – we rolled to another wee bar that was about to close but happily gave us free shots and listened to the boys’ ridiculous geography lesson before finally kicking us out. Brylee and I stopped off to get McD’s, thinking it wise we all ate something before bed, and got home about 45 minutes before the boys who had stopped to make friends with the police who were still lining the streets. One hilarious photo session later, including ‘we’re just, you know [arm gesture], we are, it was a good…’, ‘effort?’, ‘YES’, and it was time for bed.

The next morning Brendan kindly informed me that he’d been rolling around with stray dogs outside before coming back to the hotel, including rifling through a huge pile of rubbish in a courtyard to ‘show the dogs what’s good rubbish and what isn’t’. Special reserve Jack Daniel’s does strange things to a person.

After a good brunch of souvlaki, we headed up Lykavittos Hill – the highest point in Athens. More riot police lined the streets and we got stopped by a bunch of them, who turned out to be Steve and Brendan’s ‘friends’ from the night before! The view from the top was amazing and well worth the walk. Back down in the town square, we saw the beginnings of the second day of riots, with police throwing tear gas bombs and the angry mob hurling stones and chunks of marble. Seeing as they were headed our way we swiftly decided to make an exit, stage right. After thing had died down a bit, we then visited the agora and got the hugest souvlaki dinner.

B and I flew out early the next morning to Chania and the others arrived later that afternoon. We had the cutest hotel near the Old Harbour and we walked out to the Venetian lighthouse in the sunshine. When Steve and Brylee arrived they magically found us at a bar and the drinks started flowing. We went from bar to bar, ending up at a dirty rock bar inside a cave-type building which played everything we wanted, even Shihad!

After a very late lunch in the sunshine the next day, we missioned to find a rental car. Brendan did a great job getting us out of the city and Steve did excellent navigating. First stop was Rethymno. We arrived to drizzly weather but still drove around the port and then diligently paid parking for our overnight stay. There wasn’t much to do here so we caught up on sleep and then had a huge hotel breakfast the next day. Just by the hotel was a huge farmer’s market taking place, with the hugest cabbages I’ve ever seen. There were also live rabbits, fresh cheeses and lots of spices. Delightful.

Next stop on the journey was Agia Pelagia, a pretty coastal town. We scored a sweet deal on another cute hotel which came complete with a sheesha pipe at reception! After a few drinks and a lot of determination, Steve cleared it out and we got to sampling the delights he and Brylee had bought with them from Turkey.

Next day we drove to Heraklion to visit the aquarium and a museum. Tried to get into the WWII museum but alack, alas it was shut. What was not shut however was the damned traffic warden service who slapped us with a parking fine while we were doing (yet another) mission to McD’s. Hiding it in the glovebox to deal with another day, we left Heraklion and headed back to our hotel, on the way seeing the biggest flock of birds ever. They made the craziest, fluid shapes in the sky, was quite bizarre.

We headed to Knossos, an ancient city, after stopping on the way at The Best Bakery Ever. Had to dissuade guides from showing us around the place as we just wanted to enjoy it at our own pace, and I spent a lot of time following the resident peacock around. It was an interesting place, with the highlight definitely being the restored paintings.

The next day we continued around the coast to Agios Nikolas, which had been a favourite haunt of Walt Disney many years ago. On our journey here we stopped off at the Cave of Zeus, which was, as legend has it, where Zeus was born. It was a steep climb to reach the top of the hill and then stairs wound their way down to the cave which was full of stalagmites/tites and mood lighting. It was definitely worth the walk to the top and was more good work on Steve’s navigating to get us there as we had to drive up through the mountains to get there.

We headed to some more ruins and saw stunning houses on our way which boasted terrific sea views, huge sections and  were set apart from the towns. Also stopped off for a delicious picnic just above some olive groves, got some great views of the ocean by taking coastal roads up through resort towns and realised a few days after we left Heraklion that as well as giving us a parking ticket, the authorities had removed our number plates and we’d been driving around with none on for quite some time!

Arriving in Agios Nikolas we were very, very careful where we parked the car so as not to get in any more strife than we already were. Stumbled upon an excellent pizza place for lunch which was handy and then drove around the streets looking for a reasonable hotel. The Sun Hotel – or something like that – was chosen with the intention of brightening Steve’s mood (haha) and plus we were able to drink in the lobby and kind of make it our own place, which we did rather well. Given it was the off-season, there wasn’t a lot to do in Agios Nikolas, but I did take great delight in all the Christmas lights they had. We wandered around the promenade and headed back there for breakfast, which we ate right by the beach with the sun streaming down. Bliss. Also headed that way for a tasty lunch the next day, which in my mind was the best meal of the trip. Lovely service, great food and little cakes at the end of the meal. Mm mmm.

Our final day we drove back to Heraklion to sort out the parking fine. What a crazy mission that was. Thanks to Steve’s research we learnt we had to pay at a post office, then find the parking office so we could get our plates back. Given it was Monday morning, town was packed so we opted for a valet parking building to keep the car safe while we wandered the streets asking people where the post office was. Finally found it, had to take a number and wait. Forty-five minutes later – after small beggar children had come into the post office trying to sell tissues, an elderly man had been taken away on a stretcher by an ambulance crew, and numerous people had got fed up with waiting and left – it was finally our turn. The lady behind the counter was absolutely lovely and very helpful, my favourite part was when she told us our fine would be half of the original fee, and she directed us as to where we find our plates. So off we went, taking in the city sights of Heraklion on the way, and we finally made it to the office, only to find they needed the car rental info. B and I trundled back to the parking building to get the papers and he expertly navigated back through rush-hour lunchtime traffic. We finally got everything sorted and to ease his nerves, B made us stop at McD’s – yes, again – for a burger fix. Which, incidentally, took about 25 minutes for them to make. Slowest fast food ever.

Then we were out of there, the boys cursing Heraklion’s existence the whole way. We made it out onto the highway and headed back to Chania where we dropped off Steve and Brylee who had another night there and then we drove on to the airport.

Greece photos here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=175416&id=750249055&l=e0068b06e5

and here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=175423&id=750249055&l=b75ae55d1c

Back to London town in the wee small hours, complete with the hibiscus tea B&S had kindly given us, Brendan was most excited to see his Xmas parcel from his family had arrived and ripped it open then and there, despite it being a week till Christmas. I went straight to bed as had to be at work in about 5 hours (Brendy was jobless for the month of December which was a nice break for him after all the work he’d done on the farm).

Was a bit of a shock to the system to be back at work, but was made all the better when we were invited to a colleague’s Christmas party at his flat. Was a wonderful evening, it even snowed!, and we enjoyed homemade mulled wine and chorizo and chickpea stew. And we also took a trip to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park which was set up like a German Christmas market and had lots of shiny lights. Deeeelightful. Then we had our first snowfall in London which was very exciting. The cold hasn’t been too bad and the snow still holds a novely factor for us which helps!

More to follow….

First stop out of Heathrow was roadside SERVICES for the healthiest breakfast I’ve ever seen Brendan eat – a super, mega, huge BK combo with a large hot choc, mmm. Then we were off, with beautiful sunshine and a gorgeous blue sky – first stop, a whistlestop tour of Bath.  Visited the Roman baths and the cathedral, caught an excellent band busking before heading on to Longleat – a safari park in the middle of England no less! We were quite excited about this, Brendan had seen lots of it on TV and I just had no idea what to expect. It was quite bizarre driving through all the animals – lions wandering about right in front of the car, camels popping their heads through car windows and giraffes just hanging out.  After Longleat we headed on a mission to find somewhere to stay for the night. Found a terrific campsite just outside of Bridgewater where we set up camp.

Sunday we got up before the sun and headed on to Exmoor National Park. This was incredible as the weather had turned by the time we arrived which gave the area a mystical atmosphere as the clouds rolled in and the wind swept leaves all across the road. From Exmoor, my excellent navigation saw us go in a bit of a circle but on the upside we saw some great wee villages and seaside towns – twice.

Got our bearings and headed on to Poole where we had a lovely walk along the promenade. Bournemouth followed and then we arrived in Salisbury where we visited the cathedral. This was an amazing sight and I’m definitely glad we took the time to visit. There was a lot of scaffolding around the building due to refurbishment but it still didn’t take away from just what an incredible place it is. From Salisbury we carried on to Stonehenge and then hit the Sunday afternoon traffic heading back to London. Thinking we wouldn’t make it back to the car rental place in time, it was time for me to put in some (actually) excellent navigating and we managed to make it back exactly on the dot!

Notable highway sights: a gingerbread house candy shop tucked away in the woods on the side of the road; a motorbike towing a casket with the funeral procession following behind.

Another fantastic road trip, with great driving by the Brendan.

Photos at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=159502&id=750249055&l=3fcfe3d827&subject=We know we better get away, send a letter

xoxoxo

That evening we were invited to attend the live Telebingo draw on BBC, ha! Was really good fun surprisingly, we got put in the front row even though I had to lie and say I was over 25. We were just near Obama’s stepmother who was in town for the gig, and band Athlete performed live. All the clapping and smiling got a bit much after an hour and a half, and we didn’t even win anything but was still a fun night.

Other London highlights: Sunday night at Vesbar, catching up with J Simm and co at the Boatshed, Spitalfields Market, Tate Modern and St Paul’s and Brendan’s homemade gym.

Backtracking a bit, we swapped the British sun for some German sun and headed to Oktoberfest the day after Brendan finished working at the farm. Stayed with Marlene who was an excellent hostess. Brendan got stuck into the German beer not long after we touched down, and I enjoyed Marlene’s homemade cheesecake. Friday night we headed into the city to make our way to Hofbrauhaus. Being the night before Oktoberfest it was absolutely packed but some clever side-stepping and elbow-pushing got us in the door in a matter of minutes. What a way to start the Oktoberfest experience! The beer hall – probably the most famous in the world – was absolutely pumping with chants and crazy German speak filling the air. We ordered a round of drinks and were astounded at the strength of the waiters and waitresses who carried so many steins! Got our traditional German meal and just lapped up the atmosphere.

Next morning we were up early to head to Oktoberfest proper. Got in line for a tent, nearly crushed in the atmosphere, only to find out that it was full and wasn’t admitting any more drinkers for the rest of the day. What to do! Luckily Marlene’s smooth talking got us into Lowenbrau, despite the fact it was fully booked and we weren’t supposed to be there at all. What a star she is. So once we were in we were faced with finding a table – no table, no steins! But her friend’s brilliant sweet talk got us beers courtesy of a table dweller and we had ourselves a great setup. Beers flowing, dance spot right in front of the stage and huge pretzels all day long. For a change of scene B and I ducked into the ‘Wilderness Bar’ to the side of Lowenbrau and had some Jagerbombs, chatted with the locals, got very, very drunk.

The atmosphere at Oktoberfest was excellent. Great food, great people – so much to see and do! Finally called it a day though when Marlene promised to cook us dinner when we got home. Met Marlene’s parents who insisted we toast to Si and Rose – B did well to face yet another beer but it was for a very good cause after all!

Sunday we headed out to Dachau which was a moving experience. On our way home we stopped off at the Glockenspiel to watch the 5pm display and then climbed up a church spire for beautiful views over Munich. That night the darling Marlene, with Brendan’s help, cooked us a traditional German dinner and we stayed up drinking schnapps.

Monday we visited the castle and woods near Marlene’s flat. Had more beautiful weather and after the castle visit we wandered to a huge beer garden for a morning beer before heading to the train station.

Such a great experience, made even better by Marlene’s hosting   : )

xoxoxox

Photos at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=157612&id=750249055&l=fe455571b3