A post from Josh, Warsaw & Krakow, Poland

Like many cities in europe Poland has over a thousand years of rich and colorful history twisted with a dark and heartbreaking story. Our travels began in Warsaw the capital of Poland and like any major city is was a wash of daily life and busy streets. We set our sights on the free walking tour, starting in the old towns square perched on top of a small hill that seemed to put us in the perfect location for the icy winds to cut though our clothes and leave us seeking any shelter even using each other as shields while the guide went on his usual welcome speech. The old town  was completely rebuilt after it was devastated in WW2 and is now on the UNESCO world heritage site as of 1980. it is a beautiful small town with narrow tall buildings, each with a soft bright colour and the sounds of clickety clack from the horse-drawn carts on the cobble stone streets. Our tour stopped off at the royal castle, main market square, Marie Curie’s house, the old city walls and barbican monument of Warsaw uprising. The tour finished shortly after 1 o’clock, we gave our guide a tip and dashed for the nearest coffee shop to warm up. Next on the agenda was a traditional polish lunch at Zapiecek Perogi House, we treated our taste buds to pork and cabbage pierogi with bacon onion gravy finished with a traditional apple struddle.

   

On our second day in Warsaw we visited the Uprising museum. This museum has not just had a lot of time and money invested into it, it has been built to pay respect and stand as a lasting memorial to their loved ones. inside the museum are hundreds of donated artifacts, weapons,clothing,newspaper clippings and a replica bomber all detailing Poland’s 1944 battle for independence – a very powerful museum and one you can not miss if in Warsaw.

The third day we found ourselves stuck on how to spend our last full day in Warsaw. It was decided that our day would be best spend taking another free walking tour. this time it had the catchy name “alternative walking tour” which basically ment you walk to the other side of the city and feel a little bit out-of-place as the guide takes you for what only can be described as a light jog through run down old building full of squatters and homeless people. Before this brief a unexpeced gym session our guide also explained not to hang around too long or stare as this may provoke one of these people to sternly ask for your wallet that seems to return a lot lighter than it was before.

The next morning we left Warsaw bound for Krakow on a four-hour train ride that had yet more interesting experiences for us. The company that we used to book the train tickets only booked one seat so after a few heated emails back and forth we managed to get both bums on the same train.. but there is always a catch, we were seperated by 6 or so carriages left to fend for ourselves against the polish public, this was easier said then done as it felt more like a game of rugby then the journey to our next destination. Gemma managed to blink her eyes a couple of times and convince a young polish lad to lift her bag on the rack as she took her seat while I spent half of the train ride sitting on my bag in the middle of the aisle untill the ticket inspector took me by the arm and forced a lady to move so I could be seated correctly to which I apologized only to receive a sour look in return.

We arrived in Krakow relieved to see each other had made it and set on making our way into the utterly beautiful city of Krakow. Our hostel was set on the main square overlooking shop fronts, cafes, restaurants and street performers. We spent the afternoon wandering around window shopping and stopping in for the occasional coffee or beer while watching the sunset on a clear blue sky. Almost ironic that the flowing day would be spent in a place that will be forever known as the site of the biggest mass genocide known to human history “Auschwitz”

The next morning we woke up preparing ourselves for a very different day. Our tour guide picked us up and we hopped in the van along with 12 other tourists from across the globe. A documentary was shown in the van giving us an introduction to the camps and how they came to be.

Auschwitz is broken up into three different camps Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II Birkenau and Auschwitz III which has been completely destroyed and is not able to be visited.

The tour started in Auschwitz I, we opened the van door to find another 3000 people lined up at the gates ready for their tour, at the time it seemed like a lot of people until you enter the site and realize how big the camp is, it could easily fit 5 times that amount and your understanding of where you are begins.

This was the first camp and it started its life as a polish army barracks, it required very little alterations for the Nazi’s to turn it into a camp for forced labourers so it was an obvious choice. One of those alterations was a sign that was hung over the main gate that reads “Arbeit macht frei” meaning “work makes you free” the irony of this is well-known to us now.

We spent the next 3 hours slowly walking through the camp and into some of the blocks with the original block numbers still hanging out the front. Inside the blocks are photos taken of the some of the prisoners in the camp and the guards watching over them. In one particular room tins of Zyklon B fill the room from floor to ceiling; this was the crystals of hydrogen cyanide used to murder the people in the gas chambers. This is only the first of many rooms that starts to make you question if this place is real and how people can do such things.

The next rooms are again filled from floor to ceiling with the only remaining possessions left of the people who where forced here. Thousands of suitcases, shoes of all sizes, hair combs, tooth brushes ,socks , pants, shirts, belts this list is endless. One room holds 12 tonnes of human hair and the next barrels overflowing with human teeth, you instantly feel a million miles from anywhere and that human life holds no value. Before you can even try to understand any of what you are looking at the next place you walk into is the infamous block 11 or “Stammlager” this block had one sole purpose, to torture prisoners for information or for punishment and executions. The next block number 10 is equally famous and just as disturbing. It was used for Josef Mengele nicknamed “The angle of death” to carry out unscientific and often deadly human experiments on prisoners. You begin to feel as if this will never end room after room block after block countless rows of building leading you down towards the first and only intact gas chamber left.

 

As you walk down the main path past the blocks and out a gate turning to your left is a small mount not big enough to even call a hill it is covered in long flowing green grass and oddly shaped. The path leads you parallel to this mount until you come to a small entrance that leads you under the mount and into the only gas chamber at Auschwitz I. This experience is like being awake and falling into a bad dream. The moment you take your first step inside the hairs all over your body stand on end and sense of cold overcomes your body starting at your feet and rushing back down your spine. This room felt different to the rest and looking around at the rest of the group it seemed as if the feeling was mutual. The smell of the room was also unique and unlike anything I had smelt before it wasn’t bad or unpleasant but it lingered in the air and it was noticeable. The last thing you notice it what you can see. A long blank room with no windows, two hatches on the roof and a pale green/ grey colour on the walls. The paint on the walls was stripped back in such a way that you could picture the people who suffered here clawing and scratching with their finger nails in some small hope of escape, all over every wall was evidence of this. As quickly as you enter this building and become overwhelmed by your senses you are lead straight out the other side and back into the warmth of the sunlight. This was how our tour of Auschwitz I finished.

The tour group was given 10 minutes to go to the bathroom and grab a coffee before moving onto the much larger and far more well-known Auschwitz Birkenau .Whenever you see a book or documentary focusing on Auschwitz there is an  image of a railway line leading up to the centre of a long building with a sharp pitched roof. The middle of this building has an arch for the train to continue under with a guard post directly above. It is quite possible the most famous image of Auschwitz and it is the first thing you see when getting out of the tour van and stepping into the car park. It is unmistakable; we walked along the railway line towards the camp and through the main entrance. Once you go through the building and onto the other side you are in awe of the scale of this camp, to your left and to your right you cannot see the fences at either end. As far as you can see the same building are repeated in perfect symmetry only getting smaller as they fade into the distance. We continued to walk straight following the railway line for 200m and the guide stopped us. We were standing in the very same place that each and every train heading for Auschwitz stopped to unload its human cargo. It is a large flat area with very little features there was nothing but the railway line perfectly straight until it stops. This was literary the end of the line for some estimated 1.1 million people. They would have been removed from the train told to place the belonging on the ground and to go and take a shower. We moved up to the gas chambers one on the left one on the right both now in pieces and sinking into the soft soil. The Nazi’s had attempted to destroy the chambers with explosives when they evacuated the camp but did not do a very good job. What now stands is two old building side by side a symbol of what mankind is capable off.

Throughout all of our travels we have never been to a place like this and most of the posts on the blog are all about the good times we have had along the way. But sometimes you need to stop and appreciate the life that you have been blessed with because others have not been so fortunate.

A final thought on all off this. The scariest part of Auschwitz is not what happened but how it happened. These death camps all across Europe were planned and designed by people with intent to destroy life. These such people studied in university to become architects, engineers, lawyers, doctors, accountant’s people that in society are seen as well-educated who knew better but where still capable of creating such things. This leaves but one conclusion, In our being we have the ability to be evil and if we were capable of doing it before who’s to say we won’t do it again.

Normandy France & Brussels Belgium

After leaving the UK and Ireland, our onward journey to Europe began in Normandy France. This was our 3^rd visit to France in the past 3 years, one we very much felt we needed to make before heading back to our motherland.

On June 6^th 1944 the allied landings began the liberation of France and Europe. D-Day beaches are now visited by many who can commemorate the victory, triumphs and sorrows of those who fought.

We based ourselves in Caen for 3 days. As it was not peak season there were not a lot of options to get us out to the beaches so we hired a car instead – this was the best way possible to visit all these historic spots as they are spread out over a 50km coast line.

The first beach we visited was Utah which we felt was rather disappointing to be honest! It seemed to commemorate the French and not the Americans, as the 4^th US Infantry division landed here we felt a little let down by the memorial as it did not symbolise what it should have. The beach itself was filled with many shells, starfish and crabs which was nice alongside the few remaining bunkers. We also visited the American Airborne museum which is a must see if you’re visiting this area. This museum focuses on the paratroopers that landed behind enemy lines; it contains all the equipment that the soldier’s carried at the time including their uniforms, weapons, medical supplies and food – a very well done museum to say the least.

Another must see is Pointe Du Hoc – one of our favourite stops during this trip. Pointe Du Hoc towers over Omaha beach; the deep craters surrounding this area brings a true realisation of what went on during this time.

We also enjoyed our stop at Pegasus Bridge & the Pegasus Bridge Museum, Gold, Juno and Sword beach which is worth a visit if you are doing a Normandy tour. I advise if you plan to visit Normandy to do it during the summer with the access to the buses or ensure you hire a car during your stay, this will make seeing all these valuable sites much easier.

From France we headed to Brussels in Belgium for a few too many beers, waffles and frites – Of course we needed this after all the French pastries; my waist line can thank me later. As usual tradition we took part in the free walking tour to learn a little more about the city from a local – a free walking tour is tour you put your own price on (usually 5 Euros per person does the trick). This is a valuable way to get amongst your surroundings and learn about a few different places that you wouldn’t find on a map.

We stopped by the famous Manneken Pis – yes Pis as in a little boy peeing! Brussels town hall, Grand Place & Grote Market, Monte des arts, Musical instrument museum which is a fascinating building just to visit from the outside alone, Cinquantenaire which is the Jubilee Park in English and of course we bypassed a few of the many comic street artworks that Belgium is well-known for.

  

Our favourite waffle house was Dandoy which has been around since 1829 – you must have a waffle here if in Brussels. The best way the locals advise to eat a waffle is plain with a small amount of icing sugar – no sauces or ice cream! We tried many different beers at the famous beer house Delirium which has more than 2000 beers on tap; this is a site to see on its own. Lastly on the search for the best frites in town we tried many places but by far our favourite two were fritesland & Maison Antoine – of course we always ordered with a side of the most delicious Andalouse sauce! Not sure if I loved the frites or the sauce more?!

From London to Scotland – Roadtripping

After two years in London we felt pretty guilty about the fact we still hadnt managed to visit Scotland – considering its next door there isnt really any excuse. 10 days prior to our UK visa expiry we decided what better way to see Scotland but via a road trip! Our journey consisted of the following route: London, York, Edinburg, Stirling, Inverness & Lock Ness, Isle of Skye and finishing up in England’s lake district, of course with many castle stops along the way.

A few of the Castles, Cathedrals, Abbeys & Ruins we visited along the way were of course Edingburg castle & Tantallon Castle in Edinburg and the Lothians district, St Andrews Castle & Cathedral in the Kingdom of Fife district, Stirling Castle in Central and West district, Fort George and my favourite of all Urquhart Castle in North and Grampan district. Castled-out as you probably are after just reading that.

We stayed in some great hostel’s along the way and one terrible one that comes to mind. After staying in many hostels during our travels i have to say that “Inverness Tourist Hostel” was by far one of the worst we have come across – DONT STAY HERE EVER. From ciagaret butts in the showers to broken ovens, filth everywhere and a weird mix of homeless people, this hostel was “interesting” to say the least. On arrival there was 17 year old kids throwing cooky dough out the windows at on passers, the bedroom doors didnt lock which meant those same kids burst into our room at 2am drunk, the girl at reception wore the same clothes for 3 days and didnt seem to shower – lets just say this is every backpackers ideal hostel lol.

Our favourtie place on the trip was Isle of Skye, with -4c & snow everywhere it just made this place even more magical. We visited the main town of Portree, the Old Man of Storr, we hiked the magical Fairy Pools – no we did not see any real fairies (we hadnt had enough booze for that yet) and of course we went Scotch tasking at Talisker distillery. The weather also made our time in Sky a little more interesting as the road conditions were not great – on our way back from Fairy Pools we came across a family who’s car could not get up the hill due to the ice on the road – continuously sliding back down the hill at each attempt . After 40 minutes of trying to help push the car out of the snow a local managed to help tow the car out. Lucky for us we had a little mountain goat of a car (Honda civic LOL) & with Josh’s great driving skills we managed to get out without getting stuck – FEW! A little touch and go for a moment and defiantly a few nerves.

Scotland was as beatiful as it had promised to be and surely didnt disapoint – even thought many people told us we were crazy to visit at the time of year (which they were probably right) it wouldnt have been as magical without those snow topped mountains.

Sandra – Josh’s new favourite drink is offically IRN-BRU 😉

Leaving London!

In 2012 Sitting on the plane leaving Sydney airport I turned to Josh and said “two and a half years is a long time to leave home, what are we doing?!” – at the time I didn’t realise that 2.5 years would be over in a flash and not only would I feel & think differently to the way I did back then but I would become a complete different individual and accustomed to a new life. The want to stay away from home longer and longer became present in my life. You grow use to the distant Skype conversation with family and friends from your “real life”, the rainy weather and the fact that all Londoners talk about is weather, you’re “not so new” 9 to 5 day job is now apart of your daily routine just as it would be back home, your surround by a whole different support network of friends and work colleges who you now can’t imagine not seeing each week, you learn your way around the city like the back of your hand memorizing every tube stop and bus route without realising it, you even start talking different and of course over time you accumulate so much stuff its like you have lived here forever!

I read an article recently “Everyone talks about how hard it is to move to another country however no one talks about how hard it is to move home” – something I really anticipate.

As the end of our visa was fast approaching I realised how much I really love my London lifestyle and was I really ready to move on?! I think not having the choice to stay makes it harder to let go as you know that this is a final goodbye, a goodbye to the lifestyle, a goodbye to a place you now call home and the hardest of all goodbye to people who have become like family to you. Perhaps the push to leave is a good thing?! Going home to settle down like everyone else is doing may be a blessing in disguise however I have no doubt that after the excitment of reuniting with our love ones dies down it will be hard, it will be hard starting all over again in a city that has moved on without us, a city we may not know so well anymore. A wise friend said to me “Sydney will be what you make it” even though I feel apprehensive about our return this new beginning is also exciting – exciting to see our loved ones and exciting to start our life together back in our motherland.

However we are still on a quest to prolong our return home  –  a trip to Scotland, Ireland, France, Belgium, Poland, Czech Repulic, Hungary, Thailand, Burma, Lao, Vietnam and Cambodia should do the trick. With no return ticket who knows where we shall end up or what date we will arive back in Sydney! say “once the travel bug bites there is no known antidote and I know that I shall be happily infected until the end of time”.

Indulging in Malta – OH & We’re now Engaged!

Our usual style of travel involves cheap bus/train journeys, limited flights, backpacker hostel and of course a daily budget where Josh loves to note how many toilet breaks I have had for 0.50 cents each. Just a standard Nomad traveller’s way to keep the dollar going further and allowing us to tick off another country on our bucket list – the never ending list.

It was the week prior to Christmas and we scored these amazingly cheap flights to Malta. Taking into account it was winter and Malta is at its peak during those hotter months however we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see this gem of a country. Why not splurge for once?! So we did- we booked a hotel, car and ate out every day – something you tend to avoid when your on the budget and have a hostel kitchen at hand.

We stayed in St.Julians which is situated along the coast line and is known as a small fishing village. We enjoyed pasties from the local pastizzeria and walks along the coast. Even though it was winter we still had some amazing rays at 20 degrees, enough for the need for sunnies- Something we don’t use often in London.

Taking a ferry from St.Julians to Valletta was stunning as we sailed in towards the city – breath-taking views. We also spent some time visiting Blue Grotto, St. Agatha’s Tower, Victoria lines and Gozo to name a few of our favourites.

During our little car tour Josh was awfully keen to stop at Dingli cliffs and watch the sunset. He is mad about his photography so of course he wanted to seize the opportunity to get some great shots, another standard thing about our travel! The sun was setting with hues of purple – it was overcast but such a striking skyline anyhow. Little did I know that the man of my dreams had set me up… it was all a plot to catch me of gaurd. As I thought I was having my picture taken I turned around to see the love of my life on one knee – obviously I said YES!

We couldn’t be happier and happy to share this moment with all our family, friends and followers! Thank you to all who have sent us love and wishes since our engagement.

Greece

There are so many island’s in Greece, how does one chose which to visit?! Our journey to Greece was short but sweet, a visit to Athens and then onwards to the Island’s of Milos and Santorini. A bit of the city life and a bit of the beach life – the best of both worlds if you ask me!

Like our trip I’m going to keep this post short and sweet with a few suggestions of our favourite things from each place.

People either love or hate Athens – I was more of a lover than a hater which I feel not only came from my love of history & culture but more so from my love of food! We lived off Gyros for 2 Euros each – Gyros is spit meat with salad, tzatziki sauce and chips wrapped in a warm pita bread, Freddo cappicinos which are a greek iced coffee and Yiaourtlou – kebab covered in yogurt sauce. Another traditional dish worth trying is Moussaka which is an eggplant dish! Our favourite place to eat was Σαββας Κεμπαπ and our favourite bar was Brettos schnapps bar where you can try just about any schnapps thinkable. As usual we took part in a free walking tour of the city to learn about the ancient ruins such as the Acropolis, Parthenon, Temple of Olympian Zeus and many more! We watched the changing of the guards at the Presidential Palace and caught a view from Pnyx.

A few hours on the ferry and we arrived in Milos – a volcanic island in the Aegean Sea, one of the less popular of the islands when it comes to tourism, a reason as to why we wanted to see this unspoilt gem! Making our way around by quad bike we visited some of the most stunning beaches such as Kleftiko beach, Firiplaka beach and my favourite Tsigrado beach where we had to absail down the cliff face to get to the waters – talk about making you work hard for a swim!

Next stop was Santorini – a tourist capital! Of course we did the typical norm , watched the sunset from Oia, took a donkey ride up the many stairs (I felt a little guilty about that one) , visited the red beach, Perissa beach and explored Fira. Dont get me wrong it was beautiful however Santorini was everything I expected and everything I didn’t! I would always recommend travellers to visit here once but once is more than enough for myself! Myself and Josh felt like Santorini has lost its soul, the beaches weren’t as beautiful as the pictures, everything costs a fortune and it was more dry and arrad in between the cities than we expected.

Its everyone to their own – like i said, most people hate Athens where as i loved it! most people love Santorini where as I didn’t. The only way you know is if you go!

Sailing the Croatian Coast

During the summer we spent some time sailing the Croatian coast line, a little delayed in my post as we have been caught up with our London lifestyle since our return. Our time in London has now come to an end so I figured it was about time to jump back on board and get the blog up to date before we embark on many more journeys in the next few months. I have to say Croatia is one of my favourite summer destinations, despite its uprise in tourism it still does not take away from the local culture and gorgeous waters.

We began our tour of Croatia in Split where we would commence our sail. Taking a few days to explore the old town and a short visit to the island of Hvar we spent most of the time relaxing before we left for the waters. On a yacht with 7 others we sailed to our first port in Sensula – The pine-tree framed bay of Sesula is absolutely idyllic. We spent the afternoon paddleboarding the crystal-clear Adriatic Sea, whilst watching the sunset and spent our first dinner sampling Croatian cuisine in konoba (restaurant), Šišmiš.

  

Unfortunately due to some technical troubles with our yacht we were taking slightly off course however there was a few positives in this dilemma as we were able to explore off the beaten track compared to some off the other yachts sailing with the group. We stopped in at Stari Grad where we went to visit a local farm on the island for some wine tasting and of course I made friends with the local Farm Donkey! As you do! Next we were off to Hvar town for a night out. Hvar boasts ancient ruins, medieval churches, poet Petar Hektorovic’s 16th-century Tvrdalj castle – and fantastic nightlife! Worth a visit if you’re in the mood for a good time.

After a relaxed morning, we set sail for paradise island Scedro. Arriving on this small island we went on a 8 km long mountain bike ride to visit the ruins of the monastery located in the mountain range. It was a beautiful ride except our skipper forgot to mention the 8km was all uphill, not to fun in 34c heat. A few winges, cuts and bruises later we all were quite happy to see some alcohol to unwind after an eventful day.

Next we arrived at the picturesque marina in the heart of Korcula Island with plenty of time to meander the postcard-pretty maze-like back streets, swim at the beach and enjoy some margaritas! We enjoy a lazy snorkel in the azure Adriatic Sea before we headed to Mljet – the most unspoilt of Croatia’s islands, boasting the scenic National Park – home to the Mediterranean’s largest coral reef.

Coming to day 6 of our sail toward Dubrovnik we stopped at Sipan, the playground of royalty and the wealthy, Sipan, the largest of the Elaphiti islands. After a lazy afternoon, we had sunset drinks before dining in a local konoba.

Our final day – day 7 was the journey to Dubrovnik. A feature of Dubrovnik is its walls that run almost 2 km around the city. The system of turrets and towers were intended to protect the vulnerable city. The walls of Dubrovnik have also been a popular filming site for Game of Thrones.

 

Road Tripping through Tuscany!

Been our second visit to Italy this year we wanted to experience something different to the “big city” Italian lifestyle. We decided what better way to do this than take in the wine culture of the Tuscan country side followed by a quick trip to the canals of Venice – a city we had still not set foot in. We found that the best way to get around Tuscany was by car so we set off in a little Fiat to our onwards journey from Florence to San Gimignano. San Gimignano is a small medieval walled town in the province of Sienna. We lodged in the area of Pancole at a vineyard called “Agriturismo Cesani Vincenzo” were we sampled wine of there very own. It was a week of freedom, having a car and been able to drive again! Something we don’t really get to do anymore as a car is not necessary in London, much different to the “tube” lifestyle we have been living. Our second stop was the main wine region Chianti, staying in the district of Castellina at the lovely Albergo II Colombaio which was a beautiful old house run by a elderly lady who’s English vocabulary extended to “ok”. She was beautiful, even though we couldn’t speak  a word of Italian she insisted on speaking to us in Italian anyways, as you do! She made us feel very at home regardless of the language barrier. The fresh produce in Tuscany was the most delicious Italian food I have experienced in the country, not to mention the wine was delicious so much so that Josh even shared a bottle or two with me. To my delight I convinced Josh to come wine tasting, as many of our nearest and dearest know he isn’t a wine fan but Tuscany may have changed this! Tenuta Casanova was the first winery we visited. They not only make wine but also produce olive oil, truffle, chilli jam and balsamic vinegar that has aged for 3 decades. We sampled truffle oil on omelette, honey on cheese, balsamic vinegar with apple & honey on ice cream… yes ICE CREAM! it was unusual but delightful and there famous wine “Easy to fall in love”. From vineyards to sunflower fields we ventured to Cortona, arriving at an old farm house in the middle of the fields looking up toward the medieval town was stunning! The prevailing character of Cortona’s architecture is medieval with steep narrow streets situated on a hillside at an elevation of 600 metres that embraces a view of the whole of the Valdichiana. We defiantly enjoyed Italy much more this visit and was sad to say goodbye to our little fiat before moving on Venice.

 

Portugal

Our bus pulled into Faro at 3am connecting us from Spain. A small city with a recommended 1-2 days stay as it is rather quiet. Faro is popular as it is one of the main ports to connect you to other areas of Portugal however there is not an aweful lot to do here. We enjoyed a day trip to Farol Island, located 40 minutes by Ferry from Faro for 5 Euros return. For the first time on this trip we felt relaxed, lazy and just like you should when your on a beach/summer holiday. The perfect feeling before carrying forward to Lagos.

We heard Lagos was rather touristy and packed with other Aussies (pretty common all over Europe in the Summer).  Now we should some what be very patriotic but to be honest when we hear “ lots of Aussies” it’s a big turn off! We travel for the pure enjoyment of learning about new cultures and with that meeting people from that culture and other places in the world. Hence for our disapointment when there are many other Australians. Lagos was actually not like we were informed and as you may tell from many of my other posts Im a strong believer that you need to experience things for yourself before you make judgement based on other peoples opinions.  Lagos  has some beautiful beach coves with crystal clear waters, including actual SAND! Something we have not had a lot of since been away from home. The most enjoyable experience we had in Lagos was Kyaking through the grottes with a company called “kayaking tours” at Praia da Batan. The Grottes are caves along the coast line that are only large enough for kayaks to fit through making this an amazing way to see the caves. I would come back to Lagos purely to do this again! Lunch was spent at Dom Afonso which was recommened to us by our hostel. It was true portugese food and did not disapoint nor did our stay at Tag Hostel. Please stay here if in Lagos as this hostel is ran by a beautfiul mother and her family. Not only is it prime location with a great roof top terrace ideal for sunrise but they have the most amazing newfoundland called Osso! I feel in love with him as newfoundland is the breed of dog Josh and I long to get once we have our own place. This was the hardest part about leaving Lagos! Such a cutie pie!

Sagres known as “the end of the world” is the most South/West point of Europe. If we could do our time over again we would do just one day trip here from Lagos as it was only 1 hour by bus. Sagres is a great place if you like to surf or would like to join a surf camp to learn. Unfortunatley for us neither Josh or myself like surfing as we have previously tried. From here we continued on our journey 5 hours to Lisbon.

We loved Lisbon, between here and Lagos were our Fav spots of Portugal. As typical backpacker tradition we took part in the FREE walking tour with “the wild walkers”. Generally a free walking tour is a tour that you tip based on your expereince and what you think the tour was worth. Around 5 Euros per person does the trick. At 10am our tour guide encouraged us to drink Ginjha which is a Portugese Cherry liquior. Similar to Port with sour cherries throughout.  After our tipsyness wore off we went to Bellem for the afternoon where we tried the traditional portugese pastry at Pasteis De Bellem.  It is like a warm custard tart, it was super delicious.  The night was spent taking part in a portugese cooking class followed by playing “kings” a drinking game with our fellow travellers.

 

We spent a day in Sintra, a magical town filled with castles and palaces. We visited the historic centre, The National Palace, Regaleira Palace and Gardens, as well as Pene National Palace. These are only a few in the area and are probly the most magical to visit. We tried two other pastries which are tradtional to this area, Ta Autssties & Queisada. Coming to the end of the half way point of our trip we now head onto Florence Italy to collect our car. Tuscany were coming for you!

A belated post of our time in Spain.

 

Barcelona, Pamplona, San Sebastian, Madrid, Valencia and Sargres!!!

Barcelona is one of the main hubs in Spain and now I understand why! Many people say the best way to get around is by foot but I must say I disagree. We loved biking around Barca as we started our time here on a “Fat Tyer Bike Tour” which I feel if you are in Barca, Berlin or Paris this company is the best one to show you around the city… not by foot but by bike which means you cover a larger area whilst getting a feel for the city and what attraction you should hit up next.

Some of our favourite things in Barca was discovering Gaudi who is a famous architect and the master of the Sagrada Familiar, Palau Guell, Casa Batllo and Casa Vincens! Gaudi committed over 40 years of his life to building the Sagrada Familiar which to this day is still not complete. Current architects and builders predict the work should be finished by 2025.  Another fav spot of mine in Barcelona is the food markets La Boqueria where we experienced veggie tortillas that come at a price of 10 Euros each but were worth the cost for the flavour and are large enough to split between two people which If your a couple or travelling with a friend works out well. We also experienced another good feed at La Lola which is located on top of the Arenas de Barcelona where you can experience some amazing 360 views over the area. The views over Placa d’Espanya and towards the Palau Nacional are especially impressive. If you are looking for more of a drinking experience I recommend going to Espit Chupitos which is a great shots bar! You must have a Boy Scout which is a shot with Marshmallows where they light the bar on fire to toast your marshmallow before you down your shot! seriously delicious and a great experience at only 2 Euros a shot!

We also got our Art fix at the Miro Museum. Artist Joan Miro Catalan Spanish painter, sculptor, and ceramicist born in Barcelona, this museum is a tribute to his work and a very inspiring museum if you like his work or even if you have the love for contemporary arts. If you have time for one museum this would be the one I would recommend you see when in Barcalona.

 

To our mother’s horrors we decided it would be a great idea to visit Pamplona for the yearly San Fermin festival … i.e.. Running of the bulls! Your probably thinking surely they didn’t run?! Well no I didn’t however Josh certainly did and I’m glad to say he is in one piece and was not the 24 year old Australian that got gored. The festival is full raging and some memories are not so clear! The festival is a tradition based on honouring Saint San Fermin and started with the farmers leading the cattle to the ring. In some respects I understand the culture behind the festival but apart of me did feel bad for supporting the festivities which include slaughtering of bulls… this we did not watch, pay or take part in. The festival itself was a great experience and I’m glad we have had the honour to see how the Spanish celebrate!

San Sebastian was our next port of call. Unfortunately we didn’t have the beach side weather which you needed to enjoy your stay here.  It is a small town and other than its beach side attraction it is also used as a main spot to stay when travelling to & from Pamplona. We enjoyed our time relaxing after a big couple of days in Pamplona, eating and sleeping to be precise. We enjoyed a great lunch at Atari and tried Pintxos which is a tradition spanish way of eating in San Sebastian. The concept is similar to Apritivo in italy except you pay per piece of food. The food is lined up along the bar, you pick your selection of 4 or 5 things (or how ever many you need to fill your tum) , a drink and then they calculate your  meal. It was a great way to experience a different way of eating rather than you typical Tapas.

 

Moving forward we headed to Madrid where we experienced big city life similar to Barcelona. Madrid was very fast paced so much so that we ate dinner one night in 10 minutes! The restaurant was called El Tigre, my only way to describe this experience was crazy! You pay 6 Euros for a drink and received a large plate of mixed tapas piled rather high. It’s a great concept if you are a single traveller or in need of a quick cheap meal. We visited the Royal Palace of Madrid, plaza Mayor, Basillico and the Prado & Reina Sofia museum’s. If you only have time for one museum in Madrid and you like contemporary art as we do, then Reina Sofia is a must.

 

Making our way down the Southern coast we stopped at Valencia for a few days. It is a charming little city with quite a few medieval buildings. It is a great city for riding bikes and as per my previous posts you are now probably aware this is something myself & Josh enjoy. We hired bikes to ride through Jardi Botanic which is an old dried out river now turned into a rather long park bypassing the Palau de les Arts & L’Oceanogratic which are surrounded by water. This had a rather “Dubai like feeling”. Surprisingly we had our most enjoyable Tapas here! Maria Mandiles, a little restaurant with decor like your Grandmas house had the most delicious Spanish food. We shared Patatas Braves, Thick calamari, Prawn skewers with Tomato chutney and brie accompanied by a jam chutney. Now you must be thing we have to be out of condition with all these different foods but I’m glad to say thanks to the walking and bike riding we aren’t complaining to much of a lack of fitness but we are looking forward to getting back to running and the gym on our return to London.

 

Seville – the place where Tapas was born! Like most European city it also has an old town which we had the delight of visiting along with Seville Cathedral, Plaza de Espana & Alcazar Palace of Seville. The Palace was beautifully tiled with large exotic gardens, this is a must see when or if you go to Seville. My most favourite site in Seville! We had the delight of pacing around the Palace at the rate of a snail due to the humid 40c Heat. I think the UK has finally worn off on our thermostats after a year and a half residing there! We stayed at La Banda Hostel and def recommend this hostel! It is a fantastic hostel which is run bys a great way to mingle with other like-minded travellers. Another reason this place is tops is that you feel right at home. The guys take the time to introduce themselves if they notice a new face and they like to get to know everyone. It is a much more personalised experience compared to other hostels.

Leaving spain on a good note we now head to Portugal. Stay tuned for a not so long post!