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Europe Road Trip
  • Chapman Travel Adventures
  • Peter Chapman
  • Chapman Travel Adventures
  • Peter Chapman

Europe Road Trip

The adventure starts, travelling by train from Long Buckby to Birmingham, we then fly to Budapest. Please follow us on our travels through the Balkans and beyond! Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 13, 2024
  • Europe Road Trip
    11

    First full day in Budapest

    May 14, 2024 in Hungary ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    What a busy day! We did a 2.5 hour Pest walking tour which took in many of the sights of this part of Budapest. It included St Stephen's Basílica, Prime Minister and President's residence, the biggest church in Budapest and the Parliament Buildings. The walk along the Danube was incredible and very moving when we got to the shoe memorial. This was a representation of 60 shoes to mark 600,000 lives taken by the Nazis. We ate langos for lunch (a sort of savoury flat doughnut with toppings) and then visited Heroes square.Read more

  • Europe Road Trip
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    2nd Full Day Budapest

    May 15, 2024 in Hungary ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Well what an interesting day...
    Highlight was going to the thermal spa.
    Had a lovely hour cruise on the Danube. Then we got very lost following the Budapest Go app. We are staying in the 7th district but landed up in the 15th! Fortunatley, we discovered the bus stop was outside a very quirky outdoor pub (see pictures that include toadstools). We were rather chilly by 7.45 pm in our shorts and tee shirts. The picture includes Nicky a lovely Hungarian lady with little English who ordered a taxi for us to get us home. All's well that ends well.Read more

  • Europe Road Trip

    3rd Full Day in Budapest

    May 16, 2024 in Hungary ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    We stayed an extra night as we hadn't seen the Buda side of the city. It was very worthwhile. Buda Castle area is beautiful. Where the Pest side of the city is flat, Buda is very hilly. We came back to the apartment a little earlier today to chill out before the next leg of our travels.Read more

  • Europe Road Trip

    Keszthely, Lake Balaton

    May 17, 2024 in Hungary ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We left the apartment at Budapest at 9.50 am this morning to catch the 10.40 train to Keszthely. It had poured with rain overnight and there was just a little drizzle in the air. The selfie picture is taken of us at Budapest main train station. We had a smooth journey, but our allocated seats were next to the rather pongy toilet!. We arrived at around 1.20 to 21 degrees with mainly sunny skies, Pete travelled for the huge sum of around £1.40 as over 65s travel for free in Hungary but for a distance must pay for seat reservation. I think my ticket (as a youngster) cost around £8.50. The apartment is about a 15 minute walk and easy to find....just keep the lake to the left or you will get wet! It is a basic studio but I think the bed will be more comfortable than the one in Budapest. We had our first 'proper' Hungarian meal, I had potato dumplings with onions, sour cream and salad and a glass of wine. Pete had potato dumplings with sour cream and a slow cooked beef washed down with a couple of beers. It was all very tasty. We had a walk by the lake and have come back to the apartment to chill so that we will be raring to go tomorrow.Read more

  • Europe Road Trip
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    Keszthely Lake Balaton 2nd Day

    May 18, 2024 in Hungary ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    We went to Lake Heviz today. Lake Heviz is a thermal lake and the water was around 23 degrees and the air temperature was similar. It was very relaxing, although Pete says the swimming with a float was exhausting....hmmm.
    We enjoyed a late lunch (at almost 4 pm) and then took the bus back to Keszthely. We are ready for a new country and adventure tomorrow. We took some photos of the 'posh' area which is just a few minutes walk from where we are staying.    Read more

  • Europe Road Trip
    1Travelling from Hungary part 1 on the bus
    Local ice cream shopMaribor with a view of the river DravaTired feetArrival in MariborStill in Hungary...'international' station rather smaller than expected.Exterior of accommodation doesn't match interrior

    First day in Slovenia

    May 19, 2024 in Slovenia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    So we have arrived in a 'city' called Maribor in Slovenia. We haven't travelled too far in distance but it took a long time to get here. Some of the views travelling were really picturesque ....green forests, hills and lakes. It is quite pretty in the town too. The apartment is really rough looking on the outside (just think inner city flats) but very modern and lovely on the inside. It seems a safe place. We have now eaten and had a fabulous ice cream where all the locals seemed to be queuing. We will explore the area better tomorrow.Read more

  • Europe Road Trip
    The oldest vine.....not me btw!View crossing the Drava riverGuess what they sell?

    2nd Day in Slovenia

    May 20, 2024 in Slovenia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    We slept well last night and had a quieter day today, it seems there is an Irish bar in every part of the world ...we tried the one in this town out and had a tasty omelette (admittedly not traditional Slovenian fayre). We went to visit a tiny musieum which reportedly has the oldest vine outside, it is over 400 years old. We were there for about 10 minutes....there was no wine on offer! We then spent time wandering around the older part of the town looking at the buildings, sitting near the river and eating an ice cream as we ventured back to the apartment in the early afternoon. The rest of the day has been mostly sitting around reading and chilling.Read more

  • Europe Road Trip
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    Day 1 Zagreb, Croatia

    May 21, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    We travelled from Maribor to Zagreb on a very comfortable Flixbus. The journey is quite short around 2 hours and despite the weather the scenery was gorgeous, , mountainous with lots of green trees . We left with grey skies and seemed to bring the cloudy and rumbling thunder with us.

    We both had a coffee and foccacia near the station for less than 5 euros then took a taxi to the area that we are staying.
    Whilst waiting for our accommodation to be ready we called in to a local pub (honestly we don't just eat and drink!). It poured with rain but petered out for us to go and get some shopping. When we got back to the accommodation we had the first mishap, I tripped up the step and bruised my leg and cracked my phone screen.    Read more

  • Europe Road Trip

    Second Day Zagreb

    May 22, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Yesterday when we arrived I thought we might be disappointed with Zagreb. The area around the bus station was rather run down and not too nice (bit like Northampton Bus Station). However, today when we went into the city centre we were pleasantly surprised. We arrived to the annual 'Festival of Opportunity' celebrating different cultures and abilities. We had a brilliant walking tour. The city has some fantastic buildings and the tour guide was excellent...using a mix of history, wit and charm. Croatia had 2 larger earthquakes in 2020, not very noted due to what else was happening in the world. The earthquakes damaged the Cathedral which is apparently always under repair as the initial materials were poor quality. At 12 noon there is a canon fired from the turret building. Even though we knew it was coming it still made us jump! Hence some video footage of the floor!Read more

  • Europe Road Trip
    Race across the world style!
    Enroute viewWell we know where we stand!1

    Split, Croatia

    May 23, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Longish bus journey down ro Split from Zagreb. The scenery was beautiful for most of the journey. We found our apartment after a little while and are very central to the Old Town.

  • Europe Road Trip
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    2nd Day in Split Croatia

    May 24, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We planned a quieter day today, and went to the beach as the weather forecast was good. The sea is a beautiful colour and the water on the first part of the beach was very shallow and warm. I ventured in. Further along the beach is rock with deep water and steps and a diving board to get in. I think the water was even more beautiful here!Read more

  • Europe Road Trip

    Day 3 in Split

    May 25, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Another day in Split. We spent the morning exploring the market and then the Roman walled city which is really beautiful. We returned home for lunch and a little break from walking. In the afternoon we went out again and had a look at the private yachts. We were asked if we were part of the party going on board...unfortunately not (maybe we should have tried to blag it) I did say I would like to be going on board and she said she could give me her card (bit out of our league I think!). We then headed towards the panoramic view.....there were a lot of steps but the view out to sea.was lovely. We are treating ourselves to a meal out tonight after lots of walking so hoping the food will be good!Read more

  • Europe Road Trip

    Day 4 Split

    May 26, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    We awoke to rain and had a lazy start to the day just reading and researching our next leg of the journey which starts tomorrow. Later, we walked around the Old City again but found some areas we hadn't been before. It was still a bit drizzly but warm so we didn't mind. We bought something to eat from a bakery which I think might be the Croatian equivalent to Gregs. My pastry had spinach and feta and Pete's was a spicy chicken. They both were filo pastry and very reasonably priced. I think the two came to less than 4 euros.Read more

  • Europe Road Trip

    Day 1 Mostar Bosnia and Herzegovina

    May 27, 2024 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We arrived in Mostar around 12.30 it is a beautiful town. We had a lovely lunch by the river and then arrived back at our air bnb with thunder and lightning but just before the deluge of rain. Will post some more pictures tomorrow. Here are a couple from today.Read more

  • Europe Road Trip
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    Day 2 Mostar Bosnia and Herzegovina

    May 28, 2024 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We had a lovely wander around the Old Town, some lunch and then a trip on the river. Mostar was very busy with lots of tourists today. Bullet holes in the walls are a poignant reminder of Bosnian recent history. The video is of young men who try to get as many euros as possible and then jump into the river from the bridge (apparently they expect to get at least 50 euros before they jump). We will be moving on tomorrow early evening.Read more

  • Europe Road Trip
    Post it notes and prayers
    Mostar viewAnother Mostar viewStill MostarAt Mostar Station...2 platforms and slow trainsTravelling view doesn't do it justiceGoodbye Mostar

    Last day Mostar and arrival in Sarajevo

    May 29, 2024 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Not for the faint hearted but we went to visit the Museum of Holocaust and Genocide in Mostar. As you might expect it was harrowing and such recent history. I couldn't help but relate it to the time my younger children were small with many of the worst atrocities taking place between 1992 and 1995. The image of the post it notes fill a room with people's thoughts and prayers and anyone is able to write a note. I don't think anyone in the museum spoke aloud to each other the entire time. The museum was full of personal stories and also recorded footage taken at the time. The words inscribed on the stairs spoke volumes they state....'Here the living are silent while the dead speak.' It took Pete and I some time before we could speak to each other...we just walked. I am glad we went as it is important to know but I wouldn't want to repeat the visit. On to more cheerful chat we had a slow and beautiful journey from Mostar to Sarajevo the scenery was amazing with jade green lakes and mountains. It made me think of the Alps in places. We will let people know more about Sarajevo tomorrow as we are tucked up in our air bnb ...which is a 3rd floor apartment with no lift. I am sure our step count will be excellent!Read more

  • Europe Road Trip

    Exploring Sarajevo

    May 30, 2024 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    A lovely day in Sarajevo, the weather was much better than forecast and remained dry and pleasantly warm all day. We got up early and went to see the Latin Bridge where Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assasinated leading to the start of WW1. A little later in the morning we took the cable car to the site of the 1984 Olympic Games. It was worth the money as it took at least 15 minutes each way and the views were fabulous. I have to admit to being slightly nervous particularly on the descent as it was very steep in parts. The scenery at Trevebik was stunning. We hiked uphill to see where the Bob Sled and Luge was sited. We rather liked the photos that we timed to make it look like the cable cars were on our shoulder, he he. After we returned to the Old Town eating brunch out at around 12.30, we had worked up an appetite by then! We continued looking around the Old Town admiring the buildings, church, market and interesting streets before returning back to base.Read more

  • Europe Road Trip

    Sarajevo and whistle stop Croatia

    May 31, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    So we decided the best option for our onward journey due to transport limitations was to travel to another part of Croatia. The journey took longer than stated with border crossing etc a total of around 6.5 hours but the coach was pretty comfortable. It was pouring with rain as we got to our destination which is similar to when we visited Dubrovnik in 2014. We are staying in Lapad an area of Dubrovnik before travelling on again on Sunday. We don't have too much to post as we spent the majority of the day on the coach. We have eaten, showered and are now relaxing.Read more

  • Europe Road Trip

    Full day in Lapad Dubrovnik

    June 1, 2024 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    A lovely lazy day... we had a beautiful walk along the coast and went to the supermarket to buy some supplies. It was cloudy but warm. The photo of the menu is a pricey restaurant near the beach....I don't think we will frequent it....steak is over 80 euros and lobster is over 100! There is also a photo of Pete pretending to be grumpy when I asked to take his picture (at least I think he was pretending) We did very little other than walking, people watching and reading. #justchillingandrelaxingRead more

  • Europe Road Trip

    NEW COUNTRY

    June 2, 2024 in Montenegro ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    We have arrived in Kotor, Montenegro. We had to stop and exit the bus with passports leaving Croatia and then again about a mile down the road to enter Montenegro (who owns the bit in between?) The process took about 45 minutes which is apparently quick as we were told in the height of summer the traffic can queue for 10 km. There were quite a few cats at the border, I suspect they roam between the countries freely. Montenegro so far looks beautiful.. Kotor has the most southernmost 'Fjord' which isn't really a Fjord but is made of a submerged river and where 4 bays meet. We have walked around the local area, eaten and will explore in more depth tomorrow. It was very warm and humid when we arrived, about 29 degrees.Read more

  • Europe Road Trip

    Day 2 Montenegro

    June 3, 2024 in Montenegro ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    There was a thunder storm and rain overnight with the rain persisting into the morning but it has been warm. We decided to get our raincoats on and explore the Old Town walking along the walls. The Old Town is full of little alleys and is characterised by tradional orange roofs. After lunch we went back out and it was beautifully sunny. We walked along the shingle beach and admired the view. There is a picture of me hanging out the washing over the balcony using a pulley system. Our air bnb host, Zoki is fabulous he has just a little English and makes himself understood with additional gestures and acts of kindness. Having mentioned his limited English .... we don't speak any Montenegrin! Today he came up when we were sitting outside and brought us two beers and some pastry snacks.Read more

  • Europe Road Trip

    Day 3 Kotor

    June 4, 2024 in Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    What a fantastic day! Today was a 'blow the budget' day. We went on an amazing speedboat trip. The trip was 3 hours long and gave us a lengthy trip across the bay,. It went to the submarine port (an area where submarines were housed in. WW2) They mentioned Yugoslav submarines but they must have been German, I think
    One of the pictures shows a swastika on the wall. After this we saw Mamula Island which was a prison camp during WW2 but is now a luxury hotel that charges around 1000 euros a night. This is between Croatia and Montenegrin waters. We then visited the Blue Cave and swam in the water, it was cold but not freezing. We went to the Island of Perast where the Lady of the Rocks church is sited. In the evening we went out for a lovely meal overlooking the sea. Tomorrow we will pull back a bit on the budget. I think the accommodation is £28 per night.    Read more

  • Europe Road Trip

    Meandering along the coast of Montenegro

    June 5, 2024 in Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We took a short bus ride from Kotor to Budva. Budva is a much bigger town but has a nice feel to it. We have a lovely little studio apartment....up quite a lot of steps but with a wonderful terrace and view. We have just walked and taken in the views of the area today.Read more

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