Reinicializar a pesquisa
5 girls do Europe5 girls do Europe
SatéliteEditar rota

5 girls do Europe

setembro - outubro 2023
Uma 39aventura de um dia na 5 girls travel Europe Leia mais
  • 39pegadas
  • 7países
  • 39dias
  • 305fotos
  • 8vídeos
  • 24,7kquilômetros
  • 21,8kquilômetros
Seguir Calendário Compartilhar Lista de metas
Data ascendente
  • Viajante5 girls do Europe
    2
    Dia 14

    Caio Rome, made my dream come true…

    17 de setembro de 2023, Itália ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Leisurely rise this morning. I was up early again, can’t sleep in no matter what I do… and the rest up shortly after. Beth cooked eggs again, so good to have breakfast in house. Nice relaxed start to the day before we walked the 700m to the Trevi Fountain. Lots of street markets and shops open so a little shopping was had. I managed to find yet another little shoulder bag, and a hat that doesn’t make me look like a flat head when it comes off 😝
    Few purses, more hats and scarves purchased and then off to see the fountain.
    It lived up to everything I had been told and you could here it from a fair way away, come around the corner and wow, just amazing. Lots of people there even at 10am but the girls said it would get busier. We got the obligatory pics and then just meandered on down to the Pantheon. There is a restaurant Kelly and Susie have been visiting for quite a number of years and that was going to be our lunch spot but before that lets rest and have a coffee. So sat people watching for awhile, and Kel said, we should go into the Pantheon and look at the dome. I had noticed a people on the steps who were scanning something so I said, looks like you have to buy tickets…NOOOO said the girls, we have never paid to go inside. Well YESSS they now do charge for you to look inside and the queues were mounting. Beth and I looked at each other and said no way are we doing a tour, the place will likely fall down on us given our record with tours.
    Had a look see around the place then went and sat at the infamous restaurant. The very handsome Antonio served us. Great guy, looked after us well. I saw lobster on the menu and after the Tasmanian Lobster I had, this was a steal at the price 😁 We all enjoyed our meals, me lobster, Kel had veal and Beth and Susie had a prawn and melon salad. Washed down with varying liquids that hit the spot on this beautiful hot day. Ps I had the canolli, girls had tiramisu 😋
    It was a looooong lunch and just what we needed. Took our time walking home, bartered on a few more hats, and finally got back to have a rest and recover before going out to watch the rugby.
    Grabbed a cab outside our place, price was 6 Euro compared to the Uber of 28 Euro the other night to get to the Irish pub again to watch the Wallabies get beaten by Fiji. There were a number of Australians there, one bloke in particular was especially obnoxious (his wife told him to settle down when he lost his shit at other patrons in the way of his view). WE had thought we might support the Australians but after watching his antics decided buggar it, lets rally the Fijians. They are a good team to watch.
    Home to watch Nottinghill (we are having a Julia Roberts revival) and thoroughly enjoyed it.
    Its been amazing to come to a city I have longed to see for so long. Thank you girls for agreeing on including Rome in our itinerary even though you have visited many times before. ❤️
    We are off to Valencia tomorrow… and we have a pool! My feet are happy just knowing that 😝.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • Viajante5 girls do Europe
    1
    1
    Dia 15

    Valencia is a delight

    18 de setembro de 2023, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Farewelled Rome with a leisurely start, packed, repacked and tried to distribute things through carry on and big bag… hmmm and I haven’t bought anything.Our lovely host Aldo let us check out at noon so that was really great as I flights weren’t till 4.30pm, but we decided to go straight to the airport and hang out there.
    We were able to check our bags through early as well, although there was a slight raising of blood pressure when the girl said, that my little backpack, which i was using as my handbag was all I had paid for, that is considered the one small bag you could have…. jesus wept. I said I have my cabin bag which she made me put in the measure thing…I tell ya I jammed that baby in … and ended up saying well I will just put my ‘handbag’ inside it. Susie had to pay for her cabin bag. The girl had said if you get to the gate with the incorrect baggage for your ticket you will pay 69 euro for it. Ryan Air your descriptions on the ticket are a; confusing and b; bullshit!
    anyhoo off we go to our fast track security, boarding passes on my phone cos she wouldn’t print the bloody things, so I have to go thru pass back my phone to the next little monkey, didn’t work, had to ask for help! Blood pressure back up at that point….
    Finally made it through and upstairs to the Priority Lounge that Kel and I have passes for, and we could take a guest each. Almost overflowing with people but managed to snag seats, two together and two in another part…so waving across the room was frequent. Food wasn’t much to be recommended but the coffee was good and wine seemed to be okay as well.
    Decided I couldn’t fit anything else in the cabin bag, so succumbed and bought the upgrade to my ticket, just a mere 38.99 euro…bastards.
    Then we go to line up and there are people getting on with backpacks, and handbags… not in the priority lane where you can have two items… that girl was probably laughing up her sleeve.
    Easy trip to Valencia, little snoozes had, videos watched and books read and then we were here. Fastest landing with a huge bump on the runway but we made it.
    Grabbed a cab and on our way to our absolutely delightful home for the next 8 days. We were met by Oscar our host, lovely chap, very enthusiastic of having NZ guests, and very proud of his home. Kel and Beth kept the taxi and went back to do grocery shop as we don’t think we will venture too far from here actually, its just so nice. Oscar went and picked them up after showing Susie and I the run of the house. And being the first here….we got to choose which of the 5 bedrooms we wanted 😆.
    We aren’t close to Valencia, its a bus ride away, but the smaller village of L’Eliana has just as good shopping and restaurants Oscar tells us.
    Did I mention the pool area?? oh my goodness it is delicious.
    The girls arrived back with a truck load of food, all of which we are looking forward to eating, sausages, bacon, chicken, fruit, salads, cheeses, wine, crackers and anything else we fancied.
    Everyone ecstatically happy with our new abode. Platter made, wine flowed, lemoncello shots had, and then I just had to get in that pool. 10pm swim was so delicious.
    Might be a bit quiet for the next few days, book reading, relaxing and enjoying the pool is the wishlist for a little while.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • Viajante5 girls do Europe
    2
    Dia 17

    Easy day in Valencia shopping

    20 de setembro de 2023, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Just a little update. We got up and left at 10am to try and find a shopping outlet superstore…taxi driver took us to main shopping area in Valencia…lots of wooden coathanger stores. Kelly and Beth went off in search of a market, Susie and I opted for a shopping centre. Neither were a success. Our department store housed electrical goods, kitchen appliances and furniture. Their market turned out to be a food place, so we hot footed it over to meet them. It was like a train station that had been converted.
    Kel was having paella and did NOT recommend it at all, so I had a quesidilla and Susie a Salmon and Avocado roll thing.
    Looked in all the designer shop, decided that E495 brogues and E595 tote was not really our thing, so taxied back, swam, relaxed, swam again… love our place…
    Dinner is lasagne and salad at our place. Just a lovely thing to end the day.
    I managed to get us onto Skygo yesterday with Josh’s help with a VPN but today the bastard isn’t playing the game…so can’t watch the rugby, damn it.
    Maybe the replay will work.
    tomorrow is Paella cooking, looking forward to that.
    Ps forgot to add the thunderstorm we had last night. Amazing lightning ⚡️    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • Viajante5 girls do Europe
    1
    Dia 18

    Paella, chicken, rabbit & snails

    21 de setembro de 2023, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Woo hoo today was the day. Downloaded the app for the local taxi, put in our address and waited. Showing the taxi only 9 mins away. Then a phone call, lady I am at address…ahh nope ya aren’t. What address, I read it out to him, “I no understand, I am at the address you put in….” ahhh nope ya aren’t. “Lady, look at me” Nope can’t see ya…
    Seems the app did not put the address I put into it, put something completely different. Had to send him a photo of the sign on the street and he said I will be 10 mins. We are now down to 25 mins till the start of the cooking class!!!!!!!!!!
    We showed each other our screens when he finally arrived and yes totally different address. Told him his app is crap, he agreed. We chatted for awhile and then he mentioned NZ Cricket, so told him I know Tim Southees father and Trent Bolts mother (sort of do ya know) WELL was he happy, started talking cricket and Kel could chime in with some cricket greats… all was well with the world. He got us to the venue in time. We met up with the group and Jose took us through the history of Paella. Did you know Paella means a pan… and they kept saying we are very simple in Valencia, the home of Paella (not Barcelona as everyone thinks) we use words for multiple things.
    The Mercado de Ruzafa was amazing. Veges galore, fish, meat, cheese, olives and gastro delight.
    They went through the ingredients we would need and as we were in the Chicken,Rabbit and Snail Paella group we went around getting ingredients (not that we selected them) they had them back at the restaurant. The seafood Paella group had two types of prawns, cuttlefish, mussels.
    So off we walked to the restaurant… just a little jaunt around the city.
    Christina (the guide for the other group) and Anna the chef were waiting for us all. Anna was a vivacious Spanish woman, loud and fun. They made Sangria and gave us all a glass and told us how to do ‘cheers’ in Spanish. Salute! They had made Tapas of Potata Bravas, Mussels (cooked deliciously and we have the recipe) Manchingo Cheese, Serano Ham (related to prosciutto) and pickled Olives. OMG it was delicious. We could keep on eating them and drinking the Sangria.
    So the process began, god they cooked the hell out of the chicken and rabbit (we thought) Beans were fried and kept in as well for the whole time. When anything was added the added salt too. Gees it was salty when they got us to do a taste of the stock.
    We will definitely be jazzwardoing it up. At the end of the cooking, and it took quite some time, they gave us a shot of Cervero (just like Zambuca) and did another traditional ‘cheers’. She was a good drop I tell ya. Beth and I LOVED it. Another one would of been great. I quite like that Sangria, so had a few whilst the cooking was happening. Beth kept putting her glass down cos it was getting ‘dangerous’ as it was so delicious. Susie and Kel weren’t fussed on it though.
    Lunch was served. No you can’t have both types of Paella, you have the one your group cooked. Damn! So on the plate is 3 snails….oooooo not too sure about that, but anyway I ate them, Beth too, Susie only ate 1 and Kel 0… who are the gastronomic delights huh?
    To be fair the chicken was as dry as BoBo Faulkners Armpit, and would love to have added some other flavour, yes Josh we all will bastardise the recipe.
    3 hours later our Paella Cooking class was finished. We had a fabulous time and thoroughly enjoyed it.
    Off to the supermarket to restock our pantry and home to lie about the pool, read books and basically just loll about.
    Easy dinner tonight, garlic bread, cheese in the oven and other delights Kel is pulling together. Beth has converted me to Vodka, lime lemon mint and water… Susie and Kel having a Sauv Blanc.
    another successful day. 💕    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • Viajante5 girls do Europe
    Dia 18

    A day of doing nothing

    21 de setembro de 2023, Espanha ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Beth and I got up and went for a short walk this morning but her knee was giving her jip so back to the house. By tacit agreement all 4 decided that a day in the sun and swimming was gonna be the order of the day, so that is exactly what we did.
    Lounging about, reading, chatting. Pure bliss.
    Louise arrives tonight and we are looking forward to hearing about her adventures.
    Might be another chillaxing day tomorrow too 😜    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • Viajante5 girls do Europe
    Dia 21

    L’Eliana is a quiet town

    24 de setembro de 2023, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Another not so busy day for me. I decided to walk into the township, try and counterbalance the lovely food we have been having. 5.5km round trip and that included looking around the place. It seems it maybe place for elderly people (saw a few on walkers and out walking their dogs) and some joggers so probably a mixture. Not alot of shops in the town (and certainly not open on Sunday 😢 but plenty of cafes. Had a lovely brekkie, bread with fresh chopped tomato and avocado, was delicious. Gave up waiting and hoping that the couple of dress shops I found would open and walked back to our place. First few pics are what I saw in the township.
    The girls had gone to Valencia to do the Hop on Hop off bus and were seriously not impressed. Earphones not working (even though they went upstairs to try those ones after complaining downstairs were static) and they had seen only commercial area after 4 stops so went down and demanded a refund!
    They saw a parade of girls, but not sure what it was about, whether they are for sale? or in a beauty pagaent! Few pics of Valencia they saw of the old part of town.
    Lunch was delicious by all accounts, fish, sardines, calamari…. quite happy I had my empanada and fruit tart back here.
    Bonus on being alone, I could have a rudey nudey swim. Bliss! Last day tomorrow in this gorgeous weather.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • Viajante5 girls do Europe
    Dia 22

    Such a good day all round

    25 de setembro de 2023, Espanha ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Well it was up and at ‘em today. Susie, Beth and I off to Valencia to shop, Kel and Lulu to go into L’Eliana to have a mooch about.
    We managed to find the place they went to yesterday by showing the taxi driver a photo…Si si…blah blah place. yup off we go.
    Brunch at Cappacino, what a place. Waiters in bow ties, the place was amazing, ambience fabulous. Food was delicious. Suzie did get a surprise when her vienna cappacino arrived with a mountain of cream on top 🫢
    The shopping had some fine purchases made by all. I love my spaghetti strap dresses at last!. Finale was getting some grocery items and yet more Rose and a quick taxi ride home.
    No sign of the two walkers, but yes they had found a shopping mall.
    Our Lulu loves a hairdresser thrown into the mix, and despite me buying some scissors for the requested hair snip, she managed to get her hair coloured and cut, and her nails done all for less than €50 for the lot. Kel had her nails done too and they enjoyed a delicious tapas lunch.
    Home for all and swim and sunbath, modelling of newly bought items done, settled in for our final night with pizza and sausages. Trying to sort out what was left, what to bin and what to take. Rubbish taken out to the neighbourhood rubbish bins (fantastic system they have here) in our nighties… sneaking in the darkness amidst giggles and laughter. Great last night in spain, Sardinia here we come.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • Viajante5 girls do Europe
    Dia 23

    Perd'e Sali

    26 de setembro de 2023, Itália ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Disappointing day. Arrived at the accommodation I booked, no wifi, old and worn out villa. We knew it wasnt gonna be modern but this is tired. Pool and beach are good, but spent alot of time trying to make the owner understand we booked this expecting wifi and for the accommodation to be better standard. Upshot is we can’t find an alternative, so pushed her for a discount which she agreed to, even though Bookabach was going to sort a refund.
    Taxi’s here are horrendously priced. Charged us 30 Euro to go less than 5 mins away to Pula and the same return. To go into Cagliari will be 90 Euro each way!!!!!!!! Just terrible.
    We have decided to try and make the best of it. A short walk away is the marina, we can get coffee there, Pizza only during the week and pastas on the weekend. Will minimise going to Cagliari and will try and organise a boat trip hopefully from our Marina. Quite frankly I can’t wait to get back to civilisation and where I can understand the language 😵‍💫
    Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day when Im not feeling quite so frazzled and feel I have let the team down.
    For context the pic is of an umbrella that was left for us to use. they are replacing them and getting the mosquito screens replaced in the windows tomorrow and having the lawns done. So they are trying…..    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • Viajante5 girls do Europe
    Dia 24

    Great day out in Cagliari

    27 de setembro de 2023, Itália ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Well a new day dawned and everyone in A1 shape. Amazing what a sleep and a refund can do for ya.
    Unfortunately Kelly was harassed by the great mosquito population of Perd’e Sali during the night in her nuns cell downstairs. During the night she got up to spray herself with mossie spray but had grabbed her hairspray in the dark instead LOL 🤣. Much laughter retelling us the story in the morning. The rest of us had not one bite so an improvement from valencia’s bitey events.
    The gardener was supposed to arrive by 8.30 to do the lawns and fix the mossie window covers, and we were leaving by 9.30am in our highly priced personal service taxi (not) but by 9.20 no sign and our host said there had been an accident on the highway. He did arrive just as we were leaving so google translate came in handy once again. Told him to come back at 4.00 to do the windows and he was very agreeable.
    Cagliari, wow! We went to the old town and first stop as always coffee. We reckon they just wave the coffee under the frother to make it look good, cos the coffee is only ever warm. Then around the corner to walk the street up the hill, shopping. Past a good 2 hours doing that (possibly only 100m walk) but we did help the economy very well. Shoes, clothes, jewellery all purchased, (some ninja shoppers more than others) I even walked out of one shop wearing a new dress, and finally found some shorts! YAY.
    Back down the hill to have lunch, lasagne for Susie and I, Kel got her cabonara, Lulu got the prawns and calamari in tempura, and Beth gluten free spaghetti. Nice Sardinia sparkling wine, Aperols and Rose finished it off spectacularly. Kel went off for a special purchase and the rest of us decided to get one of everything for dessert (3) and an extra spoon. Tiramisu, Brownie, and Apple Souffle….OMG they were amazing. best tiramasu ever.
    Saw a little 8 seater golf cart doing tours, so jumped in, 15 Euro each and we all agree its the best tour we have had. Much better than a hoho bus by far. Our guide was lovely, he had english tour information playing. Stopped to let us out to take photos, and we just ambled along at a lovely pace down narrow streets, up hills, and wondered at the amount of cars around the place - made you wonder how the heck you get on if another car is coming up the hill.
    Awesome views, Cagliari is a large city, we could see for miles.
    back to the drop off and supermarket was across the road. Phoned Simone to get him to come get us (40 min wait time) and went to get our stock up. Everyone gets to fetch and carry, and select what they want and what we need.
    Out we came laden with bags of goodies, Kel and Susie had the usual Gelato (passionfruit and Lemoney) and there was Simone pulling up. timing perfecto!
    Back home, our gardener was here and doing the jobs. We had some funny translation moments, but nice guy and everyone is on a high at the successful day. A swim in the gorgeous pool end our day sojourn well.
    Chicken pieces, roasted spuds and salad for dinner. Bloody mossies are back in force so inside to eat. Earlyish night for most, its tiring shopping ya know.
    Reset and refocus worked Jenny… thanks for the pep talk.
    Tomorrow is lie about in the sun, swim, relax and enjoy what we came for.    Leia mais

    Ver tradução
  • Viajante5 girls do Europe
    1
    2
    Dia 26

    Oops a bit late 28/29 combined

    29 de setembro de 2023, Itália ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Sorry about that, I have been relaxing… we stayed home on Thursday and had a day around the pool, swam in the ocean (so salty my feet kept floating to the top even when swimming). Lulu adored being able to just walk in and frolic in the mediterranean, with an almost flat calm. Beth and I braved it first, honestly like bath water, and then Suzie and Lulu had a dip for ages. Kel chose to keep the pool going and we read, sunbathed, relaxed.
    Late afternoon/nighttime is a real issue here with the mossies, and it was my turn to be attacked. We went to Pula for dinner to have a look around because the shops shut from 1ish to 5ish in Sardinia, so did a little shopping. Nearly all of us purchased something, then off to dinner, and lucky Lulu and I took the mossie spray with us, because jeez they were diabolocal. I seemed to have been bitten under my chin and in my elbow creases…which has cause an allergic reaction! Bloody hell they are bad. Rubbed every single cream I owned into them but not much relief. So this morning was bigger doses of antihistamines and steriods which has improved them alot. Not much sleep and today we planned to be off to the market in Cagliari, have a long lunch and then just nibbles and drinks.
    So off we trot with our €90 taxi into town, and he duly takes us to the markets…. is a bloody food market, and the ‘clothes’ something like you might find on the streets of Marrakesh. So all opted out of that, and went and had a coffee.
    We then decided to go back to our ‘hood’ (familiarity is comforting when ya have no idea where ya are), the girls were asking a shop assistant, but she was pretty limited in English so came out of the shop and Beth is chatting with a young man pushing his baby around and he spoke fluent english and gave us directions to either walk to the Old town Square or catch a bus.
    Followed said instructions and spotted the bus stop so dived over there as the No. 1 arrived. Girls get on, Lulu is asking questions, horns are tooting behind us, ‘get on Diane’ said Kel so
    he can shut the doors, and he starts driving off! Lulu is say ‘Old Town’ he is shrugging so I showed him the google translater….. ding ding ding… he says ohhhhh olD town, emphasis on the D…he thought she was say ole town or something. No wrong bus. you needed to catch the bus on the other side of the road. So off we get at the next stop, walk around the corner and bus arrives. Off we go. And yes it took us all the way to exactly where we wanted to be. Phew…could of ended up anywhere.
    Decided lunch was in order.. changed restuarant from the other day…and then wished we hadn’t. Wasn’t awful but we have had better.
    some would shop, Kel wasn’t feeling inclined so she was left with the currency card and would top up our stocks.
    Simone our private taxi 🤪 was messaged, ‘the girls are ready’ and off we went. Of course we forgot that most of the shops were closed for siesta and the ones open we had seen the other day. A couple of smiling faces at the end, but the rest of us were just ready for home.
    Came back and there are people in next door (the other half of the villa) and they have kids, and they are swimming in ‘our’ pool. Not happy campers. We knew an ‘Aunty’ was coming, not 2 families. So 4 adults and 5 kids… and as I write this at 9.34pm they have decided to go swimming 😩
    Suzie and Kel of course want to see the All Blacks play but even tho its vs Italy, nobody in Sardinia could give a rats arse about it. So kiwi ingenuity to the fore…We have set up a messenger video call with Suzie’s sister in Timaru, she has her camera set up facing the tv and the girls are watching on the ipad here. Mad I know, but hell it works. Beth, Lulu and I are in our beds… not as keen a fans as we thought 😝
    Note the full body mossie armour this evening 🤣    Leia mais

    Ver tradução