Mother Daughter Backpacking

A 20-day adventure by Are they there yet Read more

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Trip start
July 15, 2024
Mother Daughter Backpacking Traveler
Let the trip begin!
July 15, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 11 °C
Luck was on our side as Keyala and mum started our journey across the world. Keyala managed to pack six months worth of belongings into one cabin bag, one personal item and a neck pillow stuffed with jumpers. Keyala was off to 6 months in Germany to be an aupair and she managed to twist mum’s arm into coming for the first couple of weeks in Europe. It was a very flexible arm…

We had less than 24 hours between leaving the airport after a week in Hamilton island for Pop’s 70th birthday and heading back to Sydney airport for our first flight (London via Brisbane and LA) with a tonne of clothes to wash and dry and a few last minute appointments.

Around the time we were supposed to depart from home, mum got a message from Keyala saying ‘Don’t worry, im in Wollongong. My car battery is flat but Dad is coming to fix it. I just need to pack my things and get changed”…

Around 30 minutes later we were on the road with a GPS saying we’ll arrive 2 minutes before check in closes.

Luckily with some swift re-routing by Dale and we arrived at the airport with 40 minutes to spare. We got to the check in desk to be told by the Qantas staff that they couldn’t check us in as we needed a visa to transit through LAX.

We had 35 min to get the visa. Mum had the US visa ESTA app on her phone. We madly filled in the details, paid the fee and hoped for a fast turnaround. It was 4am in the US. Contingency plans were flying fast. If we didn’t get let on we might be able to swap to the flight via Singapore tomorrow or at least be on the flight to Brisbane and the visa might come through while we’re in the air.

We waited to the final possible moment 40 minutes before our flight was due to leave. We went to the desk to explain that our visa hadn’t arrived and to ask what our options were. Just as we were explaining this to the Qantas assistant Keyala got an email “Your visa status has changed - Visa Authorised”. Email received at 5.54pm for a 6.35pm flight

It was our lucky day. Along with this our flight was delayed so we had a leisurely check in and headed with the fam to the gate for our goodbyes.Read more
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London Pub
Jul 16–17, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C
After 30 hours of travel we jumped onto the tube and checked ourselves into our London pub. We only made it as far as a bangers and mash pub dinner and Keyala’s first pint of Guinness before the jet lag got us and we crashed out.Read more
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Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar square
July 17, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
We spent the night in our pub hostel with our unhappy Polish roommate. The beds were fine but the toilets were 🤮
Breakfast was a delicious Lebanese flatbread. Then we went off on a walking tour with an ex-local (me).
First stop was Buckingham Palace which was extremely crowded and shut off due to King Charles and Queen Camilla taking a horse and carriage to parliament for the Kings speech. It was also Queen Camilla’s 77th birthday so there was a canon salute.

Next we visited Trafalgar square and Covent garden and took all the selfies.Read more
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Gordon’s wine bar and Big Ben
July 17, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
We escaped the crowds of the streets of London into Gordon’s wine bar below the Charing cross station. We ordered a glass of the two cheapest wines (which were delicious).
When we emerged back into the sunshine we walked along the Thames to the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Keyala has seen bigger.
It was then time to pick up our bags and take the national express to stansted airport for our flight to Portugal.Read more
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Wearing all the clothes.
July 17, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
How to travel for 6 months with only carry on so you can save money on your Ryan Ir flights.
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Algarve
July 18, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
We arrived, tired and still jet lagged from our 30 hous of travel the previous day, at around midnight in the Algarve. We made our way to our accommodation. We had a code for the door but when we got there our room was locked. Very tired and jet lagged we looked around for a key and tried to open the door again. We were greeted by a a yell from the occupants inside.

We called the owner who informed us he had double booked the room and he would come and pick us up. We waited outside the room while the occupants got a little frisky inside.

The owner took us to a little boutique hotel near the marina called Acqua Ria Boutique. It was definitely an upgrade with two rooms three beds and a private bathroom. Our travel luck had struck again!

After a well deserved sleep we went out and explored the old town of Faro and the marina . We had our first and second pastel de natas. Cherry cafe was the best so far.Read more
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Bone chapel, Faro
July 18, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
We visited the creepy Capela dos Ossos in Faro. It’s a chapel made with the bones of 1000 Carmelite monks. There was a motorcycle festival in town so we visited the chapel with a bunch of bickies in their leather jackets covered in skulls and cross bones which added to the eeriness of the chapel. There wasn’t a lot of information available so our minds were running wild with how they got the monks bones and how long it would’ve take to progressively build the chapel as each monk died.

(We later found out that the monks were exhumed when they ran of space in the cemetery. )

We went to a local supermarket to stock up on supplies for the boat and had a delicious lunchRead more
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Life aboard a sailboat
July 18, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
Keyala was skeptical about the trip to the sail boat. The last two people who lifted her bag were concerned that she was taking this much luggage aboard a small boat until she explained she was travelling for 6 months.

When we arrived to the little fishing island of Culatra, people sunbaking and swimming off the jetty. It was hot so mum went to get some ice for our boat and some cold beer and wine.

Andre picked us up on his little dinghy to take us to our Airbnb boat 300m from shore. We approached a half sunken boat which was around the time Andre told us we’d been upgraded to a bigger boat, the Alpha!

The boat was cute and small. The toilet was so tiny you had to drop your pants and back into it because you couldn’t stand or turn in the little crevice that contained the toilet. We were strongly warned that flushing the loo paper would require scuba divers and €180 to unblock the pipes.

The kitchen contained a rocking gas stove top, two salt water taps and a fridge that cooled to only 13 degrees.

Luckily the sunsets were spectacular. And we are a sucker for sunsets. And Algarve rose and cold beer.Read more
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Voyaging to shore
July 19, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
As the sun rose, Keyala cooked up a magic pesto scrambled eggs for breakfast on our meagre kitchen stove top.

Keyala did an online German class while sitting on a boat in the Algarve #flex

My ride into shore was doubling Keyala on a small stand up paddle board, dodging wakes and fishing boats. Keyala was unimpressed by the amount of fish guts floating in the water as we moved passed the fisherman.

Keyala recited the A-Z of things she hates about lunging on a boat to jeep motivated as she paddled.

We arrived in the very cute fishing island of Culatra and walked across the island to the beach.Read more
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Culatra island
July 19, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
We spent some time at the beaches in Culatra. Around lunchtime we headed I to the little fishing village. We planned to walk to the other lighthouse village on the island but due to a bad case of chafing we needed to wait until the mini market opened after siesta.

We spent siesta drinking caipirinha, cocktails and eating some amazing tostadas ( toast, cream cheese, Portugal cheese and pumpkin jam).

After siesta, some vaso was procured and we made’s our way towards the lighthouse town (Farol). Around 10 minutes in, we realised it was too bloody hot and made our way back to the paddle board home to our sail boat.

Around 50m into our homeward journey we realised the wind had picked up and there were tonnes of boats coming in and out of the marina creating wakes that a little unstable paddle board with two people aboard couldn’t handle. A kind sailor took pity on us and threw us a rope to tow us over to our little sailing boat.

I feel that the above scenario was much more stressful that perhaps I just made out.

Anyway, after a little afternoon nap and read, we enjoyed another spectacular sunset aboard our little boat in the Algarve.Read more
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Sail boat life
July 20, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
It’s amazing how much the time of day makes a difference.

The morning of our departure we were up at sunrise and the water around the boat was smooth and glassy. We took the paddle board out for a spectacular and easy cruise around the canals.

There were some questionable realisations about where the toilet discharged to and why the large fish around our boat appeared so healthy.

The island had a huge party during the night for the ‘day of the island’ so everything was very peaceful while we imagine the fishermen were nursing some sore heads.

At 9am Andre came back to pick us up to take us to the ferry. He mentioned that he saw us being rescued by the local fishermen yesterday. He made some delusional comments about how it just takes practice to take a paddle board with two people and wind and the wakes of multiple party going boats back to our sail boat without assistance. And also that it only takes 20 minutes to cross the island to the lighthouse in 40 degree heat.

We took the ferry back to Faro and jumped on a bus to Lisbon, our next destination.Read more
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Lisbon
July 20, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
We stayed in a very cute part of Lisbon near Bairro Alto with lots of cafes, pastel de nata, bars and steps!
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Walking tour with Telma
July 21, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C
We took a fantastic walking tour through several neighborhoods of Lisbon with actress/ singer guide Thelma. She treated us to some march songs and fado music along the way.

We visited Bairro Alto, Chiado, Baixa (Downtown) and Alfama (the old town and the top of Lisbon).

We visited the site of the revolution in Lisbon in the 70s, the convent de Carmo, Santa Justa elevator (travel hack - we didn’t pay €5). Telma gave us some great tips for where to go to listen to real Fado music. We climbed many stairs and got to try another pastel de nata from nata de Lisbon.Read more
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A cherry liqueur on the way up the hill
July 21, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
In the way up to the Old town at the top of Lisbon (Alfama) there are lots of little stalls run by grannies selling homemade Ribera cherry liqueur. They are €1 or €1.50 in a chocolate shot glass. It was a good boost to get us up the next set of stairs!

At the top near a group of trees we stopped to see the 180 degree view of Lisbon and have a glass vinho verde (green wine) and a pastel de nata. The vinho verde is a little bit sparkly and dry and only made in Portugal.

We had a late lunch at the time out market (including a shot of Ribera along the way). Keyala had the traditional Portuguese francheschina sandwich and highly recommends it.Read more
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Sunset and moon rise
July 21, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
At the end of the street of our Airbnb was a little quiosque (kiosk) with an amazing sunset view. We had a caipirinha and green wine while we watched the sky turn pink over the Tagus river, 25th of April suspension bridge and the giant Christ the King statue on the other side of the river. Sunset was around 9.30pm and just after the sun set a spectacular huge moon started rising from the east which made all the quiosque patrons gasp and ooo and aaah. A musician was playing as the sun set which was a lovely way to bring in the evening.Read more
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Fado and vinho verde
July 22, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ 🌙 19 °C
Thelma had recommended that we go to to a Fado bar while in Lisbon so we went to one in Chiado. We arrived around 11pm and the bar was locked while the singer and guitarist played. It is very serious business with no talking allowed during the set. We heard the singing from the outside. When we were let in we were too late for the sets but the musicians were rehearsing while we had some dinner and a glass of green wine.Read more
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Pastel de nata breakfast
July 22, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
Breakfast on our last day in Lisbon was at another pastel de nata cafe. Mantegeira- definitely on the highly recommended list.
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Pastel de nata lunch Belem
July 22, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
A Portuguese friend from work gave me a tip for the best Portuguese tarts so we headed by tram to the nearby town of Belem. Here we visited the monastery of Belem (Jeronimos Monastery) where the monks made the first ever Portuguese tarts. The cafe nearby to the monastery pastel de Belem uses the highly guarded same recipe as the monks.

Portuguese tarts we invented because the monks and nuns in the monastery would use egg whites to starch their habits. All the monasteries in Portugal were closing down due to costs. So the Belem monks did a deal with the sugar refinery next door and turned the excess yolks into custard tarts to sell so they could survive.

The pastel de Belem definitely got my number 1 ranking for best pastel de nata. Closely followed by pastel de licor near our Airbnb in Lisbon that came with a shot of pastel de nata liquore and our first pastel de nata in Faro at the cherry cafe.Read more
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Duoro Valley Port tasting
July 23, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
Our only goal in Porto was to do a port wine tasting (and eat pastel de natas). We set off early in the morning to the Douro valley and started with a peaceful cruise. Our guide Melina told us there was an open bar on the cruise. Lost in translation… there was a bar that was open. €2 for a beer.Read more
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Quinta de Santa Julia port winery
July 23, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C
We visited two wineries in Porto. Our first very passionate expert told us everything we needed to know about port wine but we were very thirsty by this stage as it was 35+ degrees so all we could concentrate on was the tasting.

We had a United Nations lunch with a Scottish couple, and American / Indian couple, two American girls, us Aussies and the Portuguese free flowing wine. Lunch was a traditional Portuguese farmer’s pork pasta and a vego alternative. Great company, lovely food, great wine and beautiful gardens and views.

At our next winery the Scottish couple bought an extra bottle of Ruby port and didn’t feel they could take it home so we all sat around to help them finish it.Read more
What tha!!!! [Helen single]
7/27/24Reply
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Luxemburgers
July 24, 2024 in Luxembourg ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C
We arrived early morning in Luxembourg, dropped off our bags at the Grand Hotel Cravat (cheapest hotel in Luxembourg but very old world fancy).

We started our days with a typical Luxembourgish lunch - Luxembourgers and beer in a fancy glass.

Luxembourg is very clean, very quiet, and looks like a fairy tale.

We walked along the balcony of Europe and explored the tunnels beneath (the casemates).Read more
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Luxembourg
July 24, 2024 in Luxembourg ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
Facts about Luxembourg

They speak Luxembourgish (a German/french dialect)

They’ve won Eurovision 5 times.

The country’s official motto is mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sinn meaning ‘we want to remain what we are,’

It’s the only grand duchy in the world.

It’s the 7th smallest and number one richest country in the world. (Tax haven 1% tax for companies)

20% of the population is Portuguese 🇵🇹
Only 55% Is Luxembourgish
Most of the workforce commute from Germany, Belgium and France.
Highest minimum wage in the world (Australia is second) and free public transport!Read more
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Lux in Luxembourg
July 24, 2024 in Luxembourg ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Our hotel, the Grand Hotel Cravat, would have been very luxurious in its day and has been very well maintained with the same family still owning it today.

Keyala was very impressed with the room having a hair dryer. She did her German lessons in the luxurious robes provided. We had a view of the golden lady from our window. The lobby toilets were self cleaning. Keyala did some more German lessons in the luxurious lobby bar below.

Definitely put the luxe in Luxembourg (especially compared with a week and a half of hostels!)Read more
Hard working toilet [Helen single]
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Walking tour with Julio
July 25, 2024 in Luxembourg ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Our whirlwind trip to Luxembourg wouldn’t be complete without a city walking tour with Julio, our guide and two Aussie family’s, a French lady who came to Luxembourg for a day trip and an American couple who left the kids at home for a week in Luxembourg because it was fun to tell their friends.

1. LUXEMBURG HISTORY.
PLACE GUILLAUME II. THE TOWN HALL
Hôtel de Ville

2. PLACE D´ARMES
Army square where the troops used to parade while defending the city

3. GRAN DUCAL PALACE
The official residence of the grand duke ( he really lives out in the country)

4. CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES OF LUXEMBOURG
Where we met the ex prime minister

5. EGLISE SAINT-MICHEL
The oldest church in Luxembourg built in 987

6. LE CHEMIN DE LA CORNICHE
Known as the most beautiful balcony in Europe.

7. CITÉ JUDICIARE

8. CATHEDRALE NOTRE DAMME
Cathedral of our lady

9. PLACE DE LA CONSTITUTION
The golden lady ‘Gëlle Fra’Read more
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Luxembourg museum
July 25, 2024 in Luxembourg ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
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