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Darren and Janet

Darren and Janet

traveled in 34 countries Read more🇦🇺Adelaide
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    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetScotland, Faroes, Romania 2024
      1Our magnificent loco to Constanța
      2Gara du Nord Station, Bucharest1Hunchiar Mosque (1868), Constanța, the first reinforced concrete building in Romania.2Constanța Old TownQuiet on the beaches today5Now that's a dessert!! Our last papanași, worth the 1 hour wait to be made freshFormer town hall, now Archaeological Museum, Constanța2The main square of Constanța Old Town, Piața Ovidiu1Bucharest tram

      Train to the seaside

      June 6, 2024 in Romania ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

      An early start for everyone today. Marina is travelling to Belgium to play in a corporate touch rugby tournament, and we're catching the train to Constanța, on the Black Sea Coast.

      After a pleasant 2.5 hour journey, we arrived in Constanța at 1pm and walked to the centre of town via a number of caches.

      Constanța is Romania's oldest continuously inhabited city (founded 300BC), and the largest port on the Black Sea, and our hotel is in the centre of the Old Town.

      In the afternoon, we were having a lovely walk around the old town when a summer thunderstorm struck. We took shelter in a building entrance and stayed there for an hour until the rain stopped.

      After a change of clothes at our hotel we had dinner in one of the many alfresco eateries in the main plaza, followed by our farewell papanași.      Read more

    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetScotland, Faroes, Romania 2024
      5Palace of the Parliament
      21Ceaușescu's marble staircase... and a matching one the other side for his wifeThese doors slide back into the walks to make the 150m long hall look even more impressiveThe heaviest chandelier in the building, 5 tons - is cleaned by climbing inside from above1Clearly they got tired of answering the same questions!Antim Monastery, moved in the 1980's to save it from demolition to build the palace3Snack time

      The People's House

      June 5, 2024 in Romania ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

      Today we did a guided tour of the Palace of the Parliament (aka House of the Republic aka The People's House), the seat of the Romanian Parliament. It is on Unity Boulevard, originally named Triumph of Socialism Boulevard.

      It was ordered built by Communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu and built by displacing 50,000 citizens and demolishing their homes in the 1980's (no compensation was offered).

      It is the heaviest building in the world, containing 1,100 rooms, 10 stories above ground, and 8 below, including a nuclear bunker under Ceausescu's former office. If you visited one room every thirty seconds it would take you 9 hours to visit them all.

      After our visit we walked into Unity Plaza for lunch, then home on the underground. The underground system is efficient and reliable - and cheap, a single journey to anywhere on the network is $1.      Read more

    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetScotland, Faroes, Romania 2024
      1Walking track along the top of the dam walk, Văcărești Nature Park
      1Concrete dam built by the Communist PartyConcrete dam, wetlands, apartment blocks in the distanceEntry to Văcărești Nature ParkDambovita River, south of the city

      Park'n'Shop

      June 4, 2024 in Romania ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

      We caught the underground again today, this time south of the city to Vacaresti Nature Park, which is a wetlands surrounding Lake Văcărești.

      The area was part of a large swampy area on the outskirts of Bucharest that was drained by the Communist Party and apartment blocks built at one end. President Ceaușescu wanted to build a reservoir which was supposed to be filled from Mihăilești Lake, 22 kilometres away, and a concrete dam was built to surround Lake Văcărești.

      The plans were abandoned when communism fell in 1989 and the area was neglected. Due to the area being unused for such long time, plant-life and wildlife flourished and the biodiversity is now considered to be comparable to that of a small river delta. There are now a number of bird hides and walking trails in the park.

      After lunch at a nearby cafe we caught the underground back to the north of the city, stopping at the shopping mall for some supplies and afternoon tea, before walking back to Marina's.      Read more

    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetScotland, Faroes, Romania 2024
      1Cărturești Carusel bookstoreStreet art, Old TownEntrance to the Old Town10 kilometre marker, the point from which all distances to Bucharest are measuredDistances to other centres, 0 kilometre marker1Trams traverse around the city centreUnderground crossing at major intersections in the city centre53

      Bucharest Old Town

      June 3, 2024 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

      We caught the underground Metro to the city this morning for a walk around the cobbled, car free streets of the Old Town, a mix of restaurants, nightclubs, ancient churches and historic buildings. And a decent number of caches.

      The weather was fine and hot again, so the walk was leisurely and the refreshment stops numerous. After a few hours walking and lunch al fresco, we caught the underground in the late afternoon back to Marina's, for a quiet night in.      Read more

    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetScotland, Faroes, Romania 2024
      3First papanasi
      Piața America Latină (Latin America Place), statues of past South American leaders... not sure why!Casa Ceausescu, front viewResplendent in booties, ready for the tourCasa Ceausescu, courtyard garden

      Casa Ceausescu

      June 2, 2024 in Romania ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

      Today we toured Casa Ceausescu, also known as the Spring Palace, which was the Bucharest residence of the leader of the Communist Party. It was most notably the home of Nicolae Ceausescu and his family from 1965 until he was overthrown in 1989, so is generally referred to as the Ceausescu House.

      In a country where most residents had no electricity or running water, it was an opulent house, with an indoor swimming pool, cinema room, sauna, hair salon and a golden bathroom - the rumour at the time was that the bathroom was solid gold, and while it is gold in colour, the guide told us is all gold plating and contains next to no actual gold (no photos are permitted inside, so we can't share any of the gaudy details)

      Late lunch was at an outdoor terrace restaurant, and our first serving of papanasi, the national dessert.      Read more

    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetScotland, Faroes, Romania 2024
      3Carol 1 statue (foreground), "The Potato" (background), Revolution Square
      2Having a go at table soccer1That's how you decorate a bus shelter to advertise a TV show!Romanian Athenaeum, concert hall1Ursus beer 2.5 litre tabletop dispenserLake Floreasca, on the way to the cityAll food in the bakery is sold by the kiloAlfresco dinner last nightCEC Bank building

      Children's Day

      June 1, 2024 in Romania ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

      We woke up to a warm day for the first day of summer, with 33 degrees forecast. It's also International Children's Day and a public holiday in Romania.

      We walked into the city centre, where many of the streets were closed and were filled with cafe tables, children's games and activities. Of course we stopped on the way for morning tea, lunch and caches.

      After having ice creams in the park, we caught an Uber back to Marina's and had dinner in, before watching the UEFA Champions League final on TV.      Read more

    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetScotland, Faroes, Romania 2024
      Monument to the Founding Fathers of the European Union, Herastrau Park
      Walking to dinner, Herastrau ParkSunset, Lake HerastrauDining alfresco, Lake Herascau1Plate filling schnitzel, spicy sausage and pickled vegetablesWalk home from dinner1Marina's first cache find

      SCO to RO

      May 31, 2024 in Romania ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

      Early morning wake-up for our flight to Romania. We left the hotel at 6am with a breakfast bag in hand and walked to catch the airport bus.

      We flew to Bucharest via Amsterdam, arriving at 5.20pm.

      Marina arranged an Uber to collect us, and we arrived at her apartment around 6.30pm.

      It's a warm evening and the outdoor dining scene is popular in Bucharest, so we walked to dinner around 8.30pm.

      The restaurant was crowded with families and groups enjoying the balmy evening, and we had a relaxed dinner, then walked back to her apartment via a couple of caches... which included Marina's first find!      Read more

    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetScotland, Faroes, Romania 2024
      3"Weeping Girls", Oliver's favourite piece, Jupiter Artland
      1Forth rail bridge, Firth of Forth3"Rivers", water from 100 UK rivers, Jupiter Artland1"Landscape with gun and tree", my favourite installation, Jupiter ArtlandJupiter Artland gardens"Upside Down Mimi", Jupiter ArtlandEdinburgh is an incredibly busy city, awash with thousands of tourists2What better than a statue on the street... a statue on the roof!Scott Monument, Edinburgh3The forgotten centre of Edinburgh

      Journey to the centre of Edinburgh

      May 30, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

      After docking in the early hours, we had time to enjoy a hearty breakfast before disembarking around 8am.

      Our tour included an extra day in Edinburgh, so 23 of us boarded a bus and began with a view over the 3 bridges of the River Forth.

      Next stop was Jupiter Artland, an outdoor sculpture park on the grounds of a 17th century manor house on the outskirts of Edinburgh. On the weekends in summer they get 1,000 people a day visiting, but today was thankfully much quieter. Following a guided tour we had lunch on the grounds.

      After checking into our city hotel, we had a few hours to spare before dinner, so we went in search of possibly the most low key tourist attraction in Edinburgh, the marker for the centre of the city (thanks JK for the tip).
      It is a black post located outside the former GPO, and marks the point where all distances to the city are measured. Unsurprisingly, we were the only ones taking pictures with it!

      Dinner with the group was in the hotel, and an early night before and early start tomorrow.      Read more

    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetScotland, Faroes, Romania 2024
      On the bridge
      1Outside the bridge, calm seas todayQuiet in the bar, just prior to afternoon tea being served1Mmm, afternoon tea!1We can follow our route and current position on screens around the ship

      Maybe

      May 29, 2024, North Sea ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

      We have a full day at sea today as we make our way back to Edinburgh, so plenty of time to wander around the ship, catch up on reading, reflect on the trip... and start to pack. We also made our first visit to the bridge.

      As we head south the weather is getting warmer, and the fog lifting. The Faroes and it's island neighbours in the north Atlantic could be described as the Lands of Maybe. Nothing can be guaranteed, as the weather has a habit of putting a stop to the best laid plans. Maybe the sun will shine today, maybe the supply boat will arrive, maybe the planes will be able land... In fact there are 37 different words for fog in the Faroe Islands. Slavtoka is a rainy mist. Mjørkabrúgv is a fog bank that sits on the horizon. Hjallamjørki is a thick belt of fog, above and below which it is tantalisingly clear. And fjallamjørki is a mountain fog, which descends from the heavens in a matter of seconds, covering small settlements "like a burst of breath on a window pane".

      We had a preview of the trip video blog, compiled by one of the trip photographers, then a final dinner where all the crew were introduced. Docking is expected in Edinburgh at 3am, and we disembark after breakfast.      Read more

    • Darren and JanetDarren and JanetScotland, Faroes, Romania 2024
      1Múllafossur Waterfall
      1Sandavágar churchSandavágar church interiorView from Gásadalur. Tunnel entrance is mid pictureLow cloud in Gásadalur village2Gásadalur villageWalking in Bøur1Bøur - even the chook house has a grass roof

      Farewell Faroes

      May 28, 2024 in Faroe Islands ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

      Our final day in the Faroes began with the ship repositioning during the night to the harbour in Midvagur, on the island of Vagar.

      After breakfast we boarded buses to Sandavágar church. It is a light and airy wooden church, with a model of a boat hanging from the beams. We learnt that every church on the Faroes has a boat inside somewhere, some to commemorate loved ones lost to the ocean, a safe return from a voyage, or as a reminder of their link to the sea. There is no point on the Faroes that is more than 5km from the sea, and all but one settlement is on the coast (the other one is on a lake shore)

      The village of Gásadalur was our final stop for the day. Until 2003 it was not accessible by road as it was considered too costly to blast through the rock and connect it's 14 residents with the rest of the country. However, following a generous government rethink, engineers completed a 1.7km-long tunnel in February 2003 to bring their blissful isolation to an end.

      The tunnel also opened up the number of visitors to Múllafossur Waterfall, possibly the Faroes most famous tourist attraction. It falls 30m off the edge of a cliff directly into the sea and has a convenient viewpoint a short walk away.

      On the way back to the ship we walked through the village of Bøur (only residents cars are allowed in the village), and had coffee and cake in a small family run cafe. The village was a base for British soldiers during World War 2, as it is close to the airport.

      We set sail for Edinburgh after lunch and had a restful afternoon of presentations and eating, before the crew talent show after dinner.      Read more

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