2023 European Adventure

An open-ended adventure by Scott Read more

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Trip start
August 22, 2023
2023 European Adventure Traveler
Melbourne to Florence
August 22, 2023 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C
Goodbye Melbourne - despite chaotic last minute shopping and packing, we are finally on our way (even if Scott wasn't happy with what he "over" packed).

You would have thought our long flight (14hrs) would have been unbearable considering we were on a flying childcare centre, but meg managed to escape the stresses by enjoying a chair with all the leg space in the world (Scott was not as lucky).

We arrived in Doha just after 3am to the inconsiderate temperature of 34° - embrace the sweat is our new mantra

Despite his "overpacking", Scott thought he would take advantage of some good deals and bought a new watch in Doha.

Our next stopover in Vienna was slightly chaotic, it took us over 45mins to get to the guy at passport control, who almost certainly was having a bit of a laugh asking questions we clearly didn't know the answer to. Luckily we made our final flight to the heat in Florence.Read more
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DAY 1 - Florence (Attack of the steak)
August 23, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C
We finally made it! We ventured from the airport by taxi to our beautiful old Italian apartment, there were too many stairs to climb but thankfully our room has cooling (you know we wouldn't have melted without it). We made the most of our first day and wandered down to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore where we enjoyed some opera on the steps before grabbing some dinner. Scott decided (perhaps slightly idiotically) to order a 2kg Florentine steak to share - we made a respectable effort but couldn't quite finish it. Our skinny waiter mentioned he used to eat this size to himself regularly and now only eats 1.3kg during a regular sitting. It was completely different to a steak back home, but would absolutely recommend. Looking forward to day 2, minus the 4am start.Read more
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DAY 2 - Florence (to the sky)
August 24, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 39 °C
A 4am start to get over our jet lag and see the beautiful Tuscan country side from the sky. Meg was a little nervous about heading up in a hot air balloon (license plate number "I Huge"), but her nerves settled the moment we took flight. The tranquillity was incredible, only to be overshadowed by the morning sunrise. Our landing was smooth despite our guide indicating the basket might tip due to higher wind speeds near the ground. Once back on the ground, we enjoyed a lovely breakfast with local pastries and prosecco (rather a cheeky mimosa for meg). Once back in town, we went back to the hotel for a quick nap that turned into a 4hr sleep.
Once we emerged from our slumber we visited the Leonardo Di Vinci interactive museum (which was definitely tailored to children, so obviously we loved it) and the more official Leonardo Di Vinci museum - the man clearly had a brain that operated at a different level (including some horrific war machine inventions). We then went to the Dragonfly pub via a few churches, where we relaxed with a few drinks. Before heading for a quick refresh at our accommodation, we walked along the Arno river crossing the bustling Ponte Vecchio bridge and grabbed a quick cocktail at the Piazza della Repubblica. To close out our night we went to The Box bar (which Scott had been calling The Cube all day) for a very cheap and somewhat nasty (sorry Grant) cocktail before heading back to The Dragonfly for a quick night cap (meg needs to ease up on the shots!)
Looking forward to our Vespa tour tomorrow!Read more
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DAY 3 - Florence (steps and vespas)
August 25, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C
We walked down to the Florence National Central Library, where we met our tour guides for our Vespa tour. After a short drive, we were at the garage in the Tuscan countryside. The garage was full of vespas and vintage Fiat 500s (these were seriously small). We failed to realise we had booked to ride together, and after a short test drive and meg nearly crashing into the fence once I sat on the back, we decided that I would drive. This of course meant that meg was the back of seat photographer for the day (and unripened olive picker - she managed to feed Scott one and it's fair to say the bitterness did not go down so well). We made a few stops including a vineyard where we tried some of the grapes and Basilica di San Miniato run by the San Miniato monks, where we ate some freshly made gelato before stopping at the tour company's estate for an authentic Italian lunch (the bruschetta and pasta was delicious). We returned to the garage to drop off our vespas and get a lift back to the city centre (we didn't realise we were getting picked up in a huge army like 4x4). Once back in town, we headed to the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore to complete the 463 step Brunelleschi's Dome climb (much to megs dismay with her knee). This was absolute ordeal in the heat but well worth it for the incredible 360° views of Florence. Once we finally descended, we went back to freshen up. Our quick freshen up turned into a 6pm bedtime and 12 hour sleep. (thankfully, this dealt with any residue jetlag). We're back to the Walkabout Tours estate tomorrow for our Italian cooking class!Read more
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DAY 4 - Florence (cooking with love)
August 26, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C
We started our day our authentic Italian food with McDonalds. From here we met our tour guide Luca at the train station. We started our walking tour (we had no idea this was included in our package) and headed straight towards the Central Market to grab our fresh ingredients for the day. Luca's flamboyance was on display, acting like we were on his tv show (Cooking With Luca) and somehow being the loudest voice in the a very noisy market (we don't think the headset was at all necessary). We were both put to work Meg carrying the bread and Scott the pork to our bus. Once we got to Walkabout Tours estate, we began our cooking class. We made bruschetta, ragu pasta (the group's pasta had varied widths, so we can't really put a finger on the exact type of pasta - other than delicious) and tiramasu. Scott was clearly the best at preparing the pasta dough, although perhaps not the best when it came to making them a consistent length. Meg was thoroughly disappointed in herself for accidentally breaking the yolk when separating the eggs. Once the cooking was over, we sat down with the rest of our cooking class (this included the one other Australian, who was conincidially also a Meg and a lawyer), our bottle of Cianti wine and delicious food, all while admiring the beautiful view of the estate. Luca really made the day all the more fun and enjoyable, even if he was a little bit dodgy (he definitely followed the tour group after dropping us off in Florence to offer up his cook book - which we of course purchased). We quickly visited the Baptistery of St. John (unfortunately, the roof is under restoration) and the Duomo museum before rushing across town to make sunset at Michelangelo Square. Concerned that we would not make it we luckily managed to find a Tesla taxi (we had been told it would be almost impossible to get one outside of a taxi rack) that was happy to drop us off. The atmosphere at the square and the rose garden below is something that will really stick with us. The masses of people all coming to appreciate the sunset, the food and drink carts, the music, the dancing and of course the many lovely people we stopped and had a chat to (would absolutely recommend for anyone heading to Florence). After sunset, we walked back down to the Santo Spirito area with the intention of grabbing food at one of the restaurants recommended by Luca for an authentic Italian meal. This plan fell through after the first restaurant had a 45-minute wait time, and we decided to head to a bar so we could use the toilet. Our plan of having one drink and moving on, quickly went out the window once we begun chatting with a couple from America (thankfully they were anti-guns) and moreso our chat with Donald and Paul a lovely couple from Edinbourough (we spoke for hours, buying each other drinks). We finally got back to our accommodation a little after 1:30am for a well deserved rest. Tomorrow, we say goodbye to Florence (not before a few more stairs) as we head to Porto.Read more
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DAY 5 - Florence to Porto (more stairs)
August 27, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C
For our final day in Florence, Scott decided to squeeze in an early run. The two H's (Hills and Heat) were a brutal combination, not that a few late night drinks helped either. Full from the paninis Scott returned from his run with, we headed to Giotto's Bell Tower for you guessed it, more stairs (414 to be precise). Once again, all the stairs were absolutely worth it for the spectacular view. Unfortunately, Meg and her lack of an ACL got the better of her and didn't allow her to make it to the top - 300 odd steps is a decent effort after the past few days of walking and climbing, not to mention the view from here isn't half bad either. Scott continued up to the top to grab some photos and a video for Meg. We then made our way to Porto, Portugal via Zurich, Switzerland by plane. Other than an uncooked cheeseburger, which they replaced with a new one our flights were seamless. Upon arrival in Porto, we met Jeremy, Zoe, Sean, and Laura at the airport. Once in town and each of us settled into our accom, we (also including Jez) went searching for somewhere to have dinner. After walking for some time, we decided to grab food anywhere that served food and didn't have a wait. The place we landed was quite the experience, the staff did not speak English and the menu was a game of chance (including the English menu for can view from your phone). The English menu didn't match the Portuguese menu, and even if you ordered something from the menu, something different might have come out. My meal was meant to be a steak sandwich that ended up being some veel, potatoes, and veggies. From here, we spent some time catching up at a couple bars where we had no language issues (at least none that we couldn't manage). The six of us are heading on a walking tour tomorrow and are now going to the Rio Ave v Porto soccer game (if we manage to get out tickets).Read more
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DAY 6 - Porto (Who are we? PORTO)
August 28, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
We started our day with breakfast at Sabores da Invicta, where Scott unintentially ordered a contempory Francensinha sandwich (better known as a heart attack of a plate). This consisted of two layers of ham, two layers of steak, and two traditional Portugese sausages in a sandwich topped off with an egg and soaked in beer batter. Scott can confirm he did not finish the meal and that it was certainly not the best call before our walking tour. We met Zoe, Sean, Laura, Jez, and (our walking tour guide) at Largo Amor de Perdição. Andre was passionate about Portuguese history, whether it was ancient, modern, or dark, and often found himself talking longer than intended. Our tour consisted of Miradouro da Vitória (a scenic lookout over Porto), Torre dos Clérigos (a tower that we might climb that has a lookout view over the city), Livraria Lello (the world's most beautiful bookshop, which clearly used JK Rowlings name to build some popularity, despite her never having been there), Imperial McDonalds (a seriously fancy McDonalds), Porto São Bento (a beautiful train station which tells stories through its ceramic tiles), Luís I Bridge and the Porto Cathedral, amount a handful of other places. It is sad to see the impact Antonio de Oliveira Salazar (a dictator from less than 60 years ago) has on modern day Porto. We're still not sure JK Rowlings didn't base some of Harry Potter off of her time in Porto (think Salazar Slytherin). We then embarked on our mission to get our soccer tickets to the Rio Ave v Porto match at Estádio dos Arcos. After several messages and a 10min each way Uber trip (that somehow only cost £6 total) to Casa da Música, we successfully secured our tickets for the match. Travelling to the game involved confusion at the ticket machine, followed by a 1-hour train ride. Once at the stadium (if you can call a single stand with a capacity of 5,000 people a stadium), we waited in a mammoth line (thankfully, we got in just before kick off). The game itself delivered everything you'd expect and want from a European soccer match - emotion, passion, chanting, and profanity in a different language (Portugese). The game itself wasn't Portos best, but an equaliser and winner in extra time of the second half made for a great experience. After some concern, we luckily made the last train heading back to Porto with 10 minutes to spare. We're hoping to make the 7km walk to the beach tomorrow, bring on the Atlantic Ocean.Read more
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DAY 7 - Porto (a cold Atlantic swim)
August 29, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
We embarked on what our guide yesterday said was a 5km walk (more like 7.2km) to the beach with Meg, Zoe, Sean, Laura, and Jez. The walk along the Douro River was quite nice and included a small workout at the park where Scott relived his primary school years on the monkey bars. It was blowing a gale by the time we got the somewhat rocky beach (this is definitely not the best beach, but certainly the closest). After a few minutes of hesitation and waiting for someone else to jump in, almost all of us took the plunge into the cold Atlantic water (Bar Meg). Meg thought better and decided to enjoy some sun baking on the beach. After this, we grabbed a quick drink before grabbing an Uber back to town (this was somehow cheaper than public transport). Once back, Meg went back to our apartment for a lay down while the rest of us went out for lunch. Scott, Jez, and Sean had a Francensinha sandwich, which was far better and more traditional than the one Scott grabbed yesterday (this included pork leg instead of steak). We all reconvened after a quick refresh for a visit to the Port cellars along the Duomo. We visited Sandeman Cellars and can confirm Port and Tonic is our new go to. From here, we ventured back across the river for our 6 bridges river cruise. Once back, we travelled back up to the top of the bridge via cable car to view the sunset from the middle of the Luiz I Bridge. This was absolutely beautiful despite the weirdness of the crowd clapping the sunset. We had an early night in anticipation of another big day of walking tomorrow.Read more
Traveler Looks like Altona beach 🏖️
8/30/23Reply
TravelerClapped the sunset in Darwin as well. Very strange
8/30/23Reply
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2023 European Adventure Traveler
DAY 8 - Porto (bridges and canels)
August 30, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C
We're a few days behind on our FindPenguins, so this one may test the memory. We were up a little late and running out the door to make our next guided activity. We jumped into a van and drove through the Portuguese countryside to Arouca. It was a small and very cute town where we checked out the church and grabbed some breakfast. Scott somehow managed to order our breakfast from the lovely lady at the cafe who didn't speak a word of English. Shortly after, we were back on the road to the starting point of our hike, the Arouca 516 Footbridge. The bridge was built for purely tourism purposes, and the views were pretty incredible (even if it's no longer the longest pedestrian suspension bridge). We ventured on our hike without our guide crossing the bridge then being our decent down the Paiva Walkways. The almost 8km travelled down to then along the river and ended at the bar where we replenished ourselves with a well deserved ice cream. There were a few moments of concerns for Meg's knee but we made it! As far as wildlife is concerned we didn't see an Iberian lynx (much to Scott's disappointment) but we did manage to see a couple of turtles as a consolation prize. Once the group recouped, we headed back to Arouca for a traditional slow cooked veal, cooked in a clay pot, paired with some Green wine. This was an absolute treat even if Scott over ate and drank. We made a quick stop at the beautiful holiday destination, Costa Nova. The houses here were originally painted different colours to help fisherman find there own home after extened periods of time at sean, now its just for show. Our next stop was Averio, an old fishing town built around canels (it's slightly unfortunate for them that Europe already has Venice). Before arriving, our guide handed us all a ribbon to write a few words in relation to friendship. In Averio was went for a quick tour checking out the canels and salt flats. One of the bridges has been dubbed friendship bridge where we tied off our ribbons. This tradition was originally started by the uni students in the town and has really caught on. We then had a bit of free time, where we grabbed a quick drink. The owner offered us a job if we could identify the exotic fruits in the beer. Meg remains unemployed in Portugal, but Scott may have just found a new job after picking out the smell of passionfruit (unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, he was only offering beer as payment). We then jumped on traditional styled boat used to harvest seaweed and toured the canels. For dinner in Porto we went to one of the fancier restaurants recommended by our tour guide (fair to say Scott loves monkfish). After a long day we headed back to our apartment for an earlyish night. Tomorrow we back our bags and travel to Lekeitio (not too sure how we will go with driving in Spain).Read more
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DAY 9 - Porto to Lekeitio
August 31, 2023 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
Scott started our last day in Porto with a 10km run along the Duoro River. The steps at the start and after the run were the hardest parts by far, but it was well worth it for the scenery. We left our bags at the apartment's office with Vítor, who was getting a start of his end of month paperwork with a packet of cigarettes and a fridge of beer. To fill our day before our flight, we walked along the river and up the hill to Jardins do Palácio de Cristal, a beautiful gardens that was home to several roaming peacocks (including some little chicks) and chickens. Scott wanted to head up here because of a large dome on the top of the hill, which looked like an observatory, which we then thought was a conservatory after finding out it was in the gardens, but later realised it was Super Bock Arena. There was a bookshow on at the time (not that many of the books were in English), and the views as we walked around the gardens were breathtaking. We decided to spend our last few hours in Porto taking in the view from Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar before laying down at Jardim do Morro (a hilltop in Gaia looking back towards Porto). Our flight to Bilbao, Spain, was delayed which sent us in panic stations as we were already on a tight deadline to pick up our hire car. Once we touched down, Meg ran to the car hire section of the airport, and Scott collected the bags. Thankfully, we made it just in time. The journey to Lekeitio took about an hour with more winding roads than you could imagine. We got there safely despite the weirdness Scott felt driving and sitting on the opposite side (thank goodness for lane assist). Once we arrived, Meg raided the mini fridge before heading to bed. We're excited for our first big day of festive partying.Read more
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DAY 10 - Lekeitio (mildly inappropriate)
September 1, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C
We met up with the others, plus Matt and Gal at Gal's family home a few minutes from our hotel for breakfast. Afterwards we went for a walk along the picturesque beach, to the island (we dubbed lizard island) and along the harbour. The people on the streets were starting to build, not to mention the offensive costumes (which is somewhat the theme of the day). We walked around town drinks in hand and embraced the Basque culture. Meg enjoyed some vodka with freshly squeezed orange juice and Scott a traditional basque Calimocho (a mixture of red wine and coke, which was surprisingly tasty). Gal put on a lovely lunch for us and a few of his friends. We then put on our costume (Meg a nun and Scott a monk) and headed out into the streets. There were people everywhere and the streets were electric. We went to join the parade, but after standing around for 15mins for the parade to start, we decided to head down to the square. There is a weird tradition where a mannequin travels along a cable from the church to the town hall to kick off the festival (even Gal doesn't know what this is meant to symbolise). Without going into too much detail, the festivities were more than we ever expected and certainly not something you would see back home. Later in the night, we took a spin at the bumper cars, which was an absolute laugh. Before finishing our night of wandering the streets, dancing and drinking, we grabbed a delicious sandwich and headed back to the hotel. We are looking forward to a bit more of a relaxed day tomorrow (we will certainly need it).Read more
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DAY 11 - Lekeitio (time to relax)
September 2, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
After a sleep in, we headed down for our paid buffet breakfast. Much to our surprise, the buffet was over (apparently, this ends at 11 am despite the concierge saying 12). This was no issue as the hotel we able to prepare breakfast for us. We sat down lking out over the harbour and ate our breaky with Laura before having a dip in the hotel pool and spa. The three of us met up with the Sean, Zoe, Jeremy, Matt, and Gal for calamari and patatas bravas (cubed potatos cooked in oil with hot sauce poured over it). Matt then took us for a walk around town. We didn't quite make the lighthouse, largely due to humidity making us feel like we had just jumped out the shower (minus the feeling of refreshment). We bar hopped for a little before heading to the pizzeria to grab dinner. Meg decided to unburden herself her loose change by playing the pokie machine inside the pizzeria (turns out Meg's luck is no better here). Meanwhile, Scott avoided using the sink as there was water leaking from the light fixture above the sink. We went back to Gal's to enjoy our pizza and leftovers before heading back to the square for another round of bumper cars. We grabbed some sub-par churros before heading back to the hotel for a swim. Unfortunately the hotel facilities were closed, so we called it a night. We're back on the road tomorrow for a day trip to check a bit more of Basque Country.Read more
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DAY 12 - Lekeitio (Car trip)
September 3, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Scott and Jez decided to go for an early morning run to the lighthouse and back. The humidity and steps were quite challenging, but the post pool and spa more than made up for this. We (Car 1 - Gal, Matt, Sean and Zoe, Car 2 - Scott, Meg and Jez) got on the road shortly after for our 1.5hr drive to Hondarribia. It was an absolute mission to find a car park as their local festival was running (it turns out most of the Basque coastal towns have their festivals over the same week). Both cars entered a car park on the hill where we spotted a few parks, within a few moments we realised why these were free. Gal was sliding through the mud and somehow managed to avoid hitting any other cars. Scott began to slide but thought better and decided to try his luck parking elsewhere. Thankfully someone pulled out of their park, which Scott quickly snapped up. Hondarribia itself is an old, wealthy and beautiful beach town bordering France. We sat down in the square for a drink before walking down the main street through the festivities. We eventually made it to the beach where we planted ourselves for the next few hours. We enjoyed a swim in the ocean water with a view of Château d'Abbadie in France. Sean, Jez and Scott decided to swim out to one of the bouys roughly 80m out from shore (thankfully everyone could swim, as the Spanish lifeguards didn't look particularly observant). We then went down to the main street for some lunch, which turned out to be quite difficult with all the people. Gal somehow managed to find us a table. On our walk back to our cars we noticed a large crowd and even larger ramp for what appeared to be some sort of motorbike show. We decided to stick around for the start and were happy that we did (apparently one of the riders is the current 6 time world champion, as translated by Gal). Our next stop was the better known and picturesque San Sebastion. Whilst here, we walked around town (including the beach) and grabbed some dinner. We ate a handful of tapas before grabbing a traditionally Basque cheesecake from the shop that invented it, which we ate down by the sea wall. After our lovely day, we arrived back in Lekeitio with bed on our mind. We have nothing other than a day at the beach planned for tomorrow - we're excited for some quality rest and relaxation.Read more
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DAY 13 - Lekeitio (Beach Day)
September 4, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
We had a sleep in this morning, followed by a small breakfast at Gal's (thanks Matt and Gal). We then put on our finest beach clothes and headed down for Matt and Gal's faux wedding by the beach. Once we got the obligatory wedding photos, we parked up at the beach for the day. It wasn't long before most of us were in the water, doing our best to body surf (rather successfully for the best part). Our beach day comprised of drinking on the beach and a short break to grab lunch (rotisserie chicken, calamari and of course more bread).

On our walk back from the beach we ran into Gal's sister, who reminded Gal that there was a surprise in line for us tonight at 9pm and that we needed to wear long pants and long sleeved shirts (this had us all thinking).

Once showered and refreshed we caught up with everyone at a bar along the harbour while we waiting for our "surprise". Just before 9pm a thunderstorm decided to roll through. The storm cleared just before 10pm, at this time we were told to rush to the square for our surprise.

The surprised turned out to be a group of people running through the streets in devilish looking costumes swinging fire sticks around (more like fireworks - check out the video). We were told that partaking (running under as they spun it above their head) was entirely optional. It didn't turn out this way, as they ran at us up the stairs spining the firework sticks above our heads. Scott and Sean both got a little bit on their heads, but managed to avoid matching bald spots.

It was a bit difficult with all the people in town to get a table for dinner, so we decided to grab takeaway pizza. Quite unbelievably, this took almost 2hrs to come. Lucky we had a great bunch of people to enjoy a few drinks with to past the time.

We with Sean, Zoe and Jez tried heading out for a few drinks later on, thinking this would be no problem since every other night had gone past 6am. It turns out the only place open was a very crumby dive bar that we had no time for. We guess that Goose Day is going to be a big day - better get some sleep.Read more
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DAY 14 - Lekeitio (Goose Day)
September 5, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
We started the day a little late, walking up to Gal's for some breaky. Today was very clearly the main festival day, everyone wore navy and a sailors scarf other than the main competitors who wore white. Gal sourced clothes for us to join in on Goose Day. We went to a bar that had set up an outside bar for the day (It seemed that most places did this, probably to keep people on the street). The streets were full of people dancing, singing, drinking, and spraying water pistols. After a small lunch, we made our way down to the harbour for the main event.

Without being there, it's hard to understand the chaos of the event. The competition involves a boat rowing up to the fake goose suspended by ropes running across the harbour. The crew member in white grabs the goose by it's neck and attempts to hold on until the neck comes off. They are flung in and out of the water by a small team of guys pulling the rope from the side of the harbour. It was an experience unlike any we have ever had. During the 2.5hrs event, we stood around the harbour, enjoying a few too many drinks, including some basque liquors. At some point we grew a little tired of the heat and decided to go for a quick dip at the beach (meg and zoe decided to stick to the shade and mind the clothes). After a quick shower it was back to the street partying, which we topped off with a delicious roll. We're certainly not looking forward to the early start tomorrow.Read more
TravelerSo weird. Whoever came up with that idea ?
9/14/23Reply
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DAY 15 - Lekeitio to Berlin
September 6, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
We drove Jez, Sean and Zoe to Bilbao Airport to make their late morning flight. The car trip was slightly uncomfortable for most (pretty much everyone except the driver; Scott). We packed as much luggage as possible in the boot, with three of the hiking bags finding a home on our laps. We got the others to the airport in time and still had a few hours to burn before needing to return our hire car. We decieded to use this time to check out Bilbao CBD.

As we pulled into town, Meg was feeling unwell and Scott hungry. So needless to say, we needed to find somewhere to park. With street parks near impossible to find, anything would do. We found a garage park, which had as both on the edge of our seats as we drove down the skinny curved driveway. Despite the lack of English, we managed to book a spot in the garage for a couple of hours.

We walked to the Guggenheim to have a look at the fascinating architecture and large Rose Puppy out the front. If we had a little more time and felt a little more human after the last few days, we would have spent the time to go inside. Instead, we decided to indulge in something equally cultured. Finding the closest Maccas! We ordered far more food than we needed, but the air con and free wifi were very much welcomed.

We had a slightly long wait at the airport with another minor delay to our stop over flight to Amsterdam. At this point, all we needed was a bed. Thankfully, our stopover was short, and we were in Berlin in no time.

Our Bolt (ride share) driver dropped us off at our air bnb that we were sharing with Sean, Zoe and Jez. To get to our apartment, we walked a very odd and somewhat creepy shared path within the complex. The apartment was much the same (fair to say they were very particular with what they took photos of). Meg and I ended up with a bed that was very close to the roof and sat above the lounge room. Not to worry, tomorrow is a new day.Read more
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DAY 16 - Berlin (more canel crusing)
September 7, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C
Scott went for a quick run this morning thinking Jez had gone out without him (turns out he was still in bed). Everyone except Meg (still feeling unwell) grabbed some breakfast at a cafe around the corner from our accom.

We went back to the apartment to grab Meg before ordering a Bolt to Beluchi's Bar, an international sports bar in Midde. We arrived in time for the Collingwood v Melbourne qualifying final at 11:20am. There were quite a few other Australians who had the same idea. Downstairs was predominately pies supporters and upstairs dees (aka MCC). We sat downstairs despite Sean and Meg both supporting Melbourne. After the game, we got another Bolt to Alexanderplatz and walked past many tourist sites (including the Berliner Fernsehturm (a spire) and St. Mary's Church) on our way to the ferry. Jez separated from the group for bit of shopping time, leaving the rest of us to our ferry trip (yes, we got another ferry). The ferry travelled along the Spree River passing among other things the Reichstag (German parliament), Schloss Bellevue (Bellevue Palace) and Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral). Afterwards, we grabbed a quick bite and a couple drinks and headed back to our accom.

We crossed the canel (reunited with Jez) in search of a dinner spot. We settled on Korean, which was a great choice as the food was delicious. Matt joined us towards the end of dinner.

After dinner, we walked to a nearby bar to catch up with Matt over a few drinks. As time got on and a day of sightseeing tomorrow we decided to head back to the accom to get some sleep.Read more
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DAY 17 - Berlin (tourist thing)
September 8, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
We had a quick breakfast at the bakery around the corner. Unfortunately, Meg couldn't make it (still feeling unwell).

Meg decided she was going to spend the first part of the day in bed to recover, given she has seen most of the key tourist sites in Berlin before. The rest of us started our walk from the apartment, first passing the East Wall. The artwork was a mixture of fascinating, moving and downright weird. We continued towards Alexanderplatz and walked past many impressive sites (including the Berliner Fernsehturm (a spire) and grabbed a currywurst for lunch from one of the restaurants underneath. After lunch, we ventured up the Berliner Fernsehturm for 360° views of the city. It was impressive, but there was certainly no way any of us were reading all of the information plaques. We sat down on the steps at Alexanderplatz and enjoyed a cold drink (perhaps partially, given it was a radler) while we planned the rest of our sightseeing. We walked to Checkpoint Charlie, where Meg rejoined the group. Checkpoint Charlie was frankly very underwhelming. It included a reconstructed box checkpoint (similar to what a security guard would sit in at a car park) and some faux sandbags. The next stop on a sightseeing adventure was the Jewish Memorial, but not before we finally got out Bratwurst. This memorial was incredibly moving and saddening, with pillars representing different queues into the camps. The Bradenburg Gate was our next stop. The shear size of it is incredible on its own. After a very short walk in the Tiergarten, we jumped in a Bolt and headed to Tempelhof Airport (an abandoned airport) to sit around and watch the sunset. It wasn't as good as Florence, but sitting around with good friends and a few beers certainly made it one to remember.

We grabbed some Sudanese food from Sahara. It was just what we needed and was absolutely delicious. The peanut sauce was to die for.

On Matt's recommendation (seemed to be his local favs), we went to two bars. The first was pretty relaxed with plenty of vintage furniture and a decent cocktail menu. Here, we met up with one of Matt's friends and were treated to two local shots. I can't remember the first, but it had a medicine/listorine taste. Neither of us particularly loved it, but Meg may have bordered on hating it. The second was a Mexicana, each pub has their own take on this. Think of it as a spicy, bloody mary. Scott loved it, Meg not so much.

The second bar had a slightly weirder, perhaps grungy (but not really) feel to it. Matt effectively described the place as a TAB during the day and a bar/club after 11pm. Matt had a chat with a few guys in there in relation to the pool table. We honestly thought there was about to be a fight. A smile and laugh later, Scott and Jez were on the pool table for doubles (The Germans certainly have a different way of communicating). Not sure whether it was the beers, horrible cues, or the weird rules, but Scott and Jez lost a game they well and truly should have won, missing a few simple shots to seal the game. We took this a sign to head home for the night. Thankfully, we can have a bit of a sleep in before Niki's B'day lunch.Read more
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DAY 18 - Berlin (Niki's Bday)
September 9, 2023 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Sean picked out a place around the corner for breaky - everyone expect Meg joined as she was still feeling pretty unwell. Sean nailed breakfast, the food was tasty and the fruit side included a decent assortment of fresh fruits picked up from the market that morning.

We went to NENI Berlin for Niki's 30th lunch, a restaurant that looks over the Berlin Zoo. The window overlooking the zoo looks into the monkey and some type of big bird enclosures. After lunch, we spent a few hours in the adjoining bar, Monkey Bar. Everyone went back to the accom to get ready for the night. A few of us (Scott, Meg, Jez and Sean) tried to find somewhere to buy a cheeky bratwurst before heading out. After ending up at a roast chicken shop, we decided to cut our losses and head back to the accom by Bolt scooter.

Running slightly behind Zoe, Niki, Georgia, Lily, and Kat, we (Scott, Meg, and Sean jumped on another Bolt scooter to make up time). By this point Jez had caught up with Matt to head to a gig (which they didn't manage to get in to) and we were pushing to make the 8pm cut off at Birgit (as entry was €15 after 8pm). We made it with a minute to spare, but not before the chaos of trying to find somewhere we could park out scooters.

Birgit was a bar/club by the canels. It had a beer hall feel, a few interesting places to sit (chairs on a swing and a carousel you could spin). Once we figured out the beer token system, we sat down and enjoyed a few drinks and some pizza before having a dance on one of the two dance floors. At one point, Scott and Sean went to grab another drink from the bar and were thankfully advised by a French guy living in Germany that there was another bar inside. This turned out to be another dancefloor (techno stage) in amoung shipping pallets. We continued exploring this new indoor area and found another stage with house DJs.

Happy with our new discovery, we grabbed the group and headed to the house stage. It was almost as if it was meant to be with Great Southern Land coming on the second we walked into the room. After a few more hours of partying, we decided to leave. This venue honestly felt like a music festival inside of a bar.

Against our better judgement, we (Scott, Meg, Sean, Zoe, and Georgia) decided to try our luck getting into Kitkat. We were knocked back like almost everyone else in the line because of our white shoes (and presumably our lack of leather). Not to worry, we had finally found a bratwurst stall. Unfortunately, he was out of bratwurst (currywurst was all he had left).

With no other bar in sight, we called it a night in anticipation of our 4hr bus ride to Prague tomorrow.Read more
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DAY 19 - Berlin to Prague
September 10, 2023 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Our morning bus ride with Sean and Zoe to Prague was less than ideal. There was no wifi, the cooling was barely on and we were stuck in a bus for 4hrs. Thankfully we were able to get some sleep (Meg almost the entire bus trip).

The check-in for our Prague accom was a bit strange. We first went to the address provided before being directed to our apartment (another 15min walk...). The location more than made up for this slight inconvenience.

Once settled, we were desperate for lunch. Having seen it on the walk to the apartment we went to Výtopna Railway Restaurant (Scott's choice). This certainly beat the KFC alternative, delivering our meals and drinks by train.

We then went for a walk towards the Charles Bridge, passing the Astronomical Clock on our way. On the other side of the bridge (Malá Strana) we grabbed a hot dog for dinner (this may have been a mistake given the way we felt afterwards). We continued exploring and ended up at Rudolfinum (a concert hall/theatre). They were playing landscape style music while a screen on one side of a large cube. We sat on the steps of the theatre watching this for a little, before heading to a cute and incredibly humble wine bar overlooking the Vltara River, with views of Manes Bridge and Prague Castle. A perfect way to cap of a lovely day (minus the bus trip).

We're excited to tick off a few more tourist attractions tomorrow on our self-guided scooter tour.Read more
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DAY 20 - Prague (Trikes & Pedalboats)
September 11, 2023 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
This morning, we went to collect our electric scooters (with seats) for our self-guided tour. Once there, we were up sold to the trike tour with a guide. This was clearly the better option, the scooters on cobblestone would have destroyed us all. We rode past the Lennon Wall and Charles Bridge before heading up to the Letna Park to take in the views of the city.

After seeing them yesterday, we decided it was our turn on the pedalboats. All four of us jumped on the same boat. Somehow, we ended up pedalling Sean and Zoe with no option of changing seats. We had a great time on the water, enjoying the views and watching the nutrias (a water rat that looks like a beaver).

We grabbed a drink at Pivovar Národní (brewery) before heading up to the Ice Bar. The Ice Bar was a good escape from the heat but soon became too cold (15mins might have been 10mins too long). We decided to grab our next drink from the Stravhov Monestry Brewery.

We tried taking scooters to the Stravhov Monestry, but after 10mins or them not starting or having low batteries, we abandoned this idea. We hiked up the hill towards the brewery with a few stops on our way to enjoy the views and give meg a chance to relax her knee (which at this point was causing her some issues). Once there we followed our maps towards an entrance which didn't look quite right, after a few moments we realised this was the entrance to the art gallery. The Monestry itself was quite nice to walk around. We finally found the pinovar (brewery), where we grabbed a quick bite and some drinks. We had a slightly strange experience here (at least Scott did). He tried ordering the sour beer, and at first instance it seemed that they were trying to put him off ordering this. After ordering it the second time, there seemed to be a bit of chatter behind the bar, and after a bit of waiting, it finally came out (with a second glass for good measure). In hindsight, we should have avoided the sour beer.

We grabbed a Bolt (car) back to the apartment where we got ready for the night. Scott and Sean played pool with a less than ideal pool table (not flat, missing cue tips, and odd sized balls).

Dinner was at U Fleků where we sat in an outdoor beer hall, listening to a guy play the accordian. The servers walked around with trays of beer or shots in their hands. Obviously, we opted for both. The dinner was delicious, even if Scott ate too much.

After dinner, we found another bar when both Sean and Scott ordered Cuban ciagrs and sipped on their whiskey. For that 45mins they may have mistakenly considered themselves as somewhat classy.

Our final stop for the night (partially because Scott had eaten too much) was a cocktail bar on the main strip. The cocktails were delicious and our beds at 2am were even better.

We say goodbyes to Sean and Zoe tomorrow. We originally thought they were staying another night, so in a last minute scramble yesterday, we managed to secure accom for another night.Read more
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DAY 21 - Prague (Butterflies & Sunsets)
September 12, 2023 in Czech Republic ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
Our preparation for our early check-out was interrupted by an even earlier cleaner. Once checked out, we went down to the coffee shop to burn some time before saying goodbye to Sean and Zoe. We headed up to our new apartment where we could thankfully drop off our luggage before check-in.

While waiting for our formal check-in, we visited the Papilonia Butterfly House. The butterflies loved Scott's bright blue shit and yellow hat. More often than not, Scott had multiple butterflies on him. There was a group in the butterfly house that impressed that they took their own photos of it. Unfortunately, Meg wasn't as big of a hit with the butterflies.

On the way back to the apartment, we grabbed some ramen noodles to cook at the apartment. We also detoured past Apple to grab some air tags (after hearing about Niki's luggage issues) and Vodafone to grab a sim for Scott.

After non-stop running around, we relaxed in the apartment for a few hours. It was such a relief to us both that it actually had air conditioning.

Feeling refreshed, we went for a walk towards Riegrovy Sady (Rieger Gardens) to watch the sunset. We found a nice spot of the hill, and Scott went on a mission to find some water. On his walk, he found a beer garden with alcohol and food vans, and music playing. We sat down and watched the sunset over the beautiful city of Prague (even if a family ruined Scott's time-lapse video).

We spent the rest of the evening in the beer garden enjoying a few drinks and some tasty food. This was a perfect way to finish off our time in Prague. Tomorrow, we are off to Amsterdam.Read more
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DAY 22 - Prague to Amsterdam
September 13, 2023 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
Before leaving Prague, Scott managed to get out for his morning run. The run down Vltara River was nothing spectacular, but the run back on the opposite side was much nicer. Especially the last few kms approaching the city centre with views of various bridges and Prague Castle.

Other than a few niggling concerns about losing our luggage during a short stopover in Frankfurt, our flights were pretty cruisy.

Our Bolt driver from Schipol Airport (Amsterdam) to our hotel was very friendly. Even if he thought evolution is not real (he based this upon humans not changing over the past 200 years).

Our room was up three flights of very steep stairs and was hardly big enough for us to fit our luggage in.

We went to Bulldogs for a feed and some cheeky "spiked" drinks. Feeling a lot lighter, we listened to the live band for a bit before calling it a night.

Tomorrow is a day of walking and museums.Read more
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DAY 23 - Amsterdam (canels are life)
September 14, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
This morning, we walked through Vondelpark. Despite being on the constant lookout for bikes, the beauty of the lakes and trees made for a tranquil walk. We somehow managed to exit the wrong side of the park on our way to the Rijksmuseum.

Before heading into the Rijksmusem, we grabbed some hot chips for breakfast. The Rijksmuseum is a fantastic maze of a museum, and some of the art is absolutely brilliant. The size of the protective enclosure for Nights Watch is gobsmakingly huge.

We had a little more food as Scott stood around watching a couple guys playing chess. Unfortunately, Van Gogh was off the cards as we made the mistake of not booking in advance (looks like we'll need to go back again).

After a failed visit to Longchamp to buy a bag for Nadine (they had every colour but white) and lunch (hot dogs and stroop waffles), we made our way to Moco Museum.

We really enjoyed Moco, featuring modern day artist such as Banksy and interactive art pieces (using an app on your phone - check out the video).

Ahead of Meg's business class flight home, we purchased her a new and much bigger suitcase before heading back to our hotel room (more like a closet).

We then went for a walk through the canels, passing the duck shop (which had more novelty rubber ducks than you could imagine), Anne Frank house (we could only walk pass because it was closed for maintenance) and Dam Square.

We had some dinner by the canel then headed for our unlimited drinks canel cruise. Our driver was a little rouge, letting his friends join and giving anyone a chance to drive. We cruised through the open harbour and down the most expensive canel. We loved on time on the water, made all the better by our lovely Bulgarian guide (which we had a good chat with).

We walked back to the hotel to get some sleep in anticipation of Meg's long journey home.Read more
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DAY 24 - Amsterdam to Aus/Oslo
September 15, 2023 in the Netherlands ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Another European city and another morning run for Scott.

We ordered a Bolt to the airport, which kept getting delayed. Meg was becoming pretty stressed at this point. Thankfully, we got there with time to spare. We said our goodbyes twice; once before the gates and once at the gate. Scott was left to sit around and wait at the airport for a few hours.

Now that Meg has gone and enjoying her business class flights, I'm going to take the liberty to write in first person. We tried to make it sound like it was written by us, not either of us individually. In reality, I drafted the footprints, and Meg proofread them. So if the story sucks blame me, but if it's the grammar, you know who to blame.

My flight to Oslo was pretty good, albeit a little delayed. However, my luggage was weirdly released (it should have been transferred directly to Bergen). I suppose I was lucky to need the toilet after my flight.

I caught the airport express to Oslo Central Station, it only took 10mins to walk to my hotel from here.

I wanted to make the most of my 24hr stopover in Oslo. As such, I dropped off my luggage and refreshed myself, then went out for a walk. This was despite the rain, which frankly was a welcomed change from the scorching heat.

The first stop on my walk was the Paradox Museum (on Meg's recommendation). It would have been better if I wasn't by myself, but the staff were super friendly and happy to help out with all the photos. I had much more fun here than I thought I would.

I then walked past the Norwegian Parliament on my way to the harbour. The harbour was lovely, even if the weather was miserable. I continued walking along the harbour through Tjouvholmen. It was at this point that I realised my waterproof jacket wasn't exactly waterproof. Determined to make the most of my time, I continued on my way to Slottsparken (Palace Park), where the royal palace is located. My hunger was setting in, and I was eager for a traditional meal. A quick google search later, and I had decided on Smalhans. It may have been a bit of a hike, but it seemed fantastic.

I arrived at the restaurant, in effectively training gear (shorts and a dry fit t-shirt) and a less than waterproof jacket looking like a drenched rat. It turns out this restaurant was quite fancy and expensive. I'm pretty sure the waitress thought she was going to turn me around when she told me the set menu price, but to her surprise, I took a seat on my own. The food was absolutely delicious, with chefs providing a description at every step of the way. At one point, one of the chefs came over to have a chat. He told me that he loved the fact that I was a walk-in and rocked up in shorts. I'm pretty sure he got a kick out of my layback attitude to a fancy restaurant. Not that it's important, but the sour beer I had here may have been the best drink I've ever had.

After dinner, I walked (I could have almost rolled with the amount of food I ate) back to the hotel to get some sleep.

Tomorrow, I'm aiming to explore a little more before heading to Bergen.Read more
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