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Homebody who loves to explore new places to make them home. Read more Wollongong City Council, Australia
  • TravelerBig Ol Holiday
    Day 77

    One last post

    August 5, 2023 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ⛅ 42 °C

    Today was a travel day! We woke up bright and early to head to Dublin Airport. Erin's stuff got inspected so it was a nice welcome to the first airport of the day. We had an awesome breakfast of bacon and waffles then boarded our Ryan Air flight on time. 10/10 would recommend a morning Ryan Air flight, we had no issues and no $1000 extra charges either. We even got moved to an exit row seat as the girls who were randomly assigned there were under 16.
    We got to Stansted and had 2 hours to kill before we could check in. It actually went by so fast although Stansted airport is really just a big shed, giving me food pavilion at the Easter Show vibes. We checked in and got exit row seats for the flight (although not together). We also realised our long flight was also not together 🫠 We came up with a few plans of attack to change this but spoilers, they were both full flights so we spent 19 hours flying apart.
    We headed through security for one last Wetherspoons visit, a nice surprise. We first past the DJ who was playing in the duty free section though? We grabbed some lunch and drinks at Spoons, then headed to our gates. First flight to Dubai was super quick and easy, but we arrived late so it was an absolute power through the airport. We arrived at our next gate and everyone was boarding. We said goodbye again and headed to our seats. I sat next to a guy from Newcastle in the UK, so that was fun to have a chat. I also got some quality sleep on the flight which was very helpful.
    We finally arrived in Sydney and got through immigration and customs quite quickly. Then we saw Toni and Tony! So very nice to be back. Fingers crossed the jet lag isn't too bad!    Read more

  • TravelerBig Ol Holiday
    1
    Day 75

    It might be time to come home now

    August 3, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Today we woke up and had fancy free breakfast at the castle. I was surprised at the selection and kept waiting for them to charge us but it seems even the economy room gets royal brekky. We went for a walk along the coast road. We found the entrance to another castle, there was a funny young horse running up and down the fields, chewing the fences and he came and said hello to us. We walked down to the castle and the ruins were intact and beautiful. It overlooked the river and the ocean surrounded by green fields. We tried to get out another way but got absolutely covered in mud, risking trench foot once again.
    We then headed back to our accommodation castle and checked out. Walking back into town, we stopped for an Irish coffee which was absolutely delicious. We then jumped on the bus to head to Dublin.
    The bus was pretty quiet until we were about 40 mins from Galway when all the youth got on the bus to head to ladies day at the races. All very fancy looking and such classic race banter. We got to Galway and then had to change buses. We finally got into Dublin and walked to our accommodation. As a special last day treat, our accommodation was a day out and actually booked for Friday night so the hostel people got us into a room of 4 with only one other person. We carried our bags up a narrow staircase and opened the door to an older Irish man who was in between houses... Look he seemed nice enough, telling us his story, how he's a regular at the hostel and asking us about our trip however a part of me was very nervous about staying in the room with him. He gave us recommendations about pubs and was really up for a char. Erin and I unpacked stuff but after we left the room we both decided that we'd prefer to stay else where. Luckily we were able to book somewhere semi cheap and very close, so we had to head back with the excuse that they'd found us a private room where we wouldn't disturb him in the morning.
    We walked to the new hotel and I immediately felt better. We grabbed a Guinness and then decided to head to Wetherspoons for one last meal. On our way, we saw a lot of people with Irish flags and soccer gear. Erin predicted correctly, it was to do with the world cup. It was a welcome home parade for the team. It was very cool to see the amount of people who had come out.
    At Wetherspoons, we got stopped by security and he laughed at my license when I handed it to him. Erin's mobile license was even more comical. We thought for sure he wouldn't let us in, however he did and said he'd visited Parramatta? A weird interaction. After dinner we found dessert and listened to some Irish music before heading back to get some sleep before starting the journey home tomorrow. I am very exhausted, I think the past few weeks have all caught up with me!    Read more

  • TravelerBig Ol Holiday
    Day 74

    Irish locals love a chat

    August 2, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    Today we woke up, had our free toast from the hostel and headed to get bus snacks for later in the day. We then jumped in a taxi and headed to the Cregmore Park golf course. The driver was a character, telling us about how bad the public transport system here is (despite profiting as a taxi driver) and how much new infrastructure is made by Americans. We learnt that he was from Togo and all about life there. He was so amazed we were from Australia and kept asking us questions about home. We finally got to the golf course and he told us to call him when we needed to get back.
    We went into the pro shop and got everything we needed to play. The man gave us lots of extra golf balls...
    The course was quite muddy and the rough was very long but we eventually got used to the clubs and had some good shots. I was able to actually use the driver, which I cannot do in Australia so that was a plus. I played a solid round and had a lot of fun. We had a guy catch up to us, give some coaching tips and also give us a tip on the horses for race week. Everyone is so friendly here and always up for a chat. We headed back to the pro shop, tried to call another taxi but finally caved and Erin called our friend. She said he immediately knew she was the Aussie and said he was on his way. The man at the pro shop gave us a free coffee while we waited which was lovely. Our friend the taxi driver arrived and we headed back to town. The conversation was similar and we drove a different way back so he could show us more of the town.
    We then grabbed our bags and headed to the coach station, but the bus we wanted to catch was fully booked. So we had to go to the pub to kill time. Erin attempted to download multiple betting apps to place bets on the races and found some weird app where you can also bet against winning? Then it was time to jump on the bus to Clifden. The journey was pretty and the town was very cute. We headed up to the castle where we were staying and there was a helipad... We knew we were definitely out of place, but then quickly put in our place when we entered our 'economy' room. Literally just enough room for a bed and you had to duck to get into the bathroom.
    We headed back into town for dinner and the waitress was so friendly. She asked us about our trip and was surprised we were staying at the castle. She told us to watch out for the owners son as she knows the family, which was hilarious. It seems to be a small tourist town where everyone knows everyone.
    We headed back to the castle for a drink and there was some live piano playing. There seemed to be a lot of Americans staying which was interesting. A older man across from us struck up a conversation (no it wasn't the owners son) but he was a local. He told us about his mates business which is beach horse rides (!!!!) so I'll have to come back when we have more time. Erin was doing the heavy lifting with the small talk so we politely excused ourselves and headed back to our small room. We had a massive day meeting the locals.    Read more

  • TravelerBig Ol Holiday
    11
    Day 73

    Welcome to the Land o Guinness

    August 1, 2023 in Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    Today we woke up bright and early to head out to Ireland. We dropped the car off at the airport, handed the keys I hope to a guy at the car company.... We checked into Ryan Air without a hitch and made it through lots of security pretty quickly. There were heaps of Formula One merch seeming like everyone was headed home from the race. Americans seemed to be everywhere and Erin even heard a person request an ice coffee and complain that there was no Starbucks.
    We boarded our flight a little bit late but again, with no issues which was a Ryan Air miracle. We arrived in Dublin and found the bus stop to Galway pretty easily. We jumped on the bus and spread out, it took about 2 and a half hours but it was a nice relaxing journey.
    We dropped our bags to the hostel and headed straight to a walking tour of the city. We heard a lot of stories about the town and got some good recommendations. Highlights included stories about love triangles resulting in deaths and hangings, churches being used as stables and tour guide singing the original Galway Girl in a capella.
    We then stopped in for a Guinness on our walk back to the hostel and it was already classic Irish dingey pub. We stopped for a snack at Supermacs and I had incredibly spiced chicken tenders, they rival the Colonels for taste. We checked in and headed for dinner at another pub. It turns out it's Galway race week, meaning everyone is watching or attending the horse racing. The pub was full of larrikans and people having a good time.
    We headed out and a random guy gave us a craft beer pub recommendations which we headed to. It was on the other side of the river and it was more a brewery vibe than a Irish pub vibe. We played a game of who wants to be a millionaire with some very British specific questions. Then we headed to get Erin her Irish whiskey, which she seemed to enjoy more than she usually has. We hit a touristy shop that was playing Taylor Swift bangers and got some souvenirs. We then hit home and fell off to sleep, the holiday is really catching up with me now!    Read more

  • TravelerBig Ol Holiday
    112
    Day 72

    Farewells to yurt and friends

    July 31, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today we woke up for the final time in the yurt. We packed everything up, grabbed one final bacon sandwich and headed to Brussels. The drive was fairly easy and it was time to say farewell to Holly and Kate. It was so nice spending time all together and the group really got along so well. We'll see Kate soonish but it'll be a while to we see Holly, the newest UK convert. Kate is off to Paris then home and Holly is off to Paris as well but then will continue her travels.
    We then navigated back through Brussels to the outskirts to our accommodation. It was confusing to find the accom but luckily a lady eventually came out with our key. We then turned the Matilda's game on and it was almost half time, so after a brief sit we headed into the main centre.
    We found an Irish pub and watched the end of the game which was very exciting. We then walked trying to find somewhere for lunch. After passing a few places, one place got us as the waiter put on an Aussie accent after asking where we are from. We then visited a bar named the Squire which had a horse shoe as its logo and horses on every table. The waiter was wild and when I went to pay, the waiter and I were dancing together. He literally grabbed my hands and we did a quick two step. Dance is the universal language. On our exit, some other guy was also having a boogie with us. The Squire really was my scene.
    Next we walked to what Liisa dubbed the 'oldest shopping street in the world' which was literally home to about 10 chocolate/macaron shops. Liisa tried 3 different macarons and had a good time. We then got a Belgium waffle, however we weren't allowed to sit in the shop unless we all bought a drink... So we struggled to eat them outside with what resembled a toothpick. Erin was the Waffle Wally and somehow managed to have cream on her nose. We had seen this souvenir of a small boy statue peeing literally EVERYWHERE so had to check it out. It was Pissing Boy, potentially the son of the original Pissing Men (see Prague day). It was also a tiny statue, which is allegedly a replica. We bought souvenirs anyway as it was hilarious.
    We then caught the train back and walked once again in the rain. Had a shower and watched some Vampire Diaries. It's been a big few days for us all.    Read more

  • TravelerBig Ol Holiday
    1
    Day 71

    F1 Day 3 - Minimal rain, maximum dancing

    July 30, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Today we got up and it was a chilly morning to begin. We got ready for race day and set off for the track early. We got to go in a different entrance so we saw some other views of the track and areas to sit if we ever come back. We trekked up to the area we sat in yesterday morning and found a position closer to the screen so watching the race was easier. We set up our little camp to spend the day there. We took turns going for beers, coffee and toilet breaks. We played some games, usually drinking based ones to pass the time as well.
    The F2 race was super crazy with lots of incidents and good racing. We were lucky enough to see the Aussie Jack Doohan win the race which was super fun. He and 2nd place did a shoey and we sung along to the Aussie anthem. They had another category of racing, then the drivers parade started. The vibes were low from our section but we tried to hype up the drivers when they came past. We got out the Aussie flag too and got a wave from Piastri, two thumbs up from Riccardo. I think other drivers waved at us too. Some drivers definitely weren't feeling the parade though which is always interesting to see.
    The race was fun to watch live, it felt like it went so much quicker and it was crazy to see the actual gaps as its hard to tell on TV. Unfortunately, our Aussies had a bad day and it was a standard result of a Max win but we were happy with a ferrari on the podium. A few of our other faves had solid races too.
    We then headed back to the fan zone witnessing many many people jumping the fence to head onto the track to watch the podium. It was actually chaos. We could see the celebrations in the distance from the path and as we walked closer to the other side of the track, there seemed like lots more people than those that jumped... We crossed under a tunnel and then saw the track was open, so we got to have a walk and took some photos. I did a cartwheel for good measure.
    Next we grabbed some drinks to use up all our coins and had a dance as there were DJs playing. We didn't plan to stay long but some how 2 hours later we were still there. It was so so fun, especially with such a diverse crowd. People were dancing, playing limbo with flags and just havong a good time. We met some interesting characters and people who enjoyed our Gunther "no risk, no fun" shirts. We even met some Aussies. It was so nice to have a dance, the second DJ was called Peter Lutz which sounds like Peeter Ups (Liisa's dad) which we laughed at a lot.
    We started the final trek home, got some dinner and another drink then headed to sleep after a massive few days.    Read more

  • TravelerBig Ol Holiday
    2
    Day 70

    F1 Day 2 - Sprintin and Trekkin

    July 29, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today we got up and it wasn't actually raining! We got brekky and left fairly early to go see the drivers interviews. The walk was a bit easier and quieter than the first morning. We headed straight to the stage and stood to wait with everyone else.
    First out was Mercedes (George!!!) who were very polished as expected but still fun, then it was Erin's dream, the Ferrari boys. They spoke well, although Carlos seems to be in his own world. Next were the Haas and Red Bull boys who were also very polished, but Max was actually cracking some jokes which was nice to see.
    We then grabbed some food and coffee, then went back to see the Alpine boys buuut they started speaking French. So we set off on a hike to find an ideal spot for the day, literally we would have walked about 4km to get there. We got a good spot and watched the quali and the F2, it was really exciting to be close to the cars. Then Erin and I set off on a hike to see if we could find a better spot to watch the F1 sprint race. We literally walked for about an hour and sussed out s few spots. We ended up at a high point on the track which had some good views but then it poured down so the race was delayed. We huddled under umbrellas and finally the race started under a safety car. The race was so exciting with Piastri leading for a few laps and eventually coming second. So nice to see him get his first podium and while Hol and I were wearing our Piastri shirts too. There were a lot of exciting moments and incidents as well.
    Erin and I got ushered out a different entrance but stumbled upon the red bull party tent that was playing Super Max on blast and had different types of beer which we indulged in. We walked through some treacherous forest and attempted to get back into the track at various places, finally sneaking back in. We then got caught in a bottle neck of people, however there was a speedy but muddy way. Erin braved it in her white Adidas, luckily I had boots as we stepped into quite a few muddy, deep puddles. It was definitely a quicker way though. We finally met up with the others and trekked back to the yurt. We had done 30,000 steps over the day. We grabbed some dinner and drinks then showered before heading off to sleep before race day tomorrow!    Read more

  • TravelerBig Ol Holiday
    1121
    Day 69

    F1 day 1 - It always rains in Spa

    July 28, 2023 in Belgium ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    Today we got up and it was some how still raining. We got dressed and headed to breakfast. As yurt guests we got to have a complimentary bacon sandwich which was a dense bur delicious breakfast. We set off on our trek towards the track which was along a road which was quite busy, however we had our breakfast beers to keep us going. We slowly caught up with more and more people and watched the chaos of people parking. It was like a pilgrimage into the track as we got closer, so many people were waiting to get in.
    We finally got in and were in the fan zone which was full of merch, activities and food. We headed for the stage and not long after came out the Alpha Tauri (Danny Ric!!!) and Williams (Walbon!!) teams. They had a quick interview on stage and it was so amazing to see them up so close. We waved the Aussie flag for Daniel to see. Next McClaren came out (Piastri!!!) and the crowd were throwing stroopwaffles up for Lando Norris which was wild. We then headed to buy 'coins' which are obviously the official currency of the Spa GP and grabbed a beer before coming back to see Alonso (Lance Stroll was notibly absent). Next was Alfa Romeo (Bottas!!!) and they were both very personable compare to the other drivers. We then headed to the merch tent, I grabbed a Piastri shirt to support but I think it will be valuable in a few years too. Holly grabbed one too and then Erin got a Carlos Sainz hat. We grabbed more beers and had a great view of the steep part of the track. I made a tough choice between an Albon or Bottas hat, Albons was cooler so he prevailed.
    We then walked along the path to find a good vantage point, it was alternating between pouring rain and being clear which made umbrella rangling complicated. We settled on a corner with a good view and enjoyed f2 and f1 quali. It was so exciting seeing the cars zooming around in real life. We saw two of the cars hit the wall (gently) which was exciting.
    We walked back with everyone else which was very busy and I was absolutely wrecked after a big day of walking. The dinner line was ridiculously long but we ate and then headed to the shower locker room where one person was on door watch at all times. A shower was so nice after a day of rain. Next was bed and an alarm set to get up early in the morning!    Read more

  • TravelerBig Ol Holiday
    Day 68

    deLUXEMBOURG

    July 27, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌧 19 °C

    Today we got up and slowly got ready to leave for the next stop. We bought a bunch of snacks for the yurt and piled everything in the car. Everyone who wasn't driving was definitely squashed but we made it to Luxembourg. The one parking station we were aiming for literally had one space left and then was full, minutes before we arrived so we went to another which was also very busy. Luckily we found a spot pretty quickly. We headed into town, hit tourist information for a map and then found a Thai place to grab lunch at. The Thai was incredible, such big servings and so delicious.
    We then went on a walking tour lead by Holly and saw a church, then walked over to the edge of the the hill to see the old town. It was a gorgeous view and the towns walls are still in tack.
    Next we headed to decathlon to try by some more wet weather gear as the formula one forecast was very grim. Walked away with some things but we stopped at another shopping centre, grabbing more stuff like gumboots ans umbrellas.
    We finally got on the road to Spa towards the yurt and it was raining quite hard the whole way. The drive was through a lot of small towns which were lovely and we slowly got to more and more cars with people clearly attending the formula one.
    We found the yurt city and it was a muddy mess already. After checking in, we were lead to our yurt by a poor teen who looked like he'd been through it. After parking the car, we unpacked and embraced the yurt life with our complementary processo. We then headed to dinner which is in a small gazebo but was actually delicious. After we hit the upstairs bar for a few bevs before returning to the yurt for some fireball and a game of cards.
    We are prepared (maybe) for a wet weekend at Spa.    Read more

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