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  • Day 67

    We love Metz and Metzal

    July 26, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Today we woke up, I went for a light run with Erin and then we cooked some breakfast. Erin and I walked to the tourism office and got a very helpful map before we found a street with a dragon statue. The dragon was slayed by the first priest of the area whom the town is named after, Metz. We walked back and picked up our walking tour leaders, Kate and Liisa. First stop was the cathedral which was the biggest and most grand I've been into. The stained glass windows are 600m² around the church (thanks Liisa for the fact) and were so diverse with so much colour. Next we went over to the free musuem and saw so many sculptures, artifacts and art. I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
    Then we walked down the main street for lunch stopping a pretzel bakery. We each got a savoury and a sweet deliciousness each then sat for a drink at Kangarou Cafe which strangely had no connection to Australia. The waiter also told us "the Kangaroo is just a fun symbol we use" which was highly offensive in my opinion. Next we continued the walking tour, seeing some statues, parks, old buildings and eating our sweet treats. We came back to the apartment for a quick rest, then headed to the main gates of Metz which resembled a castle. We walked down to the river via these great food markets. We found a bar and grabbed a drink, Liisa took the photo of the day and I had a mojito that may have been straight rum. We then searched for an elusive camping chair before heading to dinner.
    We ordered drinks and attempted to order dinner, however were told French people don't eat until after 7pm. It was worth the wait though, half had a voulevant and the other had a quiche lorraine platter which was excellent. We were also told bon appetite by a man carrying an open bottle of Rose #winning. We then headed home and watched some Netflix before heading to bed. Last night before the yurt adventure begins.
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  • Day 66

    Untourist day

    July 25, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌧 16 °C

    Today we woke up and got ready to leave Strasbourg. We walked back with our luggage to the car in light rain, very unsure if all the luggage would fit. However, the packing gods are on our side and it all fit well with the backseat gals having some lap luggage. We then headed back into town for our walking tour. By then the weather had cleared and it was a really nice day. We waited while drinking our coffee and eating a pastry but noone else seemed to be arriving. Turns out it was pushed back to 10:30 as the guide had missed his train? However the message was sent at 2am leading us to believe he was hungover. We spent the time searching for Primark so the girls could pick up a few more warm clothes and wet gear as the weather has been a bit miserable.
    By the time we returned for the walking tour, the rain had also returned. The guide told us to wait 20 mins and come back but we didn't want to wait. So we walked through the pouring rain and decided that was silly, so stopped for a drink. Within 20 mins, the rain had in fact stopped but we had committed to the drinks.
    We instead planned our day and changed our plans a little. We got back to the car and after a rainy drive plus a struggle to get petrol we arrived at Nancy. We walked through the town searching for somewhere to eat, when KFC popped out and that was my lunch solved. Erin found a palace, so we walked there in the rain once again. It was beautiful and stunning but the cold and rain really detracted from the view. The sun started appearing as we headed to the movies to watch Barbie. Yes, we caved and went to see the original version with French subtitles. I had an interesting experience with a lady asking me if I could sit lower in the chair as my head was blocking her view... Nonetheless the movie was very good and had lots of important concepts in it. We all really enjoyed it.
    Next it was off to the accommodation in Metz and after an impromptu tour of the town (car navigation needs to take a long hard look at itself) we arrived. Then the dreaded question of what to do for dinner. We decided to make some salad and after searching for a grocery store, made a great dinner. It was a less touristy day than expected but a good rainy day.
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  • Day 65

    Crepes and Grapes (s/o Holly)

    July 24, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today we woke up and got ready to head off on a full day wine tour. As soon as we left it started to rain so we all huddled under the cathedral and waited for the tour to start. We met our driver and the others on our tour. The other 3 were Americans and I sat in the back with 2 of them, learning all about them. They were both very lovely. We drove about an hour and stopped at and lookout where you could see down to the villages as the guide talked about how the Alsace region was kept flipping to be Germany then back to France so the identity was a little mixed. Then we had a short drive before reaching the first winery.
    It was a great tour with us going into where the barrels are stored and the host explaining lots about where the wine is grown, the regulations in the Alsace region and what predominant wines are grown in the area. It was probably the most factual and interesting wine chat I've been on, topped off by the fact the wine was so nice. Then came the masterpiece though. To show the history they had a movie that played on the barrels which was funny, interactive and informative. 10/10 to that place. We bought some wine and I bought a small mystery gingerbread man filled with liquor. Everyone on the bus took a shot and it was so delicious. The gingerbread man is now the trip mascot.
    We then drove for a bit longer and arrived at the next winery which was on the other end of the spectrum. We met Andre and it seemed we were just at his house... We followed him to what looked like a garage and sat at a table for wine tasting. He was a character and tried his best to talk about his wine in English. Highlights the stop at Andres were his in depth cork chat, him also participating in the tasting and his ability to know where all wine in his garage despite it looking very disorganised.
    We said farewell to Andre and we have named the glass gingerbread man after him. We jumped in the van to head to Riquewihr, the alleged town that Beauty and the Beast was based on, for lunch. It was such a beautiful town once again. We found a creperie and had lunch then had a wander around. I accidentally had a green like beer which didn't taste like beer. Holly and I went into a Christmas shop that had so much stuff, literally it had a one way walking path and the sides were lined. Then we headed back in the van for the last winery.
    This winery was a 'blind' tasting meaning the wines were served in black glasses and we had to rely on all the skills we learnt on the day. We were even given a pen and paper to write our tasting notes down. These wines were not my favourite but we love a game. The host bought the wines out and they had their own 'mystery sock' covering the label. Our guesses were decent and definitely improved by the last few. Then it was time to head back to Strasbourg where the weather was absolutely coming down, we got soaked on our 5 minute walk back to the apartment.
    We headed back out for dinner but first we were stopped by the lady next door. The only accurate way to describe her was literally an old ghost. A frail French old lady came out and was loudly exclaiming in french. We attempted to explain we didn't know french and she got more dramatic with her actions but we still were unsure what she was saying. She then reached out to grab Kate on the shoulder, then magically started speaking English asking if we were staying tonight and basically could we be more quiet. We escaped down the stairs but not before Kate had to blow her a kiss... One of the strangest interactions we've had for sure. We had a nice dinner then went to a pub which is the local brewery. We ordered some dessert and one of them was a sweet flammekueche which we paid extra to have them light on fire (less spectacular than it seems). We then walked home and creeped up the stairs so we didn't wake up the ghost demon of next door which was hilarious to watch. The stairs are so old and creaky that it was impossible. Luckily we didn't spot her. Then it was off to bed after a big, fun and interesting day!
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  • Day 64

    Parlez-vous Francais?

    July 23, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Today we woke up and packed up our stuff to head to our next destination, France! Liisa nailed the packing of the car (please see incredible picture). We drove abour 50 minutes and stopped in Colmar which was actually like a Disney town. The buildings were bright and colourful, there was even a small canal in 'little venice'. We went to get brunch at a little cafe and it was a perfect mix of sweet and savoury. There was some kind of wine festival occurring, so naturally we sat and had some wine while there was a violin playing in the main street. We walked around seeing more of the town before discovering we were in the birth town of the creator of the statue of liberty. We made it our mission to visit the Colmar statue of liberty made in his honour. We drove to the landmark only to find it was on the middle of a roundabout... A few quick snaps were taken as we drove along.
    We arrived at Strasbourg and climbed the many steps to our accommodation. As we had been warned, sections of the roof were very low so there was some ducking from the taller parts of the gang. Also some questionable stairs and multi level ladder climbs to get to bedrooms. It was a super cute place though. Oh and Holly was also awaiting us at our accommodation. It was soooo good to see her.
    Next we headed to a local bar to watch the F1 race in preparation for next week. We had some delicious beers and got laughed at by the bartenders with our attempts at French. It was a great race and a fun way to catch up.
    Then we walked through the streets to find somewhere to eat. We ended up at a tex mex place which did delicious burritos and margaritas. We then grabbed some wine and snacks to head back to the accommodation to play some games and catch up. The only other struggle with the apartment was there is no holder for the shower head, so each person tried a new tactic and shared with the gang... We all ended up in bed early as we prep for a full day of wine tasting tomorrow!
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  • Day 63

    Drinking our way through Basel

    July 22, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Today we woke up, had some brekky and ventured in to Basel to meet Giuls for coffee and a donut. The donuts were different but good and then Liisa, Kate and Erin also got a little salami sandwich on the side at the little markets that were running in the main square. Next we walked back to Giuls house and jumped in the car to head to the Tierpark which was a free mini zoo!
    There were heaps of animals including 3 different goat enclosures, monkeys, 'wild' cats, bison and reindeer. We loved the monkeys. One came right in front of us and was staring right at Giulia. He had his arms folded and looked so so human. One other was trying to crush something and was really throwing his back into it. We all loved the Tierpark.
    Then it was time to say goodbye to Giulia and she dropped us back by the river. It was sad to see her go, but I know we'll see each other again. We walked down by the river in search of a bevvy and sat at a table overlooking the river. It was beautiful. We then headed back into town and had a grocery store lunch and a beer which was actually exactly what we all wanted. Took that to the river to eat as well.
    Next we went on a walking tour around Basel old town and learnt about the city. From basilisks that guard the city, to a man who they thought 'discovered the town' (not true) but did a naked (magic mike) dance for Cleopatra (maybe true). Along the way, we saw a lost child and guided his mother to find him and ended with a sweet treat from Basel. I somehow ended up holding the plate for the guide...
    Then we went to have a spritz drink on the river bur first discovered the Basel Tattoo was on which explains why we'd seen lots of bagpipes and bands all weekend. We enjoyed a spritz and then headed back to the Tattoo 'street' for dinner as they had a variety of stands set up with all different foods. We then walked home but stopped at a brewery right underneath our apartment building. The beers were so good and very Australian craft beer style which is something I've not had in a while. Then we did laundry, played some games and went to bed.
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  • Day 62

    Floating along in Basel

    July 21, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today we woke up, packed up our stuff and headed for a coffee at the much talked about Olives for a morning coffee. Olives was this small but cute little cafe that Liisa found and seems to be the biggest fan of. I enjoyed the coffee but Liisa and Kate later revealed they werent the biggest fans.
    We then drove to Basel to meet Giulia! The drive was fine but the city driving and finding parking was a nightmare. We made it after some stressful moments for ol Georgia and then we walked to Giuls house. It was so great to see her! Her apartment was so nice and spacious. She had made brunch for us and we all sat and chatted. Next we walked through the town, seeing all the nice buildings and headed along the river. We then packed all our stuff into a wet bag and jumped into the Rhine. We floated along for about 30 minutes which is something the locals regularly do. It was so cool to see the town by water and the temperature was actually so nice.
    We dried off, then got a gelato which was delicious. We all walked back to Giuls house, then I stayed with Giuls while the others headed to check in and explore. Giuls and I caught up some more, watched some trash tv and she cooked dinner for me. It was a lovely chill afternoon. Then I got back to the apartment and played bananagrams with the girls. It sounded like they had a great day too!
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  • Day 61

    A day on the lake

    July 20, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Today we all woke up slowly and got ready for the day. We had a good breakfast of coffee, peanut butter and banana on toast before hitting the road to Lucerne. Once again had my star navigator to get me through the city and we made it. We walked around the beautiful lake to the tourist information to suss out what activities we wanted to do for the day. We then went in search of a deli sandwich for Liisa around the old town. We walked over this wooden bridge with flowers all along which was beautiful. We did find a small bakery and Liisa found what she was looking for.
    We then headed back to the lake to ride on a pedal boat! All 4 of us could fit on it. Liisa and I jumped on the pedalling first and it wasn't the smoothest process. The boat didn't handle too well at all which was a concern considering there was boats and ferries also in the lake. We enjoyed the views and the sun. We switched pedallers and I even got to enjoy my crossiant on the boat. Kate and Erin had a moment of anxiety returning the boat to the parking, however the lady on the dock kindly hooked us in. Kate said she almost got hooked...
    We then returned to the car and headed to Bauen. We detoured to grab a sticker that allows you to use toll roads, but is some how managed police? Then we were back on the road without threat of big swiss fines. We drove again along the lake with full view of the mountains and after some driving through very small towns, very small roads we reached our destination. It was a small little town on a lake with quant houses. Did a 5 minute walk to see all the town, then headed for a drink on the banks of the lake. We watched the ferries come in, a highlight or lowlight depending on your perspective was watching this crewman try and throw the rope around a post. He missed about 5 times before succeeding.
    We then got changed and went for a swim. The beaches were not sandy and the rocks were quite sharp. We would have looked like such tourists tip toeing our way to the water, while locals had water shoes on. The water was fresh but we all jumped under. We then had to battle our way out of the water via the rocks. Liisa led Erin out, like Erin was 90 stumbling over the rocks. I wasn't much better, hands were used during the ascent. We laid out and took in the stunning views before heading back to Zurich.
    We headed back out to Zurich via the train and went to a beerhall for dinner. It was a chaotic, noisy vibe but the food and the beer were great. Heading back I wanted to go against the gps and get off at a different tram station. Kate was brave enough to come with me, but I chose wrong and we ended up running back for the train. A good burst of exercise for the gals though.
    We had such a fun full first day exploring Switzerland!
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  • Day 60

    End of the tour, start of gals trip!

    July 19, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Today we woke up after a sleep in, got our luggage repacked and headed to breakfast. There we said godbye to our tour group, everyone seemed a bit emotional to be finishing up which was lovely. Erin and I then walked to Lidl, a grocery store to buy some supplies for our road trip to Switzerland. We grabbed an Uber to the hotel where we picked up our car. It was tricky getting out of the city but i had my trusty navigator Erin guiding me. It was a little stressful but soon we were on the freeway and allowed to do whatever speed I wanted. Didn't go too crazy but did get up to 140km at one point, with some people still zooming past us.
    We crossed the border with no issues, just a smile and a wave. Then we drove along this stunning road right by a lake overlooking mountains on the way into Zurich.
    We arrived at our accommodation to meet Kate and Liisa. We woke Kate up from a nap and it was so nice to see her. Then we saw Liisa and it was a fabulous reunion. We all caught up then headed to Zurich via the train and a tram lead by tour guide Liisa for dinner. We walked around a bit because everything was so expensive but finally found this random italian place where the waiter struggled to understand Erins request for wine. We then walked along the river and stopped for a drink. Then we headed back after a snack stop at Spar and all headed off to bed.
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  • Day 59

    Tour Day 10 - Lake Bled & Salzburg

    July 18, 2023 in Austria ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Special guest appearance- EC for the final day of tour
    Hello! Georgia is being the driving hero of the day for the first day of the road trip, so I’ve gotten the call up for the find penguins post!
    I (Erin) woke up for a quick morning run back up to the castle before breakfast and getting back on the bus for the last day of the tour. We jumped on the bus and the first stop was Lake Bled, which was a stunning lake in Slovenia. Got some photos and had a walk around the lake. We sat down for a coffee and then realised we had to be back at the bus in 20 minutes and it was a 12 minute walk. Safe to say it was the fastest I’ve ever skulled a coffee but luckily no burnt mouth. Made it back to the bus with 5 minutes to spare, so continuing to rebuild our reputation as the non late girls. The next stop was Salzburg, which is sound of music town. Turns out, not a very popular movie in our tour group. Kriszti our tour leader is not a fan because of the historical inaccuracies, but still tried to get everyone hyped by playing the songs. It really felt like I was the only one who enjoyed it. She pointed out a few of the mountains from the movie as we drove which were really pretty. Georgia reported the soundtrack and the town have not made her to want to watch the movie, so no wins on that front. We were a bit late to Salzburg and they are pretty strict on tour busses so we potentially got fined. When we got to Salzburg we went through the gardens which were stunning, and may have been featured in the movie, but it has been a long time since I’ve seen it, so I can’t confirm. We only had an hour, so we went in search of waffles. Instead Geo found some spaghetti ice cream which was exciting. Jumped back on the bus for the last leg of the journey and managed to not get stopped by border security going back into Germany which Kriszti said was unheard of. Made it back to Munich and went for a final dinner with most of the tour, at a little Italian restaurant. Sat with the guys and chatted about highlights, lowlights and weirdlights on the trip, which was a lot of fun. Walter was a lowlight and cucumber boy was the weird light for me personally. Went back to the hotel and had another drink with a smaller group, which was good fun and then were embarrassingly the first to head to bed at about 11, the oldies stayed up for another drink. Overall, an awesome tour with some amazing places and some very interesting characters met along the way. Definitely will miss Kriszti's local knowledge and the bus beers vibes. But looking forward to potentially finding a salad somewhere that isn’t Central Europe.
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  • Day 58

    Day 9 - Graz & Ljubljana

    July 17, 2023 in Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    Today we woke up and left Vienna. We drove to Graz for a lunch stop. It was another spectacular town with beautiful buildings. We walked up 260 stairs to this beautiful park, castle and clock tower area overlooking the city and took some photos. We discovered there was a slide that could take you to the bottom, but heard excessive screaming coming from said slide so we just walked back down the steps. Next we walked around to find lunch, we got schnitzel burgers which only one of us enjoyed as idiot me let them put ketchup on Erin's burger...
    We jumped back in the bus and headed to Ljubljana in Slovenia. It was 36 degrees when we got off the bus but luckily the room had air conditioning. Our first mission was attempting to buy a drink which is half non alcoholic beer and half isotonic drink (Gatorade) which was made un collaboration with the Slovenian national football team (spoilers: we never found it). We then went on a walking tour around the city, it was absolutely stunning. It was much smaller than the other cities on the itinerary and had such a cosy feel to it. We walked over the dragons bridge, saw the love lock bridge, saw the cheese and unpasteurized milk vending machines and saw the beautiful river. We fell in love with the city very quickly. We walked through a park and saw a smaller castle, then headed back to the river to sit on a barge for dinner. It was lovely sitting and watching the boats, kayakers and paddleboarders go by. We stopped for another drink in old town, then climbed up the mountain to get to the castle hill. Honestly it was the steepest incline I've seen in a while. Once we made it, there was a stunning view across the city and to the mountains. We had some drinks with the castle behind us and the city in front. Definitely one of the most stunning places we've sat and had a drink. We walked around the castle area, finding the vineyard and exercise area. Then headed back to the hotel. We headed to the roof top which was another gorgeous view of the city, and noone else was taking advantage! We could have sat there for hours. We are very sad that we don't have more time to explore this gorgeous town!
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