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Steven Coe
Steven Coe

Steven Coe

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  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    San Sebastian

    May 20–22 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    📌 Two nights in San Sebastian where the goal was to eat, eat and eat due to the city being one of the best food cities globally.

    📌 We arrived around midday where we were blessed with another sunny day. The city was small and walkable and we immediately noticed the abundance of obnoxious british tourists ☺️ It was eventually worked out that they were all there for the Europa final between Tottenham and Man United in the adjacent city of Bilbao.

    📌 Once again the city had beautiful architecture, narrow lanes in old town with many balconies, tapas bars and taverns lining them. The Basque region is an interesting place as they are autonomous with apparently the oldest European language that has no links to other European languages. There is also controversy as the Basque region apparently also want to seperate themselves from Spain and form their own state.

    📌 We got out food hunt on whilst visiting, enjoying a variety of pintox at bars that seemed to each have a unique way of making different ones, more red wine and delicious coffees. Some of the highlights was a Bottega serving delicious basque cuisine including super soft octopus and salty garlic chicken wings! The other food highlight which we made the most of, was the Basque cheesecake, I think we had 4 cheesecakes over 2 days ☺️ Chloe had her last patatas bravas (as pictured) and next stop, France!    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Haro, La Rioja Wine region

    May 19–20 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    📌 The next stop on our roadtrip, The La Rioja wine region where we were using Haro as our base. This area of Spain is famous for its abundance of high quality wineries, one of the best regions in Spain. The area was quite picturesque with small villages and small mountains on the horizon.

    📌 Haro was fairly quiet but we were able to enjoy our afternoon there, we visited a couple of wineries on the outskirts of the town, which again were super cheap at 4-5 euros a glass and thus resulted in a couple of drunk idiots ☺️ As a result, food was on the agenda and we found a tasty Mexican meal at a no frills authentic gem of a restaurant.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Salamanca via Segovia

    May 18–19 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    📌 We picked up a car in Madrid and begun a little road trip on our way to San Sebastian. The first stop was Segovia, this initial part of the day involved a beautiful drive through some beautiful forest and mountains. Segovia was of interest as it has one of the best preserved Roman aqueducts and upon arrival we were in awe of the size. It was amazing to see another structure that seemed incomprehensible to build in such a time. We spent a few hours in Segovia, quite a touristy place but none the less worth a wander.

    📌 We then headed for Salamanca, another town a couple of hours away that is primarily a university town but has great examples of beautiful gothic and Roman architecture. We arrived in the afternoon, the sun was out, the city was comfortably buzzing but not busy. Once again we enjoyed a short wander and then some refreshing 2.50 euro Tinto de Verano in the cathedral square.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Madrid

    May 15–18 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    📌 A fun 3 days in Madrid! We weren't sure what to expect of the Spanish capital but we thoroughly enjoyed it.

    📌 The standout for us was eating our way through apparently, one of the best food cities of the world, and as seen in the photos, I think we agree. The market we visited on day one had soooo many tapas options, the shops around the various districts were elite and every tapas bar we would pop into for an afternoon snack or light lunch was excellent, particularly as they'd usually have wine or Tinto d Verano (sangria alternative) for 2-3 euros. One of the highlights was also a Asian fusion dinner in a cool bar with a daily rotating menu, the gochgang ribs will always exist in our memories 🤤

    📌 Madrid was a super busy city, the architecture was lovely and the vibes in the sunny afternoons and evenings gave a true taste of the social life Europeans live. The streets and bars were always full, drinking was definitely more social rather than drinking to get drunk like Aussies. We also got a deeper insight into the city in a walking tour which as always was quite good, one stop including the oldest continuously running restaurant in the world, which seemed a little technical as it is apparently due to the wood fired oven being on since 1700s.

    📌 One of the days we visited Toledo, about ,45 minutes from the city by train. An old walled city that was originally the capital. It was nice to wander around the streets, admire the alcazar and sit in a square having some drinks with the locals as a very busy tapas bar where little english was spoken, a fun challenge.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Seville

    May 12–15 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    📌 The beauty of high speed rail, we travelled approx 900km in 5 hours and arrived in warm and sunny Seville around midday. We were now quite close to Africa and we were keen to see the remains of the former arabic influence on this part of Spain.

    📌 The weather was perfect for our 3 days, we enjoyed relaxing days with tapas and wine, cold beers after walking around admiring the beautiful streets or afternoon sangria whilst waiting for dinner. One evening we found a delicious Mexican taqueria serving 1 euro tacos and 5 euro iced margaritas. Another evening we wandered into a more local neighbourhood and had a challenging time ordering tapas in broken Spanish, eventually getting a random assortment of tasty dishes.

    📌 One of the main highlights was the plaza, a beautiful semi circular building with amazing detailed tiles and beautiful views. It was lovely to walk around admiring aspects of arabic influence, royal symbols and even seeing some elderly street flamenco dancers loving life. The city was beautiful to walk around in general, the colourful well maintained buildings and fascades, the random rustic tapas bars and the greenery amongst the streets.

    📌 Another memorable experience was heading to the local football game, Seville vs Las Palmas. The game was a sea of red chanting passionately, and as the game neared to an end with the other team pushing to score an equaliser, the intensity went up another notch and the fans were going wild. It was an atmosphere people definitely imagine when thinking of such a passionate football nation.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Barcelona

    May 9–12 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    📌 A late arrival into Barcelona was smooth and comfortable and it meant waking up to a whole day with perfect weather on Saturday. Everyone was out and about, the streets were closed, people were out at markets, cafes and enjoying the weekend. We grabbed a tasty coffee, something that seemed easy to come by in Barcelona. We were staying in a less central area so we wandered around on our way to the centre and came across a market serving wine with a DJ and people enjoying salsa. It was lovely to sit and people watch.

    📌 Without any particular goal on day 1, we explored different quarters, enjoyed some drinks at a tapas bar and then eventually went out to a Valencian owned restaurant for paella. As expected the restaurants started to fill up around 9.30-10 and our 8pm booking was early ☺️

    📌 On day 2 we had a bit more of schedule, a slow morning coffee enjoying another nice day, a quick peek at some of the buildings designed by Gaudi including the famous Sagrada Familia and then wander to the park at the top of Barcelona. We then continued our walking to an iconic chocolatier for some tasty churros before heading to a dingy local bar that was going crazy for the el classico Barcelona vs Real Madrid. Here we enjoyed a cold beer after a lot of walking before kicking off another boozy night of a brewery visit and a few more drinks with a delicious tapas dinner. Croquettes being a massive highlight 😍

    📌 Barcelona was a huge yes from us, a great city with good vibes, good food and pedestrian friendly!    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler
    11

    Roady To Manchester

    Apr 18–19 in England ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    📌 Easter weekend and with both of us having good Friday and Easter Saturday off, this meant going to get our summer clothes and dumping all the bulky thick clothing from winter. Given Chloe was in Oxford and I was in Eastbourne, train prices varied considerably, so we decided to hire a car and do a drive with a couple of short stops.

    📌 I picked up a car early Friday morning from Gatwick airport and headed off to pick up Chloe. Once she'd worked out what clothes she wanted to part with, we headed off to Stow on the Wold, a small town in the Cotswolds that was reasonably close and worth a stop for a coffee and pastry. The Cotswolds was packed, and the roads were slow but it was a nice stop, the town was very quaint, the coffee was good and the pastries were awesome! Eventually we got out of the traffic but because we weren't going direct to Manchester, we didn't have a whole lot of freeway on the drive. As a result we winded our way through farmland, small towns and random suburbs. The next stop was just outside of Manchester, in the peak district. We enjoyed a late lunch in a beautiful pub in the small village of Castleton. The peak district was beautiful and driving through the winding roads and towns was lovely.

    📌 Eventually we made it to Hebden Bridge, we parted with our clothes, sussed our Emily and Robbie's renovations and went out for some catch up drinks. As expected, several drinks turned into more and we were out till midnight which lead into eating in the lounge listening to drunk Emily and Chloe talk whilst Robbie was half asleep very drunk. Eventually I was able to drag Chloe out of there and we made it to the accommodation in Manchester by 2am. An early start the next day was not nice, I dropped Chloe off at the station and headed for a nearby clinic as I had picked up a shift. Thank God the shift was super easy, knocking off early I set off to drive the car back to the south. It was a smooth cruise straight down the centre of England accompanied by some karaoke and audiobooks. It was a moment of realization again, that I was just cruising in another country on the other side of the world, how lucky are we. The drive was quite beautoful as I took little detour into the hills for a bit as the sun was going down. Quite a hectic weekend, keen to get into bed for the next few days off work.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Eastbourne

    Mar 31–May 9 in England ⋅ 🌙 7 °C

    📌 The next chapter of work and exploring another part of the UK. This time I am working for a vets for pets, the equivalent of Green Cross which will be interesting. The goal was to work as many shifts as possible and accumulate a nice boost to savings before a big few months of travel. I was able to get a bike off marketplace which made getting around much easier. I scheduled in a few shifts in nearby towns such as Brighton and Lewes which meant seeing a few extra areas along the south coast also.

    📌 Eastbourne was quite a nice coastal town, it seemed less built up then Brighton. The housing and some of the architecture was very nice, with large windows and colourful fascades characteristic to the south England coast. The sea front was lovely to ride along, especially on the way home as the sun was going down after a long shift. The sun was finally coming out and the weather was perfect to be on the coast.

    📌 One weekend Chloe was coming down, I decided to do a short shift in Ashford and on my tight time frame to get back to the train, my bike broke, terrible timing, it was unfixable and I had to run a quick kilometre or so otherwise a post nightshift Chloe would have had to wait around atleast an hour 😬 Anyway, I made it and we enjoyed a wander around Eastbourne, having some drinks and some English style fish and chips, definitely missing the potato cakes and dim sims though! The next day we headed out of Eastbourne to see the iconic south downs at the seven sisters. We caught the bus out, wandered around as the sun came out, it was a beautiful landscape, the ocean contrasting against the white cliffs with some dotted yellow over the fields. We ended up at a beautiful pub by chance as we had just missed the bus. This was great in the end as we stumbled across a little village for a Sunday roast and dessert.

    📌 Another weekend Chloe visited we decided to check out the nearby small village of Lewes for some of their classic pubs before heading into Brighton to continue our pub crawl. Overall, I quite enjoyed Eastbourne, it was hard work doing so many long shifts but it was worth it, the people were nice and we enjoyed some nice weekends around Sussex.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler
    1

    Visting Chloe in Oxford

    Mar 29–30 in England ⋅ 🌬 12 °C

    📌 It was quite a weekend of moving around, I finished up in Neath on Friday night and got the train to a Reading Airbnb for a Saturday shift in Andover. After an early rise Saturday morning, and a pretty cruisy 9-5 shift, I headed to Oxford to meet Chloe for dinner. We went out to a delicious burger place, and then enjoyed some beers at an local friendly pub.

    📌 After much to catch up and a few drinks we headed back to Chloe's nursing accommodation where I had to sleep on the ground thanks to her tiny single bed ☺️ A few Guinness and a mattress of clothes made the going to sleep part easy, but there were a few sore shoulders the next morning.

    📌 The next day we had about 6 hours before I had to head off to the coast for my work in Eastbourne. It was a beautiful day and all the effort to come to Oxford was worth it. It was beautiful to wander around the area with no purpose and admiring the buildings and shops. We enjoyed some more lunch together, the sunny weather, some delicious coffee and a lovely day. It was quickly time to get on the bus for the next chapter of work, me in Eastbourne whilst Chloe finished her next 6 weeks in Oxford.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler
    11

    Weekend around Wales

    March 21 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    📌 We had both planned the weekend off to go and see the wombats on their home soil and they were down in Cardiff. Chloe made her way to Neath and we headed off to explore Cardiff for the afternoon. We went and tried the renowned Welsh cakes at the Cardiff market where they were making 100s fresh in all different flavours, we had a quick peek at the castle and arcades and then we headed out for a couple of drinks at the breweries before the show.

    📌 The wombats were excellent as usual, and it felt the crowd were really into the older songs which we loved, particularly given out experiences with UK crowds have been a little lacklustre. The show went for a good 2 hours and we left satisfied on a train full of drunks.

    📌 The next day was quite sunny so we headed down to Swansea and then onto a little coastal section known as the mumbles, a little town adjacent to the Gower national park. We had a wander around the pier and enjoyed a a short walk along the rugged coast lined with beautiful yellow flowers. On Sunday we chilled out and enjoyed relaxing, it was another nice weekend together before Chloe headed back to Oxford, and also nice to see more of Wales before finishing up in Neath.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Stockholm

    Mar 7–10 in Sweden ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    📌 We bid farewell to the snowy Lapland and the lovely swedes we met in Abisko, and headed for the warmer capital of Sweden. We arrived in the evening and headed out to a trendy restaurant/bar doing chicken in all kinds of ways. This meal was incredible, fried gochagang cauliflower, some of the best hot wings and an insight into the vibe of Stockholm.

    📌 As we were in Stockholm for the weekend, the city was buzzing. We wandered around the beautiful waterside areas, the old town, and the trendy sodermalm. The cafes were great, everyone was out and about in the sunny crisp weather, the city had a very vibrant feel. We ofcourse had an afternoon drink in a busy bar that was even serving a home made cola known as Koala Kola of all things. That evening we enjoyed more delicious food at a tasty Mexican place that was getting us excited for the end of our year trip, going home via Mexico. We ended the night at a small microbrewery, enjoying some local Swedish brewed beers.

    📌 Our final full day was relaxed, another sunny and clear day that involved a wander around the city. We finally got into the busy meatball restaurant, which was incredible food again! All kinds of Swedish meatballs that would melt in your mouth, served alongside delicious ligonberry jam and some of the best mashed potatoes. We enjoyed another walk through the old town before heading to the Vasa museum. This museum was based on a shipwreck that was submerged for 330 years from 1600s to the 1900s, where it was then surfaced and preserved. It was an incredible museum as the detail of the ship was amazing, the wood was intricately carved and would have been extremely colourful as the ship was one to show off the Swedish power and pride back then.

    📌 We ended our trip on a high with a intimate and friendly wine bar, some tasty Italian food and an early night for our 7am flight the next day. Stockholm was a highlight, potentially one of my favourite cities in Europe and definitely in Scandinavia so far. One final memory was on departure where the immigration was the slowest and strictest we have ever seen!!! We ran to the plan with about 5 minutes until boarding, thank god we asked some people to skip the line, people definitely missed the flight being stuck in customs.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Abisko, Swedish Lapland

    Mar 5–7 in Sweden ⋅ ☁️ -7 °C

    📌 Our next stop on our chase for the northern lights was Abisko, in Sweden. In order to get there we had to bus down to the border and meet the artic train through the fjords. We caught the bus down to Narvik, a Norwegian town on the border surrounded by fjords. We enjoyed a beautiful seafood lunch whilst awaiting the train. Once on board the train we had 90 mins of one of the most beautiful train journeys I have ever been on. The train winded along the cliff side of stunning mountains alongside the fjords before passing through small villages blanketed in snow. Just before getting into Abisko, we spotted some moose and it's calf in the snow!

    📌 We were welcomed to abisko with a beautiful small quiet town with only several accommodations, one supermarket and a huge frozen lake. Our accommodation was warm, it had a beautiful view, a Swedish couple and also a older Swedish woman staying there named Sanya, who was extremely nice and over the next 2 days would have long conversations with us. This eventually ended in her giving me a list of her favourite movies and her email in case we were ever in Sweden again.

    📌 Whilst in Abisko we went down to the lake for the sunset, we enjoyed some cooking at the guesthouse and we caught the northern lights from the carpark on night 1. The next day was our big day, dog sledding started early where we drove to Kiruna. We put on our thermal suits as it was approximately -11 degrees and we were greeted by some very excited dogs who were very vocal about getting out to run. There were approximately 4 sleds and thus 40 or so very loud howling doggies. Chloe was at the front and sledding through the woods and open icy lakes was beautiful. We were able to then have Fika and cuddle the dogs halfway when we stopped at the lake. It was an amazing experience to see how the dogs worked together with the driver and how much stimulation they got from the exercise.

    📌 That evening we headed out for a northern lights chase with the same company, as soon as we started the lights were showing so we made a short drive to the darker area outside of town. This is where we were treated to some absolutely amazing auroras, the whole sky was going, the corona was showing and even some red colouring. It was our last and best viewing yet! Abisko was definitely worth it, the nature, the remoteness and the beautiful lights!    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Tromso

    Mar 2–5 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ -1 °C

    📌 We were blessed with an incredible view as we flew into Tromso! The fjords and rugged snow capped peaks in the afternoon sun may be the most amazing plane landing view we have ever seen!

    📌 We checked into our small but cosy accommodation hungry and ready to explore. We grabbed a cheap frozen pizza as eating out in Norway was not on the agenda. We then headed out of the city on a bus to try and catch the lights ourselves. There was a park a few KMs out of town with less lights but despite a clear sky, unfortunately our efforts of standing in the cold wind had no success. Day 2 involved a wander around town, the cloud cover was very thick so our enthusiasm for the night minibus chase was low! Despite this, we enjoyed a wander around the beautiful harbour, a few Norwegian hotdogs and a relaxing day.

    📌 That evening we set out on our first guided aurora chase, this involved thermal suits and boots that keep people warm in negative 30, so we were super cosy. We left at 6pm and drove throughout Norway and headed into Finland in chase of clear sky. We had some small success in Finland but mostly the clouds seemed too thick or the aurora too faint. Despite this, we enjoyed a fire, some camp food and some quiet in the middle of finish Lapland. We ended up getting back at 4am!

    📌 Our final full day involved a fjord minivan tour, the weather was a little clearer and it ended up being a fabulous tour. We drove towards some of the islands a few hours away, enjoying the views of the fjords, waterfalls and the small villages on the islands around the coast. That evening after dinner we went looking for the lights again but the chances were low and we didn't have much luck, so we headed for bed with hopes for Sweden.

    📌Just before heading to bed Chloe had a look out the window in hope and saw some faint green. We rushed out with not much warm clothes on and suddenly the aurora dancing started! It lasted for about 2-3 minutes and included streaks and waves, it was beautiful and we were so fortunate to look out the window at just the right time! Tromso gave us one last show before leaving!    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Bristol for the night

    March 1 in England ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    📌 A good flight option to Norway from Bristol meant a good excuse to see another city for a day. The weather turned out to be on point so it was a nice day to have a look around and enjoy a few drinks outside.

    📌 We were staying a cheap shared Airbnb outside the city so we checked in and got ready to come back late that evening. We headed to the popular central market which was packed for lunch, it had a great variety of stalls where we ended up with a delicious Turkish wrap and Chinese milk buns. We then headed to Gloucester road, a strip of independent shops and pubs that had similar vibes to Fitzroy or Collingwood. Bristol was giving off a very trendy city which had a great vibe. Bristol is also the home of cider in the UK, so we headed to a cidery by the river doing so many ciders! It was great.

    📌 Dinner involved another trendy bustling place at an authentic Cuban restaurant that was loud, cosy and delicious. They served beautiful rice, meats and great cocktails! Enjoying ourselves, we decided to kick on at a brewery along the river for another drink, another vibrant place with delicious beers. Bristol was definitely worth a visit before the airport and it would be a great city to get some work later in the year.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Weekend in Bath

    Feb 22–23 in England ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    📌 We both had the weekend off so we booked a night to meet up and explore Bath. It was so nice to see Chloe again after 2 weeks, it felt like we were dating again, living separately and meeting up for dinner and drinks ☺️

    📌 We were blessed with a clear day so we made the most of it, wandered around Bath admiring the old gothic and Georgian architecture. We found some tasty sandwiches and headed for a park for a long lunch with lots to talk about. We then headed to the iconic Roman baths, and despite their costly entry, it was worth a visit as it was something we haven't seen a great deal of despite seeing lots of Roman ruins on this trip. After lots of reading, it was about time to go and wet the whistle, so we searched for a pub which was a little challenging as they were super busy watching the Wales vs Ireland rugby. We eventually found a cider house and enjoyed a drink before heading to the accommodation to get ready for an evening out.

    📌 We started at a little wine bar that was cosy and warm, catching up on the weekly trivia we had missed whilst enjoying some cheese. We had a late booking so we enjoyed a few more drinks and then headed onwards to a napalese restaurant highly regarded in the area. We were seated on floor seats and cushions, and we were served a delicious aromatic lamb and chicken curry with daal, however, the highlight was the dessert, a delicious semi Freddo and chiya Icecream (similar flavours to chai).

    📌 It was a lovely trip to bath, capped off by a nice brunch in the morning, a wander around some shops and a beer in another cosy pub. We parted ways at the station as Chloe headed to Oxford and me back to Neath, keen for a week's time where we are headed to Norway and Sweden!    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Wales: Working in Neath

    Feb 8–Mar 31 in Wales ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    📌 The next working chapter, we arrived back from Jordan, gathered our things over the next few days and Chloe headed to Oxford whilst I headed to Neath in Wales. We will be about 2 hours apart for the next 3 weeks, however working lots to keep us busy before heading to Norway. The best thing about Neath is the old but quiet and comfortable accommodation it comes with, saving us extra money for travels.

    📌 I had a brief wonder around Neath on arrival, the Welsh language is very foreign but intriguing, the river alongside the town is lovely and the old castle from 1200 is a nice addition. The town is compact, has good access to supermarkets and a gym, and it will be nice to make day trips when Chloe comes to visit.

    📌 Whilst working in Neath I picked up a few extra shifts around Swansea and also up in the hills which was a nice way to see a few more towns and experience the Welsh culture a little bit out of the city.

    📌 My time in Neath and at Afon Vets came to an end quite quickly, time flew by and it was actually probably my favourite practice I have worked so far. The team were great to work with, the practice was busy and challenging and it was nice to feel social and have some fun at work. It was a sad departure, and I found myself hoping I'd get the opportunity to go back for another block of work.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Jordan: Aqaba to Amman

    Feb 2–6 in Jordan ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    📌 After a fairly chilly night in the dessert we were off to the resort town of Aqaba, a town in the south of Jordan on the red sea where you could see Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. We had another great hotel and the city had a really nice vibe about it, coffee shops and nice restaurants. We headed out on a bougie yacht to do some snorkeling, it was a nice 25 degrees and the water was super clear. It was quite interesting to be so close to so many borders, particularly as we were not allowed to film or photograph when near the Israeli border.

    📌 The snorkeling was a little rough, it was also quite close to some man made structures which felt less picturesque, however it was surprisingly nice in the water. There were many colourful fish, including clown fish, some colourful corals and also many many purple harmless jellyfish which were majestic to watch floating around. We headed back and everyone was keen for a sunset drink on the rooftop before heading to a local seafood restaurant. After a pretty good feed we ended up at an English pub of all places for a few Jordanian beers.

    📌 We had a long drive back to Amman where we stopped over in a small village for one of the best lunches we had on the trip. It was a local farming village where money was going into the education and development of the community. Once we arrived in Amman, we headed out for a farewell dinner, this was delicious, we had a huge sharing spread of dips, meats, rice, veges. It was another great meal, even though Chloe had to help with a mild anaphylaxis ☺️

    📌 The last 2 days we chilled out in Amman on our own, we visited the citadel, had a great insight into the history of the middle east at the Jordan museum, enjoyed some coffee and some more delicious Jordanian food including a flaming Mansaf. It was kind of sad to be leaving Jordan as it was a great trip coming to an end. It was nice to have met people and seen a part of the world that we had always dreamed of, definitely somewhere everyone should visit.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Jordan: Petra to Wadi Rum

    Jan 31–Feb 2 in Jordan ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    📌 We arrived in Wadi Musa, where Petra is located, a small city with a nice hotel. The agenda on night one was to visit Petra by night, a candle lit display of the iconic treasury. We enjoyed a maqluba, a delicious dish of chicken, rice and vegetables all cooked together and then flipped upside down. We then headed off to Petra by night which was a beautiful experience, walking approximately 2km along a candle lit path through the canyon was amazing, particularly as it opens up into the candle lit treasury. We sat here for an hour or so listening to music and looking at the stars, it was a beautiful perspective of one of the wonders of the world.

    📌 The next day we had another early start, which was tough, however, it meant that we were the first people into Petra in the morning. We learned about the Nabateans who inhabited the area, had the treasury and monastery to ourselves and we explore the colourful rock tombs. It was an amazing place and definitely a wonder, the size of the city and how they carved everything into rock in the middle of the dessert mountains was incredible to imagine. By the end of the day we had walked about 15km and we were glad that we had started early as we avoided the crowds and the peak sun.

    📌 After a long day in Petra, we had decided to go ahead with the Turkish bath, something we skipped in Turkey but is popular throughout the former ottoman empire. It was a hilarious experience, I had never been exfoliated so roughly, and the massage was intense, he put all his effort in, unfortunately for Chloe and the girls (who are seperated), their experience seemed less authentic and a bit lackluster. It was worth doing to know what the traditional experience is like ☺️

    📌 Our time in Petra came to an end after a well earned sleep in, we were heading to the nearby dessert of Wadi Rum for a night in dessert accommodation. We checked in and headed off for a sunset/desert 4wd exploration. The dessert was beautiful, the rock formations and colours were mars like and it only got prettier as the afternoon turned into sunset. It was obvious why films such as Dune, Star Wars and The Martian were filmed here. In the evening we had a traditional dessert meal, Zarb, where meat, rice and vegetables is cooked in the sand in a large barrel for hours. It was delicious and we were glad to have a fire in the cold dessert night, where it was made the most of by toasting marshmallows.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Jordan: Amman to Petra

    Jan 28–31 in Jordan ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    📌 We departed Luxor into Cairo where we seperated from the rest of the group as about 6 of us were going onto Jordan. We had a long wait at the airport but eventually made it into Jordan. A fun side note, 2 people were questioned by police as they had binoculars and they're banned in Jordan. Our first impressions of Amman were that it was a lot cleaner, more organised and upmarket compared to Egypt.

    📌 Our first full day started with a visit to Jerash, an old Roman city, one of the best preserved outside of Europe. It was lovely to walk around and admire the columns and streets. Our next stop was the resort area on the dead sea, it was a very unique experience as it sits 300m below sea level and hence you could feel the air pressure and increase in temperature. It was a fun afternoon, it's impossible to sink in the dead sea as it's 32% salinity creates great buoyancy, you can float so easily. The salty water burned if it got in your eyes or nose, and it felt oily, our skin felt very nice afterwards, particularly as we did mud bathing in conjunction. Additionally, it was also eerie being in this region as you could physically see the west bank and Israel from our side of the dead sea, a no go war zone. We finished the day with some cocktails and even a brewery, some rare finds in an Islamic country.

    📌 Day 2 started early and we headed to some old religious sites of the Byzantine Empire to check out some mosiacs and apparently where Moses had died, mount Nebo. We then headed to an old fort that was mainly occupied by the crusaders around 1100 AD, as they attempted to convert the region from Islam to Christianity. We then drove further south into the desert where we headed to little Petra, this was a beautiful time of the day and the rock formations were lovely in the afternoon light.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Luxor

    Jan 25–28 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    📌 Our final stop in Egypt was Luxor, apparently a city with 1/3 of the world's ancient monuments and antiquities, it is the largest open air museum in the world. We went and got a dessert from a nice rooftop looking over the Luxor temple which was a grand view as the valley of the king's and temples were lit up.

    📌 The main event was visiting the valley of the king's, 64 tombs of Kings are here and they suspect there may be a few more. The tombs were all robbed (except Tutankhamun's) but the colours and hieroglyphics were incredible, some of the tombs were 20m long whilst others were 100s of metres deep into the valley walls. The most incredible tomb was an under the radar recommendation from Mo, Ramses 5&6 which was very well preserved. We then headed to the temple of Hatshepsut which was a woman's tomb, potentially the first feminist in the world, she posed as a male pharaoh. This tomb was the most grand from the outside due to its large facade and it once had statues on every pillar. The afternoon was then concluded with a local lunch at the bus drivers house where the food was some of the best we had on the trip, orzo soup was the highlight.

    📌 The last half of our time in Luxor included a visit to the Luxor temple in the evening, the large columns lit up at night was beautiful. Additionally, a visit to Karnak temple was another highlight as the sheer size of this location would have been amazing in its time, the pillars were huge and the hieroglyphic detail was great! Ultimately Luxor was a great stop and with amazing sites where it cannot be comprehended what they would have been like in their prime.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Aswan

    Jan 23–25 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    📌 We caught the overnight train to Aswan from Cairo, 12 hours in an old slow train that was fun and surprisingly comfortable. We did some trivia in the social carriage, basically just a smokers room which wasn't good for the lungs. The morning sunrise was gorgeous as we followed the Nile winding through the dessert, slowing watching local life starting up.

    📌 We hung out on our own on day 1 and enjoyed a coffee on the river, watching the fellucas sail by. We then decided to suss out the quarry, where a lot of the pyramid blocks and obelisks were quarried. They actually found an unfinished obelisk here which would have been the largest of all, however the mining was abandoned due to fissures in the obelisk and thus wouldn't have been a complete single stone. It was incredible to see the remnants of the mining techniques and how they would have transported these huge blocks. We ended the day with a short Nile River cruise to a Nubian house for dinner. The Nubians were indigenous to northern Sudan and south Egypt and speak their own language.

    📌 Day 2 we woke up early as we had a long day ahead, we were headed to Abu Simbel, the sunrise over the Sahara was beautiful as we drove along the dusty roads. Walking into and around the temples was incredible, the sheer size and detail of the preserved hieroglyphics was mesmerising to look at. It was definitely a must do for visiting Egypt. We enjoyed the drive back as the true vastness and dryness of the Sahara was evident in the hot midday. It was also fascinating to see and hear how irrigation from the Nile was being undertaken, with Ethiopia and Egypts supply dictated by dams further upstresm and also the drip irrigation of crops, turning the dessert green. We finished the day with some good Nubian food, a camel tagine for me, and then a few drinks at the hotel.

    📌 Our final day in Aswan was a short 2 hour felluca sail boat ride along the Nile which was quite peaceful and warm in the morning sun. The drivers were hilarious and everyone had a go at driving the boat which goes in a zig zag pattern with the wind. We then headed to the Kom Ombo Temple, the temple dedicated to the crocodile God, it was a nice stop off as we were the only ones there basically. The hieroglyphics again were fabulous and included some script on how to mummify bodies.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler
    1

    Cairo

    Jan 19–22 in Egypt ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    📌 We arrived in Cairo in the early morning and the chaos started straight away at the visa line, people getting sent back for visas but we just went straight through and they weren't interested in checking ours. The chaos continued as we were introduced to the way of driving in Egypt, where the driver says there are no rules ☺️

    📌 We found some good coffee the next morning (much needed) and headed to Coptic Cairo, one of the oldest areas, that houses the Christian community in Cairo. We wandered around a few churches and then headed to a cavern church built into a cave. Visiting this church was an event in itself, as we drove through garbage city, a place where the people of Cairo years ago started collecting garbage for a small price and now do majority of the recycling for the population of 25 million. Essentially, it was streets and buildings where people live full of garbage being sorted by hand, bags of trash were stacked atleast 10 metres high on the cars and buildings roofs.

    📌 We ended day one with an incredible food tour through a very local area, we stood out very clearly. The tour included soooo much food, such as sheeps brains, shwarma, traditional breakfast such as fava beans, lentils, eggplant, desserts and meats with great flavours. The next day we visited the Islamic Cairo, visiting old citadels and mosques perched high above the city, it was really good to have it explained by a local. We then headed for middle eastern food for lunch, the charcoaled chicken and falafel were elite! We then headed to Giza to enjoy the afternoon on a random rooftop hotel looking at the pyramids, it was great but also super bizarre as we were the only ones there and the area was pretty sketchy.

    📌 Finally we started the tour on day 3 where we headed to the highlight, the pyramids and sphinx. They were huge and it was great that we got there early as we were able to walk around the great pyramid with basically nobody. The size and what it must have been like is incomprehensible, the fact that the great pyramid was built so precisely means it is still not known how it was built and also not knowing what it still might contain is fascinating. We then headed to the museum which was also great as we saw many sarcophagus and even some mummies that were well preserved that they still had hair and facial features.

    📌 Overall Cairo was chaotic, unique and fascinating to visit, it reminded us of India but perhaps a more Islamic version.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Malta; Chloes 30th 🎉❤️

    Jan 14–20 in Malta ⋅ 🌬 13 °C

    📌 We were off to escape the cold January UK, first stop Malta for some Mediterranean vibes. We arrived late at night and unfortunately we got the opposite of ideal, heavy rain! However, everything was smooth and we checked in to a nice fancy hotel for Chloe's 30th celebrations.

    📌 The beautiful architecture of Malta made it lovely to wander around the streets, we admired the colourful balconies, the blue water and the hidden restaurants. The weather was pretty good for the whole trip and it was great seeing the blue sky. We picked up the car and headed around the island throughout the stay, we visited some neolithic archeological sites from approximately 4500 BC, 2000 years older than the pyramids. We also wandered around the capital Valetta, and the former military fort from the 1500s which provided a great view of the city.

    📌 Chloe's 30th started with a birthday video from everyone which was really lovely, we then headed for some brunch and coffee. Malta being a small island doesn't have a lot of local wine but I found a tasting at one of them (Meridiana) and it proved to be great, one of the best ones we have had. We enjoyed a warm afternoon with delicious wine, snacks and company from the local ginger cat. Dinner at a Michelin local Maltese restaurant was next, it was delicious, 7 local courses, authentic and cosy inside. It was a memorable day for sure.

    📌 The rest of the trip involved eating delicious and cheap pastizzi, a walking tour, visiting the sauna and steam room at the hotel, drinks at the cocktail bar and more delicious dinners including Italian and another small family run Maltese restaurant where the highlight was the rabbit spaghetti.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Christmas/New Year in Hebden Bridge

    Dec 19–Jan 14, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌙 2 °C

    📌 We spent a nice couple of weeks in Hebden bridge in good company over the Christmas and New year's period. We had some relaxing but nice celebrations including a excellent Christmas lunch, a quiet new years event drinks and a delicious early birthday Sunday roast for Chloe.

    📌 Initially Hebden bridge was grey and gloomy but just after new years there was some heavy snow which made the landscape very pretty. The snow stuck around for a while and caused all sorts of issues with workers, transport etc. It was lovely and new to experience a UK town in full snow as we had only really seen small amounts and cities, otherwise only large amounts in well equipped mountain regions.

    📌 I was able to pick up some more work around the public holidays whilst Chloe also did her first shift just after new years in Oxford. We spent Chloe's early birthday celebration in a quaint pub on the hills of the tops of the valley, it was still quite snowy up there and it made the fireplace inside super cosy! The roast was delish and we had a couple of drinks which lead to the alcos in the group (everyone but me ☺️) wanting more when we got home. The night eventually ended around 2am which meant a tired day the next day at work for everyone except Chloe haha.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler
    1

    Copenhagen

    Dec 15–19, 2024 in Denmark ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

    📌 Copenhagen, the last stop on our Christmas adventures. We were keen to explore the food scene, see the Tivoli gardens Christmas market and to otherwise see the city with aimless intention.

    📌 The weather was not as charming in Copenhagen, mostly rainy or grey and not cold enough for snow. This was welcoming as it was slightly warmer but also made us think that the whole white Christmas in Europe seems quite hard to experience for most Europeans ☺️ We did have a nice clear sunny day during the stay which we enjoyed with 25k steps of walking around.

    📌 Copenhagen in general was a very beautiful and clean city, it is large but it seemed like each area had something interesting or cool about it. We were staying in a Pod accommodation which was initially slightly unnerving in case they were too small, however, this pod was actually super comfortable and unique for the stay. The Tivoli gardens was beautiful to wander through with the 7000 Christmas trees and beautiful displays. Additionally, the smaller city markets were also beautiful and fun (Tallinn or Riga win overall though).

    📌 Some food highlights of the stay included a delicious chicken sandwich (inspo from the bear), some open sandwiches (a Danish traditional sandwich) and the street hotdogs 😍 Despite the good food, the drinks were probably more enjoyed, from the cool breweries, the hot drinks at the Christmas markets or the delicious white glogg (warm white wine, spices and apple schnapps) from the walking tour recommendation, everything was great!    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Talinn

    Dec 12–15, 2024 in Estonia ⋅ 🌬 -2 °C

    📌 Our last stop in the Baltics, we had heard great things about Talinn and it did not disappoint. Talinn was probably our favourite stop of this trip and potentially one of the nicest old towns we have seen in Europe so far. The town was magical, it felt very medieval, the beauty was also enhanced by the day we had snow!

    📌 Talinn was a great place for food and drinks, we ate our way through delicious sweets, great wine and beer and some warming comfort food. The culinary highlight was dining at Old Hansa, a medieval themed restaurant which was similar to the one we visited in Riga. This experience however was unique in that the whole place was lit by candles, the building felt very old and authentic (including the toilets) and the food was very unique! Chloe had a spiced lamb dish whilst I ate a variety of sausages; veal, black pork blood sausage and a game sausage of boar, elk and bear!

    📌 The Christmas market was again beautiful, the walking tour was interesting and fun, particularly given that it was very snowy. We also visited an interesting banned book museum, a pour your own wine, wine bar and one of the oldest pharmacy's in Europe.    Read more

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