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Steven Coe
Steven Coe

Steven Coe

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler
    11

    Lakes District Pt 2

    Jul 27–28, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    📌 The weekend in the lakes district was a busy one, summer and decent weather meant lots of visitors. Saturday was a relaxing day as unsurprisingly it was forecast as a rainy one. We ventured out to The lingholm kitchen, apparently the inspiration behind the Peter Rabbit tale as the author often spent summers there. It was a beautiful old house with well kept picturesque gardens and a greenhouse. The food was delicious and mostly local which was great.

    📌 We decided we'd go for a short walk from the gardens, we were a little unprepared and ended up walking 6km up a pretty decent ascent to the catbells summit, it was a rewarding view of one of the larger lakes in the region. We ended the day with a visit to Windermere, spending some time at a traditional pub with a dukebox and then some drinks in a live music venue.

    📌 Our final day in the lakes district was a good one, the weather was turning it on and we summited one of the nicest views in the area, the old man of conniston. The walk provided more awesome views of the surrounding peaks and ridges plus some tarns/lakes. It was another steep hike with some navigation required but one of the best ones for sure.

    📌 Our last stop over on the way home as a rewarding afternoon was a small complex in a very small town that was a brewery, cheesery and wine bar. The cheeses were from all over, and the variety was great, we enjoyed a few hours outside in the sun relaxing. We also couldn't resist picking up a fresh made apple pie for a Sunday night dessert.

    📌 The lakes district was well worth the trip, a pocket of the UK that feels vast and rugged, something that can be hard to find amongst a country quite densely populated. We plan to go back in the winter and see some snow hopefully.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler
    11

    Lakes. District Pt 1

    July 26, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    📌 The lakes district was too beautiful to keep it to one post! A Friday off at work, meant a car hire on Thursday and hurried exit from work to get away for the weekend. Chloe picked up the car from the most blase local dealer and the car was a bit of a bomb but it added to the adventure of it all.

    📌 We were staying at a very quaint town outside Penrith, the Airbnb was a cottage that was super comfy and charming. Apparently it was a big step up from my Vietnam accommodation choices ☺️

    📌 The weather was looking okay for the Friday so we planned on doing Hellvlyn, the 3rd highest peak in England at 950m (high for the UK ☺️). The walk was approximately 16km and it was gorgeous but a tough ascent. There were many lakes, sheep and goats along the way as we walked through the hilly landscape.

    📌 We ended the afternoon with a rewarding beer at a local pub in one of the lakes quaint towns (a super busy one). The town full of small local shops, so many pubs and delicious food stalls was wonderful to walk through. Once satisfied , we headed back to the accommodation and out to a local pub to get amongst some traditional pub fare. The pub was buzzing with a beautiful interior/exterior and we tucked into some fish and chips w mushy peas and a steak and ale pie accompanied by some G&T and wine. An excellent finish to the day exploring.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler
    1

    Moy Vets Blackpool

    Jul 19–Sep 7, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    📌 Job 2 was at a clinic just outside of Blackpool, we were here for about 6 weeks where we would be living above the clinic. We were picked up from the station after heading back from Italy by the head vet who was very lovely and welcoming. The clinic was large and the room/ accommodation was surprisingly quite good. A private kitchen and essentially a private bathroom meant we would be comfortable and detached from the workplace.

    📌 The hours were long but the staff were friendly and it was nice to not have to travel at all before or after work, plus lunch upstairs in a private lunch room was a win. The coffee shops, and supermarkets are within walking distance and the bus into Blackpool is reasonably accessible. Chloe loves it as she spends all her time reading and going to the gym or getting coffee whilst I work ☺️

    📌 A hilarious story that could only happen from living at work was Chloe cooking toast upstairs and having the whole clinic evacuate because she set of the fire alarm. Everyone thought it was an eventful thing but the practice manager came running out yelling it was your partner upstairs Steven! 🤣

    📌 Another fun story to come out of here was looking after Ena, a 10 month old Patterdale Terrier that was taken on by the clinic after the owner wanted to euthanize her for stupid reasons! She hung out with us over the weekend and during our last week. She found a home in the end which was a great outcome! ❤️    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Milan & Lake Como

    Jul 16–18, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    📌 The final stop on our short getaway was another city neither of us had been. We got in via speed train again and enjoyed a cheap 1 euro delicious coffee at a bustling local place whilst waiting to check in. We met up with Jacquie and Johnno at another local pizzeria before heading into the centre of Milan to tick off a few of the major sites. Milan was super hot, it seems there is no wind in the city because of the buildings and it's so much warmer.

    📌 We visited the Duomo, the second largest cathedral in the world, if was amazingly detailed with all the pillars on the outside, the roof was also worth visiting also. Once we had ticked that off, Jacqui was super keen for the Aperol spritz bar opposite the duomo, quite the tourist trap but it was fun nonetheless with a great view. As the evening started to cool we headed to the canal district, a trendy suburb with bustling restaurants and bars on an old canal. A few cocktails and a another delicious meal was a great end to the day.

    📌 Our final day together was a visit to Lake Como, we had organised a boat hire and the day started with an early train. For some reason the train stopped on the way into the city, inevitably meaning we had to walk 3km but we missed our connection to Como. We shrugged it off with some affogato and got the next train (also delayed) but we made it for the ferry to Bellagio. We checked in, had brief listen on driving a boat ☺️ whilst Chloe and Jacqui smuggled some alcohol on board and delicious paninis.

    📌 The three hours on the lake were incredible, the water was perfect, we drove to quiet and busier places, we swam and we drank. It even involved a quick dive off the boat to retrieve some hats where Jacqui almost left me floating with mine as finding her Chandon hat floating was priority 🤣🤣 We ended the day with some drinks in varenna, caught the train back to near our accom and enjoyed a very local Italian restaurant. Lasagna, truffle pasta, ragu, many free appetizers, their version of a lemoncello and a cheap bill was the perfect end to the trip. It was a sad goodbye but it was an excellent trip and well worth it.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Bologna

    Jul 15–16, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 34 °C

    📌 We seperated from Jacqui and Johnno for a night as they headed to Venice and we had chosen Bologna, a new destination for us both. We arrived by speed train nice and early (and tired) and started the day with a walking tour, fortunately despite the 32ish degree heat, Bologna is covered by 62km of terrace. The walking tour took us to some interesting spots and it was good to get a basic history on the city most famously named for Bolognese sauce.

    📌 We wandered around the city, known for its mediaeval old town, portico terraces and tall towers. We had to try lasagna, tortellini, mortadella and of course Bolognese sauce before the day had ended. We found a delicious lunch spot and the tortellini was incredible, as was Chloe's Bolognese sauce (known as ragu in Bologna).

    📌 The city was beautiful and we were glad we had made it a stop. We headed back to the hotel, a cool modern smart hotel which had a variety of activities and amenities for staying and as a social space. Our last goal was to try apertivo and lasagna, we started at a deli serving drinks and apertivo (traditionally between 6-8) which ended up in us ordering a very large but great value charcuterie board. We had definitely met the threshold for cured meats once we were done and didn't need any more ☺️. We found dinner, enjoying the fact that its opening time was 7.30pm and had a delicious lasagna and tiramisu! All goals of the day achieved ✅    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Florence

    July 13, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    📌 We arrived in Florence after a late Friday night flight (W side note, baffled how passengers don't know their seats) and an early train into the city. The weather was hot and as expected, the city was busy, however, we were keen to see Jacqui and Span and enjoy a little getaway in Italy.

    📌 We checked in and found the hotels aircon had gone down, not a great start and also a shame as the hotel was perfect otherwise. It was basically right next to the duomo. We met Jacqui and span for afternoon drinks and snacks which became many drinks and a visit to the central market. The Aperol spritzs were out, arancinis, prosciutto and rockmelon (a Jacqui fav) and much more. We made a flash decision to head to the lookout for sunset, just making it and then ended up going out to a karaoke bar and everyone was pretty drunk.

    📌 Day 2 involved an early wake up in a hot room, so we escaped to the cool morning outside and wandered around the Duomo which was lovely as nobody was there. We then hit up Jacquie's Instagram affogato spots (was delish) , some wine in a wall and a panini spot. It was great to be eating delicious food and having someone else take the lead of where to go. It was also great to have such good food quality that no choice would be a bad one.

    📌 We ended Florence with a cooking class for dinner, making 3 pastas (tortellini, ravioli and Tagitielle) in a hilarious group of American lads and a Mexican girl. The food was delicious, and unlimited red wine was fun. The party continued on at a nearby irish pub for the Euros final where Span was trying to get himself killed by the English fans whilst we all spoke rubbish to the American guys who are die hard trump supporters now believing in drop bears. They also kept happily shouting us baby Guinness as they'd never had them.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Birthday Week

    Jul 1–6, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    📌 My birthday week started with some cheese and wine in Hebden bridge at a cosy wine bar which was then followed by Coldplay at Glastonbury. The rest of the weekend also involved drinks whilst watching England escape sudden death in the euros with a 95th minute goal.

    📌 Chloe made a cake for my birthday, a first for her and a special gesture considering she has no idea how to bake ☺️ We enjoyed a chana masala and a relaxing evening, nothing to crazy as I was working.

    📌 On the Wednesday we headed into Manchester where we tried an incredible combination of Indian Street food and a brewery, excellent find 👌 We ofcourse had headed in for another gig, this time Avril Lavigne supported by Simple Plan. It was held at Castlefield bowl which was a small but great gig location. Simple plan were good as usual but Avril was mental, an incredible show of nostalgia. Chloe was up on shoulders for skater boi! 🤘

    📌 Saturday we headed back into Manchester for a suprise date Chloe had planned. We started at an early dinner at Sparrows, a central European restaurant serving German pasta (Spatz), pierogi and Pelmeni. It was set in old industrial rooms under a bridge. We then headed to a bar to catch some of the Euros (Eng vs Swiss). We finished the night at a comedy club which was 50/50, some acts were good others were average. Overall a great night and delicious food!    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Weekend in Manchester

    Jun 21–23, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    📌 We were keen for this weekend for a long time, a chance to see Greenday again but this time at their own gig. The gig was at Old Trafford cricket ground and we booked an Airbnb to avoid any train stress of getting home. In the end, this was a great choice.

    📌 We had a few drinks on the train into Manchester, a nice perk of UK trains compared to Australia which we enjoyed. We headed out to a bar recommended from Brad, The Wolf At the Door, serving drinks, 2$ Tacos and Baos.

    📌 The gig was incredible, the support from Nothing but Thieves was a great start and Greenday played a smashing set, 36 songs from Dookie, American Idiot and Saviors. Our favourites were either Jesus of Suburbia or Bobby Sox (which Chloe loved being on my shoulders for)

    📌 We were due to meet up with Alex Beech on Saturday morning so we started the day with another recommendation from Brad, Ancoats coffee co, which was a delicious reminder of coffee at home. We met up with Alex for brunch at 12 and a few wines were had by Chloe and Alex.

    📌 Soon enough we had been to a drink along the canals in Manchester and then at a bar in the Northern quarter. The night went on but it constantly felt like 7pm because the sun won't go down till about 10.30. Many drinks had been consumed at this point and soon enough Alex's male companion as Chloe called him was meeting us. We eventually got the train home and called it a night and the harrassing of Alex and Jack was over ☺️    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Leeds: A day trip and testing

    June 18, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    📌 A day trip to Leeds as Chloe needed to start the ball rolling with a computer test for her nursing registration. Hebden bridge being halfway between Leeds and Manchester meant it was a short train train ride, a system which we were getting the hang of now and found pretty comfortable and efficient.

    📌 Chloe sat her test and happily passed no problems, so the first milestone to working was checked off ✅

    📌 I wondered around Leeds, it's appeared to be smaller neater city then Manchester. I wandered around the old arcades, the market, and the old corn exchange building. The city have done a great job converting old buildings into trendy or modern new places.

    📌 Chloe and I met up again, we enjoyed a banh mi at the market and headed home, potentially considering Leeds as a future base for work.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler
    1
    1

    West Yorkshire; Hebden Bridge

    June 15, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    📌 Our first impressions of Hebden bridge were great, a town within a valley, on a river with small stone houses/shop fronts. The vibe was familiar to home, similar to Brunswick or Fitzroy with cool shops/pubs/ cafes and super friendly and trendy people.

    📌 We settled in over the first week in the UK, it was nice to have a bedroom, it was nice to not move tolieteries or bags. Emilie's house was lovely, old but trendy and comforting. It was especially nice to have Brunny around all the time.

    📌 The first weekend we went out for a few drinks and ended up staying out to last call, chatting with Emilie's friends including her hilarious Italian friend and another woman who had done really interesting work including Rwanda and Ethiopia.

    📌 We walked along the canals, an extensive network that goes to Manchester and all through the UK. The boats moared along the edge added a unique, charming touch.

    📌 Wednesday evening took us to the Killers, what a show, it was at the new Co Op stadium and the sound, the entertainment and crowd were brilliant. It was great fun. The evening was complemented also by a delicious dinner at a South African restaurant in the northern QTR of Manchester, a trendy and vibrant area of the city.    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler

    Manchester: The end but the start

    June 14, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    📌 A flight from Poland to Manchester! The end of our travels to get to the UK, but the start of our next adventure. It had been an unbelievable journey so far, we had learnt and seen so much that we won't forget. Both keen to get some routine and to stop being a tourist for a while seemed like a nice change on the horizon.

    📌 We travelled on a packed train from the airport to Hebden bridge where we met a woman who was also heading to Hebden bridge, she was super stressed and so grateful we helped her with the trains and times. Our first impressions of the UK were going well, the northerners were already loving a chat with us ☺️

    📌 We met Emily at Hebden bridge station, and we were welcomed to a very quaint and cool town. It was nice to be in the comfort of someone's home, particularly with a furry friend named Brunswick.    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler

    Gdansk

    Jun 10–14, 2024 in Poland ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    📌 The final stop of our trip, a few days on the coast of Poland. Gdansk was another beautiful old city that had been smashed and rebuilt since WW2. The Airbnb was in a prime location, we were staying at the top of an old house.

    📌 Walking through the old town everyday felt like walking through time and fairytales, the architecture and cobblestones were some of the best we had seen. Another walking tour added some context to the history of the city and it was quite interesting, plus having a few Americans on the tour always creates something extra.

    📌 A visit to the WW2 museum was fascinating, unfortunately we went late in the day so we had to hurry through, but it was definitely one of the best museums we'd seen anywhere. The way the information was presented and the way they have done the rooms, some which are done as war torn streets, is excellent. We definitely have a pretty good hold on the factors that were influencing WW2 since going on this trip ☺️

    📌 A day trip was inorder to suss out Sopot, a beach town not too far from Gdansk. We got the train and it was nice to walk around but it was quite underwhelming, very touristy in terms of stalls and shops plus paying to walk on a pier? What!?

    📌 We finished the trip to the docks where they have set up bars and food stalls on a cool industrial way. We then moved on to a karaoke bar which was hilarious as some people sang renowned English songs or Spanish or of course majority polish, unfortunately we didn't have the courage to pull out land down under this time.
    Gdansk was one of our favourite cities and is definitely worth visiting! It was a good finish to the trip.    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler

    Warsaw

    Jun 7–10, 2024 in Poland ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    📌 A visit to the capital of Poland on our way through to the coast. This time we caught a packed flixbus which was a fun 5 hours full of poor internet and weird smells of people's lunches ☺️

    📌 We didn't really have any significant plans here, we sort of made it up as we went. We did a walking tour giving us some insight into Warsaw and how much of it was destroyed in WW2 (approx 85%). We explored the rebuilt old town which was nice and they have done an excellent job recreating the buildings.

    📌 Warsaw was a modern city and it would be an easy place to live, we got around easy, there were plenty of bars and great restaurants, including a vegan Asian fusion which we enjoyed. We pretty much just relaxed and spent the days doing whatever, including a run and a workout in the park. It is a city worth seeing for history and insight into WW2 and we were happy we went.    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler

    Wrocław

    Jun 4–7, 2024 in Poland ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    📌 A new polish city, we arrived by a train that was a close call due to the traffic in Krakow. We were staying a few tram stops away in a residential apartment

    📌 Wroclaw had a beautiful old town, it has large central squares, and very well preserved buildings. A lot of the city, like many in Poland, has been rebuilt since 1945. It was hard to not walk through the old town without wanting to take a photo or visit one of the shops or bars.

    📌 We did a self guided walking tour in Wroclaw, exploring some of the churches, buildings and also the quirky gnome statues that are all over the city (apparently 600+) that begun as a resistance to communism. We also explored a panoramic painting that is one of the largest in the world, 115m long and 15m high, it was part of interactive art where you were guided through an important historical battle with the Russians and the poles for land. The ground at the base of the painting was set up as a battle ground and the lighting made you feel as if you were in it. Another random activity was a visit to Hydropolis, a museum about water and it's role in many different things, it was very interesting but super long.

    📌 We mixed it up a little food wise as polish food, although delicious, was very meat or carb heavy. Hence Thai, more indian and some Italian was enjoyed. We also visited a few mylk bars (cafeteria subsidised by the government), enjoying a cheap lunch. It felt very authentic to be dining in these localised establishments.    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler

    Krakow

    Jun 1–4, 2024 in Poland ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    📌 Train into Krakow and we were both keen to see a city that we had both been but this time in a bit more depth. The Airbnb was interesting, a clean but small studio with a foldout couch bed 🤔

    📌 Krakow was cool, we started with one of the best walking tours we had been on with a hilarious guide. Some of the highlights were just now much Poland had been through in its history, occupied and divided twice, removed from the map by the Austro-hungarians, Prussia and Russians and then again in world war 2 by the Nazis and Soviets. Interestingly Copernicus also famously studied in Krakow.

    📌 We enjoyed the food and the Jewish quarter, the cool bars, the little cafes gave plenty of choice. One of the highlights was a small polish restaurant with cramped tables and candles that served a delicious pork rib, amazing pierogi and apple pie. We also found a 1920s speakeasy cocktail bar with a jazz singer which was awesome.

    📌 Overall it was nice to see Krakow slowly, learn some history, explore the Schindler's museum again, go for a run and enjoy delicious food.    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler

    Zakopane: The Polish Tatras

    May 30–Jun 1, 2024 in Poland ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    📌 A flixbus onto the other side of the Tatras toom us to the busy side, and it was obvious. Zakopane was a developed, busy, small city. It was similar to Queenstown, which was very different in comparison to the rugged, quiet and less developed Slovakian side.

    📌 Again the weather was looking up and down but it looked like the full day we had of hiking would be sunny in the morning. We planned an early wake up and without really knowing how to get a bus to the famous Morskie Oko lake (start of the hikes) we decided we would go for it. A nice large polish carb filled meal of sauerkraut, schnitzel was also preparation ☺️

    📌 We started the day early and knew where the buses were but times were hard to grasp, as we headed down the main street a bus driver yelled out Morskie Oko and signalled to get on. As we drove around town, this appeared to be how they got people on their buses and it also indicated that the business around Morskie Oko was true.

    📌 We started our hike and we were glad we were glad we headed to the 5 lakes trail first as this meant splitting off from 100s of people heading to Morskie Oko, even at 7.30am. The hike was tough but it was amazing, we ascended around 1100m through beautiful valleys and eventually made it to the lakes which were incredible. The surrounding mountains were still patchy with snow and it was fabulous to take it all in. We thought we had reached the high of the hike but then we found out as we ascended over a ridge to make it down to Morskie Oko that the views got even better. We had a panoramic view of the lakes and the weather was fantastic. There were a few sketchy areas as part of the track was covered by snow and a slip would have been an unknown fate, plus the knees on the descent got a great workout, but it was all worth the incredible hike. We finished in Morskie Oko as the rain came in, the lake was packed with people and it was lovely but we definitely made the right call going up first. I'll

    📌 We ended up walking approx 24km and enjoyed some beers, delicious polish cuisine of pork and schnitzel and some apple pie as a treat after a tough day. The Tatras were incredible and we had gotten very lucky with the weather.    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler

    The Slovakian Tatras

    May 28, 2024 in Slovakia ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    📌 The Slovakian Tatras were incredible, the weather was perfect, despite a few 50/50s on rain we had a great few days of hiking.

    📌 A hike to popradske pleso lake was a great start, the beautiful afternoon sun on the lake and chalet was very peaceful, it was so quiet and there was probably 10 people around the lake. We finished the 12km loop with a meal on the lake down the bottom as the sun was setting.

    📌 Our second day was 50/50 as a mild thunderstorm warning was expected and we weren't sure whether to try summit a peak in unknown whether, plus if anything would even be visible or consider another hike. We started the summit hike and we were about to turn around but then saw some other people on the trail which have us comfort for the weather but also from any bears 🐻 ☺️. We persisted on up the 5-6km waiting for the trail to change as described by the blog but it never did, and then we realised why, we were on the wrong trail. Despite this, our trail was even more incredible, we had hiked into a mountain valley surrounded by peaks, with a chalet at the top (approx 2000m) where you could get drinks and stay the night if you wished. It was probably one of the nicest beers we have had and it was well earned as the ascent was steep and long. One of our favourite hikes to date.    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler

    Kosice

    May 26–28, 2024 in Slovakia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    📌 A few train changes and we left the Hungarian countryside for a small city in Slovakia. We didn't have much expectations as we had little knowledge of Slovakia but we were excited to see what it had to offer.

    📌 Kosice isn't huge but it was very quaint and colourful to walk around, the main street was wonderful to walk down and it had unique features such as a singing colourful fountain to songs such as Queen or renowned classical music songs.

    📌 We climbed the old church tower, we drank cheap delicious beer despite the rude waiter ☺️, we had a sugar overload on ice cream and we enjoyed the city. One of the best things was sitting down watching the fountain with a delicious lemon and passionfruit sorbet.

    📌 As for Slovakian food, it was similar to our previous countries but a new one that came up was was trying sheep's cheese potato gnocchi with sauerkraut. A more sour and less saucy gnocchi.    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler
    1

    Eger: A wine trip

    May 24–26, 2024 in Hungary ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    📌 it was a goal to explore some of Hungary's wine regions and a perfect way to do this was a stop which on the way to Slovakia. Eger is one of the oldest wine regions and is known for wine cellars that apparently span 150km under the ground for wine storage.

    📌 We arrived in Eger via a comfortable train and we were happy the accommodation was close as their was no rideshare. We ditched the annoying bags and explored the small colourful town for the afternoon and then enjoyed some delicious Italian.

    📌 Our full day was spent in the valley of beautiful women, which was a unique wine area as it was a essentially a street loop (like a court) of wine cellars all next to each other with a underground cellar area. The wine was cheap (3-4$) and tasty so we enjoyed 4-5 places alongside some cheese and Hungarian salami also. It was worth visiting this area and tasting some delicious wine of Hungary whilst also seeing a smaller more local side of the country.    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler

    Budapest

    May 19–24, 2024 in Hungary ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    📌 A interesting overnight train brought us to Budapest. We found our sleeper carriage at 11.45 and it was already occupied by two sleeping Germans, the lights were on, the windows open and the room was boiling. It was as if they had just passed out 🤣 The journey was reasonably comfortable once we got the room cooler.

    📌 Our Budapest accommodation was a great base which was a relief as 5 nights in a average place would have sucked! We started with a walking tour which was great, particularly as a few Aussies were on it and they had a good laugh when they heard Chloe complaining about a few daft questions from some Americans. We realised now that we were further west and approaching June, the accents were much more familiar and English was more common.

    📌 One of the highlights of Budapest was the food, the first night in an outdoor Mexican bar was elite (delicious churro cheesecake). Another great night, I organised a surprise date at a modern Hungarian restaurant that gave off Melbourne vibes which then lead into us running through the rain to a wine bar. Whilst, a few other nights involved great Indian and Vietnamese meals. The Goulash, the beers, the variety of cool bars and restaurants were great and it felt similar to home. Another great stop was a cool bar that had been built of random objects amongst and old factory, it was here we had a froccs wine (soda water and wine) which was very refreshing.

    📌 We explored the Buda castle and it's complex which was beautiful but busy. We explored the Jewish quarter where we learned the history of how the Jews here were potentially the worst off in all of Europe. Despite this, the Hungarian government will still not recognise its role in the holocaust which is crazy.

    📌 A great highlight of the stay was the night cruise along the Danube where we got unlimited Prosecco (Chloe's find) whilst admiring the lit up city buildings. Once finishing this, we found a cool cocktail bar playing jazz in an underground cellar which was a great way to finish the night and another great find in a city full of cool places.    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler
    1

    Sibiu

    May 16–19, 2024 in Romania ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    📌 Our final stop in Romania, a larger town but not quite a city, at the base of the Romanian mountains. Sibiu was another colourful beautiful town to wander through with its large squares and its unique and renowned roofs with eyes (small windows in the old roofs).

    📌 We explored the town on foot climbing the old clock towers, visiting a few churches and squares and enjoying the warm weather. One of the highlights was the food, one night we visited a large beer house type location where we enjoyed schnitzel, goulash and several drinks whilst time for away and the waiter had to ask for payment because her shift was finished ☺️

    📌 We decided to pick up a car on the final day and explore the mountains. We drove on the famous transfagarasn mountain road until the closure point where we visited a waterfall. The hike was tough but the area was beautiful. Unfortunately we were hungry after and decided to have a Langos near a tourist area, a bit of a mistake as it was gross, although I'm sure the street dog enjoyed it. Ultimately, we should have stuck to our rule of not eating near tourist hotspots.

    📌 As we headed back and onward to a castle we noted some bears on the road which was awesome to see but also sad as they come out to the road because idiot tourists feed them. We drove to Corvin Castle, Romania's largest castle and it was different to other ones we'd seen. A very large gothic style castle with many towers that gave mediaeval vibes. Eventually we headed back for dinner and enjoyed our last papanasi before getting on the overnight train to Budapest.    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler

    Sighisoara

    May 14–15, 2024 in Romania ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    📌 A short stopover on the way to Sibiu in one of the oldest continuously occupied mediaeval citadels of Europe. The town was a saxon town (people sent from the Austro-hungarian empire to establish a town) that is renowned for its old town beauty. We caught the train in and due to the small size of the town, we didn't have to lug the bags too far which was a relief

    📌 Sighisoara was a very beautiful town, the houses all have coloured fascades, the old gothic style clock tower is almost visible from anywhere and the cobblestone streets are quiet and charming. We wandered around the town, following the streets and the old walls of the city before finding dinner at a old post office which served delicious woodfired pizza and pastas.

    📌 Most of the 24 hours we spent in this small town was without a purpose, simply drinking coffee or eating tasty food. We did include a run and a workout along the river to get some energy back at one point ☺️ Overall, a nice place to stop for a night.    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler
    1

    Brasov

    May 10–14, 2024 in Romania ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    📌 Leaving the city for a smaller region of Romania was nice and smooth via the train. We arrived in Brasov and the first impressions were that it was a very picturesque colourful old town. The old town was completely pedestrian friendly and the houses and shops lining the cobblestone lanes were colourful and historical.

    📌 We did our own walking tour using an app which was fun and flexible, we explored the old church, square and the old walls that surrounded the town in the 14-1500s. The old town was one of the most picturesque towns we have seen.

    📌 Brasov is very close to the Carpathian mountains so we utilised this to go and see bears in the wild. We went with a ranger to the forest to try and spot bears one evening and were fortunate enough to see two males. We also visited the libearty sanctuary, known as one of the best animal sanctuaries globally. This was a great experience to support people doing good work but also sad to hear the torment the public and tourists subject these bears to in the past and most likely the present still. Many were rescued from roadside restaurant cages or circuses.

    📌 Another Brasov highlight was the castles around the area. Pele's castle was extremely lavish, the decorative rooms and intricate wood furniture was amazing. A visit to the castle of the fictional character Dracula was also interesting, however being an old fort and not a royal residence, it was less lavish. Driving throughout the countryside areas also was a highlight as some of the towns were very quaint and colourful.

    📌 Brasov was a great city to visit and definitely one to recommend to people visiting Europe.    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler

    Bucharest

    May 7–10, 2024 in Romania ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    📌 Welcome to the capital of Romania, we arrived after an average overnight bus (the bus driver kept the radio on the whole time). We had to wait around a little bit for check in, so we perched ourselves for a few much needed coffees in a cafe.

     📌 Bucharest walking tour on day 1 was very interesting, again it was great to hear more about a country that often flys under the radar in Europe when you're Australian. We were shown some great architecture and laneways. We found the French influence and Italian influence on Romania most interesting as this was very different to the rest of the neighbouring countries. We also heard about the revolution against communism which was very difficult to comprehend.

    📌 Our highlights of Bucharest were the architecture, some beautiful parks and the delicious local cuisine. This included viewing many french or austro-hungarian influenced buildings, the heaviest building (a huge building intended for the prev communist dictator) and some cheap weekday lunch deals at restaurants of history. One of these being the first brewery in town with an amazing interior and another being the oldest hotel in Bucharest (an old fort/Inn type structure). The Romanian doughnuts were definitely a highlight.    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler

    Sofia

    May 6, 2024 in Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    📌 Our last day in Sofia was a bit of a day of nothing planned, we had to check out of accommodation, get rid of the car and get an overnight bus to Romania at 11pm.

    📌 I woke up looking like an idiot, the snow had gotten the better of me and my unpreparedness. I was sunburnt all around the areas the sunscreen hadn't gotten and where the sun reflected up off the snow. Ultimately I had a very sore neck, ears and around my eyes! Super embarrassing!

    📌 We started the day with a delicious pastry and coffee shop before ridding the bags at luggage storage and we began wandering around the city. A few visits to malls and shops for us through to lunch which was a mission as every recommendation was closed due to Easter, this was super frustrating after waking 1km trusting google opening hours ☺️

    📌 The evening involved a spontaneous visit to the IMAX to watch The Fall Guy. This was a great choice in the end, it was hilarious and entertaining, the imax screen was huge and the sound was great! We found dinner in a recommendation that was actually open, so we enjoyed some delicious pizzas! We had one last wander around the city at night admiring the architecture before heading to our overnight bus, a night of minimal sleep ahead 😴    Read more

  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterTraveler

    Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery

    May 5, 2024 in Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    📌 We set off with a hire car to the Rila Lakes, a national park in the south of Bulgaria. We intended to stay the night but the day was Easter Sunday and when we rocked up at the accommodation around midday nobody was there and there was no response. We decided to cancel (thanks free cancellation) and then try somewhere else, the language barrier was difficult and appeared there was no room and minimal staff due to the orthodox Easter celebrations. Ultimately, we made it a day trip and would return to Sofia late.

    📌 We headed for the lakes and got on a chairlift amongst beautiful pine trees, as we were ascending we realised we were greatly unprepared ( I had shorts on and no backpack) as we were soon passing snow covered ground and heading for higher areas of snow. We had about 3.5 hours before the last chairlift so we decided we would walk as far as we could of the loop.

    📌 The hike was difficult as there was so much snow, luckily we had hiking boots, some people had sneakers. We walked about 6km and saw 6 of the 7 lakes but we wouldn't have had time to make it to the 7th. Ultimately, we saw everything and more on this gorgeous hike. The snow was blanketed so soft and flat, the mountains poking out were jaggered and vast, but the best part was, there was nobody around and it was so quiet we could actually hear small avalanches. We descended down slowly, slipping over in the slushy hard compacted trail other hikers had created and enjoyed the slow quiet chair lift down the mountain.

    📌 We went around the mountain and through some quaint little hillside villages on a way to the Rila Monastery. The Monastery still functions and it was Easter Sunday so it was reasonably busy, even at 6pm. It was lovely to see the complex in the afternoon sun, the colours with the mountains in the background and the rushing mountain rivers nearby made it a special place. We were starving and found some delicious Nutella and jam doughnut balls outside (thank you tourist stalls for once) and then we headed back to Sofia for a late dinner and check in    Read more

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