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Steven Coe
Steven Coe

Steven Coe

s’est rendu dans 36 pays. En savoir plus
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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur

    France: Alsace region part 2

    15–16 sept. 2024, France ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

    📌 The Alsace region was so beautiful it required two posts. On day two, the goal was to visit more of the small towns dotted amongst the wineries and hills. There were many beautiful places and a lot of delicious food to taste. We started the day with pastries of course, delicious croissants from a boulangerie!

    📌 We visited Eguisheim, Riquewirh and Ribeauville. All beautiful towns that had also featured or won the most beautiful town in France at some point. Out favourite was Riquewirh, the main street was straight out of Hansel and Gretel basically. We ate macaroon coconut cookies, we had wine and cheese, we ate regular macaroons and we were pretty much done after that for a bit. Particularly after eating Munster cheese which was a very strong pungent cheese from the area, a very different pungent compared to blue cheese.

    📌 We ended the day with finding a spot looking over the vineyards and then we headed into Colmar to a Michelin star Alsace region restaurant. The service was great, the food was excellent and it was well worth it. French cuisine is not our favourite but we appreciated the flavours and freshness of the food. Chloe particularly enjoyed her lava cake which my translation resulted in me getting an ice cream cake rather than the warm one I was expecting (a kugelhopf).    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur

    France: Alsace Region part 1

    14–15 sept. 2024, France ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    📌 We crossed the border into France and had a brief visit in Strasbourg, the start of the Alsace region. We visited the super detailed cathedral, we wandered around the small canals lined with the beautiful wooden houses and it was lunch time which meant seeking out a French bakery. A delicious baguette and an incredible extra large macaroon went down a treat.

    📌 We then headed further south into the Alsace region where we stopped in the afternoon in Kayersberg, a town that won most beautiful town in France a few times. We wandered around, looking at the lovely houses and shops, which are extra special with all their flowers around the windows. The afternoon was lovely and as we got hungrier made our way to the accommodation before heading into Colmar, one of the larger towns of the region. It was super busy but again it had lovely canals, we struggled to find an open restaurant as they were all full. We eventually found a cosy french restaurant serving delicious food.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur

    Rhine and Mosel River

    12–14 sept. 2024, Allemagne ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    📌 We picked up a car in Dusseldorf and headed along the Rhine, one of Europe's large rivers dotted with quaint towns, wineries and castles, so many castles!

    📌 We visited Schloss Drachenburg which was one of the most beautiful castles we saw with the fancy interiors and lovely views over the water. Being German castles some of them had been involved with the Nazis and thus had sustained damage and repairs over the 100s of years. We also visited Koblenz where the Rhine and Mosel river divide which turned out to be significant as this was where the east and west Germany border ran. We ended our day on the Mosel river where we stayed at a German woman's guesthouse which felt very local and comfortable.

    📌 The second day started with a run followed by a drive back to the Rhine where we headed further south, we visited cochem castle, a very grand castle overlooking the river which had beautiful gardens and many towers. We then drove along the beautiful valley past many wineries to Burg Eltz. A castle that has been owned by the same family for 35 generations since the middle ages, it was not as extravagant inside but the presence of it amongst the forest was very cool. We finished the day in Rudesheim, another beautiful Rhine town, where we had some more local wine and German food. The Rhine is beautiful, the Mosel is quieter and more quaint, both are high recommendations of ours, as it's picturesque and characteristic fairytale Europe.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur
    1

    Dusseldorf

    11–12 sept. 2024, Allemagne ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    📌 A short detour via Dusseldorf for one night as it was close to Cologne and it was one of their rivals, plus they also brewed their own beer. We were staying right in town but stupid me booked a room that had single beds, assuming they would just join them like the rest of Europe usually had done before. This was not possible as there was a small wall in between, luckily it was only one night so Chloe didn't kill me ☺️

    📌 We wandered around the docks/river area known for its modern architectural art buildings, we tried some of the Altbier which we decided was second to Kolsch as it was darker and not as smooth and we then visited the famous little Tokyo area. I guess being so far from Asia, Asian food is more difficult to come by and this area was super busy, all in all though, we enjoyed ramen and some dessert. Dusseldorf was a worthy side trip and a nice comparison to Cologne.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur

    Cologne; The start of a new trip

    8–11 sept. 2024, Allemagne ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    📌 Manchester to Cologne was surprisingly smooth despite train disruptions in the morning, a visit to Huddersfield was a nice detour.

    📌 We arrived in Germany hungry for a hearty meal, the weather was better then the UK but still comfort food weather. Cologne is famous for Kolsch, a beer only brewed in the city boundaries as they need to be able to see the cathedral to brew it legally. So naturally we went looking for Kolsch and we enjoyed it's delicious light taste with some sausages and codon bleu. The Kolsch was highlight, they come in 0.2l glasses and the server continues to refill unless you place the coaster on top.

    📌 Day 2 we wondered around the different quarters, cologne is super multicultural due to a post war treaty that gave people citizenship if they came to rebuild. This was highlighted in the walking tour with an American who'd been embraced by the city once he migrated. It was obvious that the city was cool, accepting and unique. Apparently they have the biggest carnaval in Europe. We ended day 2 with some beers, bratwursts and pork knuckle, German food was going down a treat after long days.

    📌 On our last full day in cologne we ventured out on the tram to Bruhl Palace, a extravagant palace for the archbishop's back in the day. The inside was insane, particularly the entrance hall, it was also lovely to walk around as nobody was really there. Our last food adventure out was to get the biggest schnitzel in cologne, the restaurant was pumping and we sat at the bar, sinking 10 Kolsch beers and eating Schnitzel that wouldn't fit on the plate 😋    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur

    York

    24–26 août 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    📌 A late night train after work to York ended up with us having a drink at the pub when the first one was delayed and then heading back to the clinic once all of them were cancelled.

    📌 Early Saturday morning we tried again and we were off to York. We were staying with a lovely elderly lady, Carol, who loved a chat. We had tea and breaky with her each morning and I think she appreciated having all kinds of conversations, particularly about India as she had been there many times.

    📌 York is definitely one of your favourite cities in the UK so far, the town felt very english, exactly what you would expect when you imagine a traditional town/city. The shops were beautiful, the pubs were everywhere and the vibe was great. It was great to wander around the lanes and cobble street roads. The history of the Roman Empire in York also added an extra touch of interest to visiting the area.

    📌 A few highlights in York included an incredible kimchi and cheese toastie with coffee, a Yorkshire Sunday roast with Yorkshire pudding and sticky toffee pudding for desert, a wine at a small busy wine bar, some jam and cream scones at a tea house and a movie at an old cinema. We have definitely ticked off a few cliche english traditions after this visit. If a job came up in York, we would take it up for sure!    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur

    Chloe's Trip To West Ireland

    15–21 août 2024, Irlande ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    📌 Arrived to Ireland on a Thursday afternoon, Clara picked me up from the airport and headed straight to an Irish pub next to a
    Castle!! Clara’s family lived in a beautiful house on the coastline of county Clare west Ireland in a small town called Kilrush. We went out for dinner in a popular coastal town called Kilkee and I had my first Guinness at a local pub called Murphy’s that was still decked out from the 1800s! On the Friday, we hung around the local area, went for a coastal cliff walk and had delicious mussels at a local pub!

    📌 Saturday we headed to County Kerry! We did a drive around dingle on the famous coastal road, and then drove to Killarney to stay there for a few nights! Killarney is a popular tourist spot known for its beautiful landscape, lakes and the own for its Irish music and pub scene. Saturday night we got a bit silly dancing to Irish music and drinking one too many g&ts & Guinness.

    📌 Sunday we had sore heads but still got out an about, visiting the famous gap of Dunloe, waterfalls and local castles in the area. We later went to an another Irish pub for dinner and had a delicious Guinness stew.

    📌 Monday we drove to Limerick to pick up Laura and had a lovely homemade dinner with Clara’s family in Kilrush. Tuesday Laura, Clara and I headed to the famous cliffs of Moher (Harry Potter was filmed here at one point) and typical Irish weather almost blew us off the cliffs! We wrapped up the holiday by having a delicious dinner in Kilkee followed by my last fresh Irish Guinness!    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur
    11

    Lakes District Pt 2

    27–28 juil. 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ⛅ 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.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur
    11

    Lakes. District Pt 1

    26 juillet 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ⛅ 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.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur
    1

    Moy Vets Blackpool

    19 juil.–7 sept. 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ⛅ 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! ❤️    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur

    Milan & Lake Como

    16–18 juil. 2024, Italie ⋅ ☁️ 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.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur

    Bologna

    15–16 juil. 2024, Italie ⋅ ☀️ 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 ✅    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur

    Florence

    13 juillet 2024, Italie ⋅ ⛅ 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.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur

    Birthday Week

    1–6 juil. 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 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!    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur

    Weekend in Manchester

    21–23 juin 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 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 ☺️    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur

    Leeds: A day trip and testing

    18 juin 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 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.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Voyageur
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    West Yorkshire; Hebden Bridge

    15 juin 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ☁️ 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.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterVoyageur

    Manchester: The end but the start

    14 juin 2024, Angleterre ⋅ ⛅ 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.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterVoyageur

    Gdansk

    10–14 juin 2024, Pologne ⋅ ☁️ 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.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterVoyageur

    Warsaw

    7–10 juin 2024, Pologne ⋅ ☀️ 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.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterVoyageur

    Wrocław

    4–7 juin 2024, Pologne ⋅ ☁️ 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.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterVoyageur

    Krakow

    1–4 juin 2024, Pologne ⋅ ☁️ 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.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterVoyageur

    Zakopane: The Polish Tatras

    30 mai–1 juin 2024, Pologne ⋅ ☁️ 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.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterVoyageur

    The Slovakian Tatras

    28 mai 2024, Slovaquie ⋅ ☀️ 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.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterVoyageur

    Kosice

    26–28 mai 2024, Slovaquie ⋅ ⛅ 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.    En savoir plus

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterVoyageur
    1

    Eger: A wine trip

    24–26 mai 2024, Hongrie ⋅ ☁️ 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.    En savoir plus

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