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Steven CoeSteven Coe
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📍 England Läs mer
  • ResenärBrisbane to Manchester
    Dag 89–91

    Kosice

    26 maj, Slovakien ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Läs mer

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  • ResenärBrisbane to Manchester
    1
    Dag 87–89

    Eger: A wine trip

    24 maj, Ungern ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Läs mer

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  • ResenärBrisbane to Manchester
    Dag 82–87

    Budapest

    19 maj, Ungern ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Läs mer

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  • ResenärBrisbane to Manchester
    1
    Dag 79–82

    Sibiu

    16 maj, Rumänien ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Läs mer

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  • ResenärBrisbane to Manchester
    Dag 77–78

    Sighisoara

    14 maj, Rumänien ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Läs mer

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  • ResenärBrisbane to Manchester
    1
    Dag 73–77

    Brasov

    10 maj, Rumänien ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Läs mer

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  • ResenärBrisbane to Manchester
    Dag 70–73

    Bucharest

    7 maj, Rumänien ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Läs mer

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  • ResenärBrisbane to Manchester
    Dag 69

    Sofia

    6 maj, Bulgarien ⋅ ☀️ 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 😴    Läs mer

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  • ResenärBrisbane to Manchester
    Dag 68

    Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery

    5 maj, Bulgarien ⋅ ⛅ 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    Läs mer

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  • ResenärBrisbane to Manchester
    Dag 65–68

    Sofia

    2 maj, Bulgarien ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    📌 A bus to Sofia meant arriving late around dinner, we were staying in a comfy large Airbnb a little bit out of the centre. We found a small food truck park which seemed to be the local 18 year old hang out, but we enjoyed a drink, dumplings and pizza in the trendy Bulgarian capital.

    📌 Another walking tour gave us a great insight into the city and a bit more if an interesting insight into their communist era. Most interestingly, Bulgaria never joined the Soviet Union and were rather their own communist regime. We saw some old communist buildings, some former churches and mosques from the Byzantine and Ottoman ages, and some beautiful Austro-German architecture that survived WW2 bombings.

    📌 Day 3 we visited a an old communist era flat that was telling the story of the locals that lived there. It was such a different museum because you felt like you were in their house and you could open cupboards and look at old relics etc. This day also involved a short visit to an illusion museum to mix it up and kill a few hours, it was fun to be tricked out by illusions and it was a nice change to regular sightseeing.

    📌 Funnily enough, Damien McShane (from East Bentleigh) was in Bulgaria and we caught up for dinner and some drinks. We talked for hours over some beers and delicious traditional Bulgarian food about vet and travel. It was great to catch up with someone as we hadn't really had much conversation with anyone else since Vietnam, Damien is also such a great person to chat with.    Läs mer

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