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Steven Coe
Steven Coe

Steven Coe

har rejst i 36 lande Læs mere
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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende
    1

    Eger: A wine trip

    24.–26. maj 2024, Ungarn ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Budapest

    19.–24. maj 2024, Ungarn ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende
    1

    Sibiu

    16.–19. maj 2024, Rumænien ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Sighisoara

    14.–15. maj 2024, Rumænien ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende
    1

    Brasov

    10.–14. maj 2024, Rumænien ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Bucharest

    7.–10. maj 2024, Rumænien ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Sofia

    6. maj 2024, 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 😴    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery

    5. maj 2024, 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    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Sofia

    2.–5. maj 2024, 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.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Sozopol

    30. apr.–2. maj 2024, Bulgarien ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    📌 We spent a few days down on the black sea coast, a popular thing for Bulgarian locals in summer. We road tripped down to the coast through some beautiful forested areas, towns and saw plenty of wild tulips.

    📌 It was offseason and day 1 was pouring rain, not ideal weather for the coast. However, we were there to not do a great deal and the hotel was comfy and warm, perfect for some supernatural and truly relaxing. When we emerged into the rain we had a beautiful dinner looking out right onto the black sea.

    📌 Day 2 involved a relaxing day, a wonder around old town, browsing some shops and a struggle to find lunch which turned out to be great as dinner was phenomenal. One of our Bulgarian highlights, a small 10 table or so restaurant perched up on a cliff overlooking the black sea. We enjoyed fresh seafood pasta and some delicious stuffed peppers with Bulgarian cheese. Sozopol was a great little trip that broke up the sight seeing which had started to become a little repetitive.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Plovdiv

    27.–30. apr. 2024, Bulgarien ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    📌 A long overnight train took us into Plovdiv. A comfortable and clean journey, just one disrupted 3-4 times in the space of 3 hours for so many passport checks 😂

    📌 We arrived in the city after checking in and it was very beautiful, it is home to the longest pedestrian street in Europe. This is lovely to walk down as it is lined by colourful buildings rather than communist style architecture.

    📌 As per usual we did a walking tour, which was quite fascinating given Plovdiv may be one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Europe. As a result they have a great deal of Roman ruins, most buried under the city. Additionally, we learnt about the history of Bulgaria, empires that have been through and communism.

    📌 We particularly enjoyed the old town, with many traditional old houses and also a trendy bar and restaurant district. Another standout was all the wild tulips we saw around the area, the most we had seen in our travels so far.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Istanbul: Stop Over

    25.–27. apr. 2024, Tyrkiet ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    📌 Time to head back to Istanbul and to start making our way West into Europe. We caught an interesting flight from Yerevan airport with Flyone, a budget Maldovan airline. The airport sucked but luckily the flight was short and straightforward without any extra charges or bags lost.

    📌 We landed in Istanbul and pushed through a long transfer from airport to accommodation with all the bags during peak hour. We eventually made it to the hotel and were keen to eat dinner by this time. A true blessing came across us when we found a small family owned authentic Indian restaurant that was super cheap and incredibly delicious, the perfect meal after an afternoon of transit.

    📌 We started the day with our fav Turkish breakfast, kaymek (cheese and honey) and then spent the rest of the day in Istanbul ticking off some admin tasks as we can only receive texts in certain countries (Turkey one of them) thanks to Aldo mobile. So we had to book some trains whilst we could recieve bank codes to authorise payments. We bought a few souvenirs and then headed out of the city for our overnight train. Taxis are horrible in Istanbul, so it meant a long walk up the hill with our bags to get to the train which would take us to the overnight train. We got there after a tough slog and we were keen to get into our private sleeping cabin. The cabin was quite comfortable and clean, it even had a few snacks, possibly better accommodation then some of our Vietnam ones 😂 Next stop, Bulgaria!    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Yerevan: round 2

    22.–25. apr. 2024, Armenien ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    📌 After some big Armenian meals from Marietta we made our way back to the capital in search for some different flavours, the next few days we enjoyed some delicious Italian, Vegan food and even a Georgian restaurant (defs our favourite cuisine so far in Europe).

    📌 We spent the days in Yerevan with freedom, we explored the city a little more, we went to the gym even and also did a little Pilates workout in the room. Hitting the gym again after 2 months off, geez was the soreness intense the next few days!

    📌 We spent a full day visiting some sights around Yerevan such as an ancient temple that was believed to be built by the Romans (Temple of Garni) where it was part of a bigger complex several thousand years ago. It was quite a different structure that we hadn't come across on our journey of seeing lots of Roman ruins. Not too far from here was a interesting geological formation of organ pipes which was a nice walk through. We then finished the day with an attempted visit to a monastery, however the road works were so insane with absolutely no traffic control, we gave up and turned around. Basically the road was getting grated on one side and cars were trying to use the other in each direction but there was no traffic control 😂

    📌 Our final full day involved a day trip to Dilijan, a township near Armenias largest national park, this area was mountainous and quite pretty due to the dense greenery and spring flowers. A short walk through the forest and a delicious lunch overlooking a lake meant a successful day trip. We finished the day in the capital where they were celebrating/commemorating the genocide anniversary in the old Soviet square, the sound of the speaker echoing around the square really made it feel quite intense, thinking about what soviet speeches would have been spoken in this square.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Goris/Tatev Roadtrip

    21.–22. apr. 2024, Armenien ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    📌 We set off early out of Yerevan for our 4 hour roadtrip to the mountains of the south of Armenia. It was interesting driving through the country for a number of reasons;
    1. Roads are horrible, pot holes literally everywhere and where potholes are getting fixed, they have cut a chunk out of the road to be filled, but have not yet filled it. So basically you drive on the wrong side of the road a lot and have fun around trucks.
    2. The tensions with Azerbaijan meant there was a war over territory around the borders in 2020 and driving near the border is an unfamiliar feeling.
    3. Lots of Russian soldiers in trucks driving around as they are stationed in the area to keep the peace apparently.
    4. The close proximity to Iran, a country with so much happening right now, and we were approximately an hour away

    📌 All in all the drive was fun and really beautiful due to the mountains, including mount Ararat which the bible lovers think is where Noah's Ark landed.

    📌 We arrived in Goris and headed for the wings of Tatev, the world's longest tramway through some mountains to a monastery. It's 5km approx and offers some awesome views. The Monastery was from 10th century but it was pretty similar to some other ones we had seen, so we had a look around and moved on. We found a random hotel with a restaurant that had beautiful views over the valleys and enjoyed some Armenian/Russian lunch.

    📌 In the afternoon we headed back to Goris where we met our host Marietta, she welcomed us with a hug and said welcome my son and daughter. She was lovely! That night she made us home made dinner of Armenian specialities all sourced from her garden or the area. She even gave us home made vodka and wine. It was so nice to have a home cooked meal.

    📌 The next morning we were treated to a delicious breakfast in Mariettas veggie garden and after many hugs we set off on another fun road to a nearby attraction. We visited an old town where people lived in caves until approximately 1960, it was in a beautiful location with a fun swinging bridge across the gorge.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Yerevan

    19.–21. apr. 2024, Armenien ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    📌 A visit to another Caucasus country, Armenia! This was also occupied by the Soviets and our arrival came with a fun minivan trip across the border and into the capital of Armenia thanks to some more crazy driving.

    📌 We started our trip with a traditional Armenian meal, the cuisine was similar to Turkish and Georgian. It is mostly meat based but they did have more variety then Turkey. This restaurant was good fun, they had some singing and traditional music which even got some locals up from the table.

    📌 Day 2 involved a visit to the genocide museum, a horrible event in Armenian history centred around the Ottoman/Turkish genocide against Armenians occupying eastern Anatolia (now turkey). The worst part is, Turkey does not officially recognise the crimes committed.

    📌 We finished day 2 with a walking tour of the city, the guy was a character, he was fixated on whether people were married (apparently very important to Armenians). The Aussie guy on the tour was great to have a chat with, whilst the Americans were too serious as usual ☺️. It was interesting to hear the political tensions between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey, and therefore how they must still rely on Russia for many things despite them previously occupying the country during the Soviet era.

    📌We ended the day by picking up a rental car and we were in for a treat, driving around another crazy driving country.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Tbilisi: stop over

    18.–19. apr. 2024, Georgien ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    📌 A very hungover morning meant we were both dreading the drive back to Tbilisi. We had somehow managed to organise a lift with the neighbour who was going that way and he ofcourse was leaving at 7.30am. He was a nice man but he drove like crazy and his car ran on gas, this meant I was soon asking to stop as I had to vomit on the side of the road. Luckily this only happened once.

    📌 We arrived in Tbilisi and thankfully we had booked some really nice quiet, clean accommodation that let us check in early. We soon had delivery Maccas, and did that come and nuggets go down and absolute treat! This was accompanied by some supernatural and was the perfect do nothing morning.

    📌 We figured we eventually should leave the room, we went and found some Kombucha at a cafe to try and get our bodies back on track and we went looking for souvenirs. The day ended with some delicious Mexican and some fond memories of Georgia and Tbilisi.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Telavi: Khaketi Wine Region

    16.–18. apr. 2024, Georgien ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    📌 Another gotrip got us from Kazbegi to Telavi through some beautiful countryside of mountains, lakes and spring trees. The ride was 5 hours but we were welcomed to another lovely guesthouse in the small town of Telavi. We were keen to try some of the wine from the oldest wine makers in the world.

    📌 We organized a driver name Mamuka who was from the area thanks to a tripadvisor forum and he drove us around for the day for 50$. Bargain! We started at a winery that he knew, being off season it was very quiet, so essentially we were getting a private tour and private tasting. They're very generous, a tasting includes essentially free pour wine once a glass is finished, plus cheese and biscuits. They showed us how they make the wine in these large terracotta pots known as Qveri which are buried in the ground for months. We then went to a larger more industrial winery/warehouse which was equally as good due to their nice garden, sitting amongst the vines on a 25 degree day was perfect.

    📌 We attempted to visit a third winery I had seen on Google but as we got there the owner was extremely pushy speaking Russian to our driver, once we left after he starts shouting kangaroo at us, the driver tells us that he was drunk. We ended up at Mamauka's recommendation, a winery run by an 80 year old man known as Shota. We were shown around the Qveri area and we were seated out on the balcony overlooking the mountains, us, mamuka and Shota, basically it felt like we were at a friend's house. The afternoon went on and Shota asked us to toast and with each toast you had to skull your wine. We were winning him over with our Australian drinking ways and he started saying "Steven" and pointing to my glass to finish and get more. Everyone was having a good time and then came out the local spirit known as ChaCha, soon shots were being had and stories about the Soviet union were being told. Eventually we had to leave as we were way to drunk and Shota somehow had to keep hosting some Russians. This was the most authentic experience we had to far.

    📌 The day ended with us back at the guesthouse where we were given more wine by the hosts and we sat on the balcony drunkenly talking to some Georgian people our age and Mamuka who had stuck around as he coincidentally was good friends with host of the property. The night finished with some trips to the bathroom vomiting (both of us) and some very dizzy sleeping.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Kazbegi; The mountains near Russia

    14.–16. apr. 2024, Georgien ⋅ 🌫 0 °C

    📌 We travelled to Kazbegi/Stepansminda with a gotrip driver (super convenient) named Vano who was Russian but was able to use hand signals and understand when we wished to stop. We drove a couple of hours through beautiful landscapes of snowy mountains on some sketchy roads. There were tunnels through mountains pitch black or avalanches that had closed off parts of the road. This was a main highway between Russia and Georgia also, so there were heaps of trucks from Russia and central Asia.

    📌 We arrived in Kazbegi, a quiet town with many trucks waiting to cross the border, surrounded by huge mountains on both sides. The accommodation was a really nice guesthouse that we basically had to ourselves.

    📌 We started day 1 with lunch at a local place, it was basically a little shack with a guy bringing us home made wine and delicious khinkali dumplings. We then walked into the square where a taxi driver soon approached and asked us in broken English where to go, we suggested some waterfalls nearby and off we went. As per standard he was a crazy driver but he was nice and he kept pointing at things saying "it's nice, it's nice". The waterfalls were beautiful, it was nice to be in rugged nature. Interestingly, the falls were not far from the Russian border so trucks lined the side of the road as only 50 or so can pass per day and some trucks can line the road for days.

    📌 Day 2 was our full day and the weather was perfect, the day started with a hike to the UNESCO Trinity Church up high on the mountain. The hike was tough but worth it, we admired the views then started the hike to the glacier behind the church. This gave us an even better view but unfortunately we couldn't go too far along the 10km track as snow would have stopped us. The views were incredible and we even ran into a aussie guy from Richmond.

    📌 Day 2 continued with a adventure, we went back down from the church around lunch, found out taxi friend in his beaten up x-trail and asked to visit one of the highest villages in Europe, Juta. He was keen and enthusiastic and we drove off through some awesome valleys, so far, no problem. We started ascending up a very sketchy road and at times a narrow one where old mate driver was saying "no problem, no problem", despite being basically on the edge of a crumbling dirt road. At one point we got out and walked whilst he went over snow half covering the road. Eventually we made it to an impassable spot, despite him thinking he could make it, we translated walking is better from here and he says "walking is nice". We made our way a few kms up the road but eventually got stopped by an avalanche over the road near the town. We ventured back to a happy taxi driver who was enthusiastic to show us more spots on the way back down plus a nearby waterfall. Our near death adventure was one not to forget, the driver was a reflection of Georgian drivers and his car just made it even more hilarious.

    📌 Overall, Kazbegi was incredible, a very unique place in the world and very friendly people.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Tbilisi

    10.–14. apr. 2024, Georgien ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    📌 Arriving in a new country is always a little difficult, knowing how to get to the accommodation, having no internet, having no local currency. As we got off in Tbilisi at 2.30am, the esim was average so we had to get a local Sim and fend off the taxi drivers. It was a smooth ride to the accommodation as Georgia actually has a reliable rideshare app unlike Turkey.

    📌 We were staying in a trendy neighbourhood with some cool coffee shops, bars and a former Soviet industrial building converted to a hostel and courtyard of bars/restaurants. The city was also full of trendy restaurants, wine bars and shops. Some say Tbilisi is the Berlin of eastern Europe.

    📌 We started our intro to Georgia with a free walking tour, we were shown old Soviet buildings, old Tbilisi town which was not destroyed by the Soviets and learnt a great deal of history. It was evident that Georgians do not like Russia and they are very angry that Russia still occupies 20% of Georgian territory. It was also fascinating how Georgia has only been independent since 1991 and they had a revolution in 2003.

    📌 The food in Tbilisi was incredible, some of the well known Georgian food we have tried so far includes; Khinkali (dumplings), Khachapuri (cheese filled bread), Chkmeruli (garlic sauce chicken) plus many others. Of course, good food needs to be consumed with good wine, and Georgia has been found to have been making wine since 4000 BC using clay pots in the ground, potentially the first wine makers in the world. It tastes delicious and is super cheap, approx 3-4$ a glass.

    📌 A couple of other highlights included the cable car over the city, a converted market to a food hall of different bars and restaurants, an outdoor wine courtyard of bars and restaurants, and the old architecture and the monument celebrating Georgia over time. Another nice surprise was the national museum which showed the importance of this area in human evolution. The first humans potentially migrated to Europe from Africa through this area and thus many fossils have been evident here.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Ankara

    9.–11. apr. 2024, Tyrkiet ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    📌 Last stop in Turkey, the capital city. A short bus trip of a few hours was refreshing and a smooth check in to a neat hostel. We had one night booked here and we basically had 2 full days as the flight was booked for almost midnight on the 10th.

    📌 Ankara doesn't appear to have a whole lot of attractions, it appears similar to Canberra, a capital due to location more then anything. As a result there are less tourists and prices are cheap.

    📌 Day 1 involved me getting back on the Turkish doner kebabs which was a good choice. We were super full from those, so we decided a wine bar and a late dinner was ideal. Where we were staying was quite busy and had plenty of pubs, bars and restaurants. Italian for dinner in a small restaurant playing old school jazz and blues. The ravioli was delicious. We finished the night watching the MAFS finale with some chocolate.

    📌 Day 2 was an interesting start, it was the holiday for the end of Ramadan, hence the place was a ghost town. The city got busier as it was lunch time and the shops started to open. Lucky it was a day for not much, organizing some work and accomodations in the UK, visiting the tomb of Atarturk and having a slow coffee. We were able to hang out in the hostel and sort out a few things also which was handy. Off to Georgia next, which we were both keen for.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Cappadocia

    6.–9. apr. 2024, Tyrkiet ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    📌 Arriving at 11am in Cappadocia after the overnight bus, we checked into a hotel and went for a wander, obviously being a super popular tourist destination it was more expensive and touristy restaurants. Cappadocia is famous for a few particular dishes such as meat cooked in terracotta pots.

    📌 We enjoyed a unique dinner in a local Turkish restaurant where you could sit on the ground next to the fire. We enjoyed some dips and bread with hot wine and stuffed eggplant. Of course tea was consumed at the end.

    📌 The main highlight arrived on the morning of day 2, the air balloon ride. We got up at around 4.30am and arrived at the balloon field around 5.30. It was about 3 degrees so it was freezing but all the balloons were getting ready and it was exciting. We were waiting around for a bit and then we were told to wait 30 minutes, they weren't sure if flying was going to happen due to some temperature or wind issues (potentially not windy enough). We got the greenlight at about 6.30 and about 20 people got into our basket including a lovely Kenyan family.

    📌 We were up in the air for about 45 minutes with about 100 balloons, it was amazing! The journey was so smooth and we went up, down and around the rock valleys, it was such a clear day we could see the huge mountains in the background. It was a great time limit too, not too short or not too long. When we touched down the cars and crew speed to the area and run over to grab the basket, it's all quite chaotic but fun and in the end they prevented us from landing on our side. We finished with champagne type juice and a certificate.

    📌 We spent the rest of our days wandering around Cappadocia, quite a small place but gee we were glad we went up the first morning because the next two mornings were cancelled. It was nice to not do much but wander, we went through the canyons on walks which involved a dog following us inevitably. We went inside the rock dwellings and explored a few viewpoints. Overall Cappadocia was a very unique place and the balloon was incredible, a bucket list item.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Antalya

    4.–6. apr. 2024, Tyrkiet ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    📌 Our last coastal area, Antayla is a much larger city and driving through here was another fun experience, more crazy drivers losing their mind or almost crashing. One moment was essentially a one way road (thanks google maps) with cars and trucks coming the other way, and a truck tailgating us whilst flashing his lights because we weren't going fast enough. A good laugh now but a stressful time then 😂

    📌 We wandered around old town, which being right next to the ocean was charming. This was a very touristy location however, as there were many British pubs and clubs.

    📌 The main highlight of Antayla was on day two where we explored a nearby very well preserved city of Aspendos. This stadium was huge and there was hardly anybody there, I can't imagine what it would have been like in its prime. We then went on to visit some waterfalls, one with beautiful blue water and another that ran directly into the ocean.

    📌 We dropped the car off in preparation for the bus to Cappadocia and then realised we hadn't actually booked the bus for the next day. We assumed this would be fine as most of the buses so far were half empty, well we were wrong and the buses were all booked as it was the weekend. We managed to find an overnight bus which meant we left at midnight instead of 8am the next day, when we eventually got on the bus after poor communication and it arriving at 1am, we were quite ready to sleep. So, in the end this turned out to be a good decision as sleeping part of the 9 hour journey made it go a lot quicker.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Kas

    3.–4. apr. 2024, Tyrkiet ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    📌 We continued our coastal roadtrip onto Kas, this was an interesting drive through the windy roads and it really showed the questionable driving of the Turkish. They don't really use lanes very well and happily tailgate you, possibly the worst/ most aggressive driving I've seen outside of Asia.

    📌 Our first impressions of Kas were it was a smaller more wealthy town on a very steep hill. The houses and hotels were well kept, the port was lovely and the water was crystal blue.

    📌 We had a great accommodation with a great view, which was a nice change from some previous ones. We wandered up and down the steep hills and decided to get a few drinks from the local bottleo. It was a lovely view over the water watching the sunset, we even saw a sea turtle swimming around.

    📌 We had some Italian for dinner at a place making fresh pasta, it appears Italian is our go-to when we don't feel like Turkish meat and salad, which is getting a little tiring. We met a dog at the restaurant who Chloe named Mila 2, and she loved the pats. She started following us home when we left and we had to walk away fast so she would loose us, it was heartbreaking. The next thing would happen the next day with a German Shepherd, the street dogs really crave love 😔    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Fethiye: Coastal Roadtrip

    1.–3. apr. 2024, Tyrkiet ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    📌 Time for some relaxation and not a whole lot of activities planned, the next few days were a couple of stops through various coastal towns of the Mediterranean.

    📌 Fethiye was quite large and we were staying a little bit out. It was a port town with a decent district of food and drinks but by this point Turkish food was not as appealing, we weren't feeling the meat and salad dishes as much, maybe the food poisoning didn't help that ☺️

    📌 We ofcourse found a happy hour, a beer for a few dollars and then decided on some vege burgers. We were both pretty cooked after a bad night sleep.

    📌 The next morning involved a 5km or so hike along the coastal Lycian way, one of the most scenic long walks in the world (500km) that follows an ancient group of people in this area. This walk was hot but it was well worth the views over the crystal blue waters and islands.

    📌 We then headed along the coast to the blue lagoon and beaches of Oludeniz, voted the best beach in the world in 2006 and often Turkey's best. This area was lovely but also made us realise how good Australian beaches are, the shops in abundance along the water for tourists (even a Starbucks on the sand) and the darts everywhere took away from the charm of a beautiful place. Big fan of beaches that are just beaches with a dirt path!

    📌 We finished the stay here with a great dinner as a restaurant that was dead quiet but we are glad we went in (after hesitation) as the food was great and even the chef came out to chat to us. The main worker even started showing us photos of all the places in Turkey he'd been, he loved a chat ☺️    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Pamukkale

    31. mar.–1. apr. 2024, Tyrkiet ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    📌 A short stay in Pammukale, we road tripped 2.5 hours in order to go in city the natural wonder known as the travertines or cotton castle. The town was small and the hotel we were staying at was a very quiet (offseason strikes again) family run hotel.

    📌 We went for a wander and we were glad we were only staying one night as there wasn't a whole lot of appeal to the town. We had a doner kebab for lunch and headed back to the hotel, was this the beginning of Stevens downfall.

    📌 A few hours later fevers were coming on and body aches, I had no appetite and we just sat around the hotel restaurant whilst Chloe ate and I had some pieces of bread. It was a great night, a few vomits and minimal sleep had Chloe super happy.The morning was better but the thought of a kebab still feels gross at the time of writing this (7 days later), not sure if I'll have another in Turkey. It probably wasn't even the kebab but who knows.

    📌 We visited the pools and the ancient ruins of Hierapolis. Both were incredible to see! The pools were beautifully blue and white and we were there early enough to avoid large tour groups. It was a shame though that they are not as beautiful as they once were, hotels have been diverting water the past 10 years, meaning less in the pools. The ancient Roman City was impressive, there was barely anyone there and it was in great condition (so much better then the Coliseum), it was incredible to walk through history with so much freedom.    Læs mere

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterRejsende

    Selcuk

    29.–31. mar. 2024, Tyrkiet ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    📌 Getting to Selcuk was a little bit of a journey, a short walk to Chios bus station ➡️ A bus to Izmir Airport ➡️ pickup a rental car ➡️ drive to Selcuk. All in all, it was pretty smooth and easy despite not knowing the bus timetables.

    📌 We arrived in Selcuk around lunchtime and tucked into some local food, some shish kebabs. We wandered around and found Selcuk to be a small town, some nice green parks.

    📌 We were keen to see the ancient Roman sites. We booked a day trip visiting the house of Mary apparently, a place where she come after Jesus death. This was basically a small church which was underwhelming. We then moved onto the city of Ephesus which was the main attraction. Ephesus was excellent to see, it's very well preserved given its around 3000 years old and they are still finding things under the earth around the area, it would have been a huge Roman City. Seeing the toilets and the library were the highlight. We then were given PTSD from India where they took us to a carpet salesman but disguised it as them wanting to show the craft of women and we had only been just next door at lunch. The carpets were quite nice but we soon ran out of there, not wanting to drop a few grand on a whim.

    📌 We finished the tour off at the temple of Artemis which is just a small pillar, what is left of an ancient wonder of the world. There was also a short visit to an old greek town in the hills which turned out to be overrun with tourists shops and fake looking wineries. Overall Ephesus was the highlight and worth it.

    📌 We capped off Selcuk with a visit to the coastal town/port nearby known as kusadasi, this was pretty touristy as cruise ships stop here. We finished the trip/evening with ofcourse a baklava shop and a Kunefe (a baked cheese pastry type desert). The family owning the shop were super friendly.    Læs mere

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