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Brisbane to Manchester
  • Steven Coe

Brisbane to Manchester

The journey to Manchester via Asia and Eastern Europe Leggi altro
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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Telavi: Khaketi Wine Region

    16–18 apr 2024, Georgia ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Tbilisi: stop over

    18–19 apr 2024, Georgia ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Yerevan

    19–21 apr 2024, Armenia ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Goris/Tatev Roadtrip

    21–22 apr 2024, Armenia ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Yerevan: round 2

    22–25 apr 2024, Armenia ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Istanbul: Stop Over

    25–27 apr 2024, Turchia ⋅ ☁️ 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!    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Plovdiv

    27–30 apr 2024, Bulgaria ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Sozopol

    30 apr–2 mag 2024, Bulgaria ⋅ 🌬 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Sofia

    2–5 mag 2024, Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Rila Lakes & Rila Monastery

    5 maggio 2024, Bulgaria ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

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

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

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

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

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Sofia

    6 maggio 2024, Bulgaria ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

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

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

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

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

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Bucharest

    7–10 mag 2024, Romania ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

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

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

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

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore
    1

    Brasov

    10–14 mag 2024, Romania ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

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

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

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

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

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

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Sighisoara

    14–15 mag 2024, Romania ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

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

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

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

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore
    1

    Sibiu

    16–19 mag 2024, Romania ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

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

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

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

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

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Budapest

    19–24 mag 2024, Ungheria ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore
    1

    Eger: A wine trip

    24–26 mag 2024, Ungheria ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Kosice

    26–28 mag 2024, Slovacchia ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    The Slovakian Tatras

    28 maggio 2024, Slovacchia ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Zakopane: The Polish Tatras

    30 mag–1 giu 2024, Polonia ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Krakow

    1–4 giu 2024, Polonia ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Wrocław

    4–7 giu 2024, Polonia ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Warsaw

    7–10 giu 2024, Polonia ⋅ ☀️ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Gdansk

    10–14 giu 2024, Polonia ⋅ ☁️ 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.    Leggi altro

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  • Steven CoeBrisbane to ManchesterViaggiatore

    Manchester: The end but the start

    14 giugno 2024, Inghilterra ⋅ ⛅ 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.    Leggi altro

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    Fine del viaggio
    15 giugno 2024