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Living In the UK Part 1
  • Steven Coe

Living In the UK Part 1

The first 10 months or so of living in the UK, working in various places and regularly exploring the EU and surrounds. Read more
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  • Trip start
    June 15, 2024
    Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler
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    West Yorkshire; Hebden Bridge

    June 15, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

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

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

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

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

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

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    Leeds: A day trip and testing

    June 18, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

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

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

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

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

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Weekend in Manchester

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Birthday Week

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

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

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

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

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

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    Florence

    July 13, 2024 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

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

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

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

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

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    Bologna

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

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

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

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

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    Milan & Lake Como

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

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

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

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

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

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    Moy Vets Blackpool

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

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

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

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

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

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    11

    Lakes. District Pt 1

    July 26, 2024 in England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

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

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

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

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

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    Lakes District Pt 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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    Chloe's Trip To West Ireland

    Aug 15–21, 2024 in Ireland ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

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

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

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

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

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    York

    Aug 24–26, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

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

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

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

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

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    Cologne; The start of a new trip

    Sep 8–11, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

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

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

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

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

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    Dusseldorf

    Sep 11–12, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

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

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

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    Rhine and Mosel River

    Sep 12–14, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

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

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

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

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    France: Alsace Region part 1

    Sep 14–15, 2024 in France ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

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

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

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    France: Alsace region part 2

    Sep 15–16, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C

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

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

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

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    Switzerland: Interlaken Region

    Sep 16–19, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌫 1 °C

    📌 We started the day with another pastry and baguette to go before leaving France, we shopped on the French side to avoid spending Swiss CHF . We drove into Switzerland with no border checks and headed for the Airbnb, it was a great apartment however we soon realised it had no wifi, I was at fault as I had booked it 🤫😄

    📌 The next morning we got up early and headed for Lauterbrunnen valley, a famous destination. We arrived semi early but the place was already super packed, something we usually avoid and had been avoiding in recent travels. It was lovely to walk through the valley though, and the crowd soon thinned out. We made our way past many waterfalls, up and under one and then into some waterfalls inside caves. The sound of the cows grazing with their bells swinging was a nice background noise amongst the lovely surrounds.

    📌 Day 2 we decided to head for Grindelwald, another famous area. We decided to hike and summit the Faulhorn at 2681m. Uncommon to us, most hikes start with a scenic cable car to a base where the hikes or activities start. We headed up to the Faulhorn which was about 5km and we were rewarded with awesome 360 views of the Alps, the weather really turned it on. The summit was the location of a hotel now mountain hut from the 1800s, hence we enjoyed our chips with a beer looking out over the Alps. This hike was phenomenal, one of the best views we have seen. We had a brief look around Grindelwald and Interlaken but nothing too special to note about these towns compared to the surrounding views from above.    Read more

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    Switzerland: Valais Region

    Sep 19–21, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    📌 We departed our Airbnb early as we wanted to beat the crowds to the popular oeschinensee lake walk. We arrived and found the lake still pretty quiet with some keen hikers also there. The walk was tough, it was only approximately a 7km loop but it was steep and through patches of snow or crossing waterfalls, so it was quite technical and easily quite dangerous. Despite this, it was an amazing walk, the steep cliffs and beautiful blue lake was awesome, even though recent snow had made it harder, it added an extra layer of beauty on the landscape.

    📌 We finished the walk feeling quite satisfied and interested in the drive ahead, in order to get to the Airbnb we were getting the car on a car train. We drove on the train, you sit in the car and then the train essentially drives straight through a mountain range for about 15 minutes in pitch black. It was fascinating that we were travelling under huge mountains and we popped out the other side saving us hours of driving.

    📌 The main reason for visiting the valais area was to do the aletsch glacier hike. We started early again and had another day of great weather. The glacier was insane, it is about 20km long and 1km deep. We walked alongside it for about 5km whilst being able to see many 4000+m peaks. Given the weather was good we decided to detour to the top of one of the smaller mountains, the eggishorn at 2927m. It was a tough steep and slow climb with very rewarding views of the glacier and surrounds. We had to hurry down in order to make the last cable car but it was very well worth it, we finished the day doing about 20km hiking, so we're quite exhausted.    Read more

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    Switzerland & Liechtenstein: East Region

    Sep 21–23, 2024 in Liechtenstein ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    📌 We started the day heading to Zermatt, a car free town that builds it's own electric cars and sustains itself, however it is most famous for the Matterhorn or the Toblerone mountain. The clouds were surrounding the Matterhorn so we decided to wander the town, have a coffee and relax instead of hiking. We also tuned in to the Brisbane vs Geelong prelim which was an insane finish!

    📌 We were heading more east so we had to travel over a few alpine passes, the furka pass was one of these, one of the most picturesque passes in the world that has featured in a few movies including James Bond. The pass was beautiful and also anxiety inducing for Chloe as the roads were quite narrow and with very steep edges with little barriers.

    📌 The next day we headed to Pizol, a local mountain of the area that had some cool hiking, we headed up on the ski lifts but found out the whole trail was closed. We were still able to hike to the highest point to see a few of the lakes, it was quite a snowy path but it meant the views and the lakes were very beautiful. It was a tough descent down, sometimes we chose to slide rather then walk as it was easier ☺️

    📌 Since we had half a day, we decided to head to Liechtenstein, a small monarchical country between Germany, Switzerland and Austria that was about 15 minutes from our accommodation. It was bizarre to enter such a small country where the king still lives in the royal Castle on the hill. We got a souvenir, wandered around the quietest capital city ever and had an ice cream. Overall an interesting little detour.    Read more

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    Switzerland: Engadine Region

    Sep 23–25, 2024 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 4 °C

    📌 The last area of Switzerland to visit was the south east, quite close to the Italian border so there was a lot of Italian influence. We stayed in an Airbnb that was a homestay for the last 3 generations. They had the wood heater warming the place, creating a very cosy accommodation.

    📌 The weather was not great but we headed out to explore St Moritz where we tried the local nut tart, wandered around the blue lake and then headed for a short walk around the alpine lakes of the area.

    📌 Our final full day involved an earlish get up to go and walk to the mountain hut where we would be staying overnight. Boval hut was located next to and overlooking the Morteratsch glacier and the Diavolezza. The walk up was short, about 5km, and we arrived around midday for lunch and then some beers and plum pie. We enjoyed the afternoon looking over the glacier, eventually retreating inside as temperatures dropped and it snowed. The sun came out for sunset and we enjoyed some more beer and a hut cooked dinner which was interesting, cheesy risotto, cheesy pork and some beans. Sleep was cold and chilly but the bedding was quite warm, the morning was perfect, super clear and calm, it was lovely to watch the sun come up over the mountains.

    📌 A big day ahead, we hurried down to the car, headed for the German border and had a few castles to see before heading to Munich. We managed to see all the sites, some beautiful castles and the incredible linderhof palace before getting to Munich around dinner time.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Munich

    Sep 25–30, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    📌 After a long drive and day sightseeing we made it to Munich to be welcomed by Wolfger, our new host for the next 5 days. As we learned throughout the stay, Wolfger was about 70, lived in Germany as a art and culture lecturer/academic. He showed us all these books he'd written including one on the 1500 sausages of Germany. He gave us breaky every morning (often including sausages) and he even lent me his jacket for Octoberfest.

    📌 As usual we started with a walking tour, which was quite interesting, Munich was super busy for the Octoberfest which started due to a wedding celebration in 1810. We then met up with Anthony Dario and Monique for a drink in the festival which was a great catch up but also a nice intro into the festival before going the next day.

    📌 Friday was the day for the event, we rented some traditional lederhosen and dirndle clothing, Wolfger gave me a jacket and we were off at about 12. We hung out with some Norwegians for the first few hours of the day and as a few more drinks were drunk conversations with randoms became more flowing including some Texans, Israelis and Italians. We ended up visiting a few more tents and eventually settled in the hofbrau tent which is known for mostly internationals. At times it was hard to get a place but we eventually found a table and stayed there for hours, hanging out mostly with Australians and Germans in the end. It was a very rowdy night of broken shoes, singing and a lot of talking rubbish.

    📌 The next day was a a tough get up at 5am, it was Brisbane vs Sydney and we were watching at Ned Kelly's Bar. A few tactical vomits and we watched at a very packed pub as the lions got over the line!! Unfortunately no celebratory beers were had 🤮☺️ We went and found some coffee and then some Vietnamese pho to help the hangovers. The rest of the day was napping and not doing much was perfect, finishing the day with Mexican was delish. We then finished the trip with some exploring of the churches, a few palace gardens and one last traditional Bavarian meal. Munich will definitely be a highlight of our travels and Octoberfest was definitely a bucket list item worth doing.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Berlin

    Sep 30–Oct 4, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    📌 Our last stop in Germany, Berlin! We were visiting to go to a gig and also to chill as we didn't really have many plans. We were staying a little out of the city in a cosy quite nice Airbnb that unfortunately had a few too many daddy long legs in it, luckily after clearing them out Chloe didn't see any more.

    📌 We went on a walking tour around Berlin in some very cold weather but it was quite good and informative for a place of such historical significance. We visited the east side gallery of the Berlin Wall and also the museum of the 3rd Reich/nazi regime which was a further insight into history that we hadn't picked up so far in this year's travels. The berlin wall was quite mesmerising, to be present around such a significant structure in history that didn't really fall that long ago. We were finally able to grasp it's meaning after not really knowing much about it before visiting.

    📌 We were kind of over German food so Berlin was all about eating good food in cool restaurants. We had a burger from an old toliet under a bridge, we went and had Indian ofcourse, a cool pizza place, some dumplings which reminded us of home and a delicious ramen bar. We wandered around an old abandoned airport that was once the largest in Europe and we mostly just relaxed. The highlight of Berlin was the purple disco machine gig, it was in an old American army hall and the atmosphere was great. It was a very groovy enthusiastic gig with lots of lights and dancing 🕺😍.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Prague & Český Krumlov

    Oct 4–9, 2024 in Czech Republic ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    📌 The last stop of the trip, Czech republic. We caught the train and were keen to explore beautiful Prague. It was nice to have a new cuisine on offer so we went for a renowned Czech dumplings restaurant up front and it was great! Mushroom stuffed potato dumplings and then sweet coconut and plum dumplings for dessert!

    📌 We relaxed in Prague, had breaky out a few times and enjoyed the great coffee and cafe scene! We found a few wine bars (+ had cheese) and got stuck into the beers also as the alcohol was so cheap. The square, the streets, the bridge have been mostly unscathed through history so the old town is fabulous to walk through. We enjoyed some stops at the bakeries which serve Profiterole like Czech desserts which were delicious. The food highlight of the trip was probably eating at a traditional Czech restaurant a little out of town which served dark beer honey gravy beef cheeks and duck! It was delicious 🤤

    📌 Part of the trip included a night in Cesky Krumlov, about 2 hours away, a beautiful small mediaeval UNESCO town built around a river and castle. We had a great accommodation, we enjoyed a wander around the pretty quiet streets which was lovely and Chloe probably had the best cake of her life, a Bischoff layered cake!

    📌 On our last day we went back to a burger place I loved from 2017 and it was still just as good! We enjoyed some delicious Vietnamese and we managed to fit in one more sweet Czech treat with tea. It was definitely worth adding a few days to see a bit of Czech, we would both go back for sure!    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving In the UK Part 1Traveler

    Blackburn

    Oct 9–31, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    📌 Job number 3 was in Bamber bridge, which meant we were staying in nearby Blackburn, a little bit closer to Manchester, where we had an Airbnb. The train rides proved a fun lottery as sometimes they'd randomly be cancelled and you'd have to wait an hour to travel 10 minutes. Overall, the job was pretty relaxed and the team were easy to work with.

    📌 The Airbnb was okay, it was a nice view from the top floor, decent space and very central which was handy. Blackburn is quite a historical town but evidently it has been neglected over the years. The area has a large population of Pakistanis, hence we had to go to a local Pakistani restaurant, it was delish and of course Chloe ordered spicy, rather then medium, which is always fun to watch 🥵☺️

    📌 We were keen to get amongst the locals, so we headed to the local football, Blackburn vs Swansea, playing in the UKs 2nd division. It was a pretty uneventful game but a good atmosphere, cheap tickets and a day with nice weather for once. We then backed this up a day later and went into Manchester to watch Manchester City vs Aston Villa Womens where some of the Matilda's players were playing!

    📌 True to form we also found a few music gigs to attend whilst back in the UK, Jack Botts in Manchester was a great gig basically in a room full of Aussies. On another weekend we headed to Leeds for the final tour of Sum 41 which was elite!    Read more

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