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Living in the UK Part 2
  • Steven Coe
  • Steven Coe

Living in the UK Part 2

The second volume of our adventures around the UK and the world as we work, live and travel the 10 months before our flight home. Read more
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  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Rifugio Lagazoui 2752m

    Jul 14–15, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    📌 Day 3, the hardest hike planned, 400m ascent over a pass around 2400, descending another 600m and then reascending to around 2700m. The overall hike took approximately 5 hours with a total ascent of 1100m. It was hard!! The hardest hike we have done but it was amazing at the same time.

    📌 The scenery continued to become more dramatic as we ascended up to the highest pass, everyone was going along well and we eventually made it to a very narrow break in the ridgeline where the pass went over. After some lunch, we began the switchback descent onto the other side of the pass, we were welcomed with a beautiful view of a lake and in the distance was the Rifugio, it didn't look that far. We were wrong. The descent was fun but we could start to see some clouds rolling in so we needed to be quick. The group separated a little as the ascent kicked in, it was rough, one because you could see the destination the whole time and the other because of the sheer steepness! After some tough climbing and only a little patch of light rain we made it!

    📌 The views were astonishing over the mountain into the next valley, there were old war tunnels everywhere from the Italian/Austrian war, it was a well earned finish to the hike but it posed a question for the others, how was the taxi supposed to get up here!? They hadn't realised but the taxi was coming to the bottom of the cable car 😂 Hence, the others departed early to avoid a 90 minute hike down the mountain at 3.30am which was sad as it was an abrupt end to a great few days hiking and catching up. Part of us wanted to go and join them in a comfortable bed back in Cortina also ☺️ However, we were glad we didn't, that evening the clouds cleared, the view was amazing, me and Chloe got chatting to another couple which one was Aussie and we enjoyed some drinks and cards! It was actually perfect up there and a real highlight ❤️    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Rifugio Cinque Torri 5

    Jul 15–16, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    📌 Today was another difficult day, perhaps it wasn't the hike as much but the fatigue was playing a role, particularly as the map wasn't as clear today and the day was warming up making things extra challenging. There was definitely some mental battles going on but eventually we made it to the final hut area. This area had several huts around so it was quite busy, but we were exhausted, Chloe was semi injured and we were hungryyy! We dined out on the deck of the busy Rifugio and enjoyed beautiful views and a well earned drink.

    📌 Once we'd had enough of the busyness, we did a short loop around the cinque torri (the 5 columns) and headed to our quieter Rifugio down the hill. This was our favourite hut so far, it was quiet, super comfortable and we had a private room overlooking the mountains! All the challenges of the day had been worth it, we played some cards, enjoyed some afternoon drinks with delicious home made cake. As per previous nights we then enjoyed a 3 course meal with delicious pasta and even steak. It was a great finish to the hike and just the right amount of time, any more days would have been a slog and also Chloe's toe nail would have probably fallen off ☺️    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Turin

    Jul 17–19, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    📌 Our last few days in Italy, we decided on Turin because we wanted to taste h few days included a delicious apertivo (very important in Piedmont culture) at a brewery that meant we didn't need dinner and resulted in us sitting there for hours drinking and making some influenced but decisive decisions about end of the year travels ☺️ We also enjoyed delicious regional panini with fresh cured meats, sauces and bread all locally sourced. We still had to try the local pasta, agnolotti, we found a great restaurant that was sticking strictly to regional food (no Aperol or Tiramisu 😮) and we had some delicious dishes! Finally our last food on the agenda was the pizza, but a regional version, pizza al padellino. Essentially unlike a Napoli pizza, it was thick and baked in a deep dish pan. It was delicious and a perfect lunch to end our stay in Turin.Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    London and Surrounds

    Jul 20–Aug 13, 2025 in England ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    📌 We returned from Italy and had to part ways as Chloe was heading to Bristol and I was working around London. My first week was a fill in the gaps week at a Medivet in Sidcup (East London), I was staying with a nice but awkward F1 software engineer, so it basically felt like I had the house as he was never around. The work was easy and it was a nice transition back into the next period of work. One standout experience was heading to the local gym, this area was kind of rough, and the gym was unique, I can imagine a gym in the 80s would have looked like this. It felt like a set from Rocky with the boxing ring and the atmosphere, everyone was lovely however and it had very local and family vibes.

    📌 Chloe was back in ICU in Bristol and this would likely be her last stint of work in the UK, carrying her through to October. Her accommodation was pretty chill but she was annoyed by her non-human housemates which included many little spiders coming through the cat flap and also the cat itself who was very needy ☺️

    📌 I filled the rest of the couple of weeks in the south at a clinic near windsor. I lived upstairs, went to the gym and had a pretty chilled few weeks. One weekend Chloe had off, we headed into London on a mini pub crawl. We started with a visit to Windsor, the castle and surrounds for a coffee. We then headed into more central London where we visited Richmond for a light lunch, a couple of pints and a bit of a wander. We ended the night on London with dumplings around convent garden which were delicious before heading to stand up from Nazeem in Soho. The pub crawl finished with a few pints of Guinness at a great pub around Soho.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Paris

    Aug 13–17, 2025 in France ⋅ ☁️ 34 °C

    📌 A short getaway to Paris because why not? We caught the Eurostar over and kicked off the long weekend with a french brasserie meal and a few pre drinks before ACDC at Stade De France. It was a big concert with a big crowd, there was rain, there was very loud rock and roll, there was a guitar solo that was way too long and there were fears the musicians might die on the stage 🤣 Overall a fun time and worth seeing in a cool atmosphere.

    📌 Given we had both been to Paris, there were no expectations other then to enjoy food, drink wine and wander around. It is such a huge city we would always find something interesting, ofcourse we also visited the main landmarks. One afternoon thanks to Intrepid, we had a free private tour with a local around Montmartre talking about politics, art and history.

    📌 A couple of food highlights included a delicious west African meal (horrible service), a incredible burger, a cheap banh mi lunch enjoyed in a hidden old Roman Ampitheatre park and ofcourse a few eclairs and croissants 🥐🥐 The drinks were just as good, a few breweries, some tasty wine bars and hanging out in the warm summer nights.

    📌 On our final day we headed to Versailles, to admire the massive palace and it's gardens. Although we have seen many, it is definitely one of the most incredible examples of luxury and detail. It was nice to get out of the city and wander around for a few hours..    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Preston and Bristol

    Aug 17–30, 2025 in England ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    📌 Two weeks back at Bamber bridge for some jam packed 6 day work weeks whilst Chloe was in Bristol. The accommodation was an interesting one, the host obviously rented out his room too, hence he would sometimes be sleeping on the couch. It was comfy but a standard UK dingy apartment. Thankfully Chloe wasn't there as it was pretty messy and grimey. I did manage to escape the Airbnb one night, heading to drinks with Tahsin at a nearby local, a bit of a interesting crowd for sure but some good beers and nice to socialise for once.

    📌 The August long weekend meant a good opportunity to visit Chloe in Bristol. A eventful journey down from Preston thanks to a train strike but I eventually made it. We had a lovely Sunday of day drinking in multiple pubs, a roast and even some drinks with Chloe's temporary housemates. Bristol is a nice spot and always feels lively.

    📌 As usual Bamber bridge was chaotic work but also enjoyable. I finished off the fortnight with a cruisy Saturday shift down at Southport vets4pets, a seaside town that seemed a little hit and miss.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Retford

    Aug 30–Oct 15, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    📌 A long journey to Retford from Southport after a shift was a little exhausting but check in above the clinic was seamless. A little run down, but spacious and private, so for free accommodation, it did the job! Sunday before work was a lovely day, the sun was out and Retford had some nice charm to it, the centre square and old Georgian buildings were beautiful. It seemed like not a bad place to spend a few weeks working.

    📌 Portland house Vets was a pretty good place to work, the team was young so it was fun to work with everyone, and the work was reasonably chill. I did my first ever ceaserean which was exciting also 👌 I also got the opportunity to work with some of the nearby zoo animals including a lemur, a mongoose and a snake. A couple of the weeks I had a student house mate, Charles, this was good fun and even included a visit to the sketchy local fair which seemed to have little safety standards. It was fair to say that too much spinning was involved! Overall probably the best clinic I worked for within the last 18 months.

    📌 One weekend when Chloe was here we had a little pub crawl around Retford drinking cheap pints 8(8 AUD). The Saturday we went and visited the nearby town of Lincoln, it had a beautiful old gothic church and castle, surrounded by a quaint street. We spent the day enjoying the town which meant a pub crawl, looking at some nice buildings and even some tea and scones to break up the pints ☺️    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Cambridge

    Sep 5–7, 2025 in England ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    📌 Weekend meet-up/away in Cambridge, we met late Friday night for a pint and a meal at the local pub before retreating to the hostel after a long week, Chloe coming off 4 nights was rough!!

    📌 We spent a sunny day wandering around Cambridge, admiring the old buildings, the college's, the canals and enjoying some tasty food and coffee. One highlight was the random coffee joint where the guy was run off his feet which was ironic as the place was this hip coffee bar (without a sign) which was supposed to be slow and chill. The coffee was actually delicious so the wait was semi worth it. We also enjoyed a historic Chelsea bun/scroll, and ofcourse some pints at various independent pubs.

    📌 The highlight of the weekend was dinner at a Beduoin tent, a little flashback to Jordan and Egypt. We were treated with Tajine, feta, olives, pomegranate and chilli marinated eggplant. It was a delicious meal and a nice way to end the day exploring the historical town.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Iceland Day 1 & 2

    Sep 11–13, 2025 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    📌 We arrived nice and early in Iceland and picked up the little I10 that would drive us around a ring of an island. We were keen to see some dramatic landscapes and the east side of the island had many on offer. We had a quick shop at the supermarket as spending money on food would be unnecessarily expensive and likely unfeasible given the remote accommodations.

    📌 We started with a few waterfalls, a beginning of many. It was reasonable with crowds and the weather was holding, they were large and beautiful against the greens and browns of the gloomy landscape. One of these falls you could walk all the way behind and get a massive spray. We stopped for lunch at a great little roadside cafe making some delicious breads and soups. Chloe went for the hearty Icelandic transitional meat soup. The last stop of the day was the black beach that's notoriously dangerous. It was nothing overly special and a bit of a waste of a high car park fee. We ended the day at a cute farm guesthouse with a couple of collies and a distant view of glaciers.

    📌 Day 2 started with a delicious coffee at a cool US school bus cafe (converted from an old air base) before heading off to see some more glaciers. We had seen one on day 1 but today's were even better as the walk along the glacial lake was quiet, there was broken ice floating everywhere and then it led out to the black beach full of glacial ice. We even saw a seal enjoying the tides. Another little stop along the way was the unique martian like lava field landscape, stretching for miles one way whilst the tops of glaciers were in the other direction. We ended the day with a chat with some Germans over some soup at another great farm guesthouse.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Iceland Day 3

    Sep 13–14, 2025 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    📌 We started day 3 with a beautiful morning and not a whole lot of driving stops to do so it was nice to not feel the need to rush them. The first stop was the popular stokksnes beach, where the morning light, the black sand, and the gloomy clouds around the mountain created a gorgeous scene. We had a quick look at the nearby viking village that was a film set and then continued our journey towards another waterfall.

    📌 On the drive we found a small organic farm cafe serving their own produce daily for lunch, we had a hearty vege and celery soup to set us up for our next stop, Hegnifoss waterfall. This was a beautiful waterfall, it appeared out of nowhere in the side of the valley, it was a lovely walk up to it, with a smaller sister waterfall cascading between long hexagonal rock and a long stream coming from the main fall. On the walk down enjoyed some tasty afternoon ice cream made from local sheep's milk which was deliciously creamy. That evening we had an adventurous drive out of the valley on some sketchy Highland roads (we took the dirt route by accident) before we headed into the valley where we were staying.

    📌 Seydisfjordur was a small town on a fjord surrounded by cascading waterfalls off the sides of the valley. The town was small and quaint with colourful buildings and a nice restaurant serving us some local beers. Our accommodation was an old historic hospital which was lovely and cosy. We had to laugh as the loud obnoxious group of Greeks cooking in the kitchen and occupying nearly the very large room the whole time 🙄    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Iceland Day 4 & 5

    Sep 14–15, 2025 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    📌 We left early as today was a decent drive, we were finished on the east coast and heading to the North. It was beautiful as we left the fjord valley and we were soon in central Iceland, a very dry and baron landscape with crazyyy winds. We stopped at a small shack overlooking the vast land where we got some deep fried twisted doughnuts, delicious! 😋

    📌 The main mission was to see several waterfalls very close to each other and a canyon. This meant driving 30km on bumpy dirt road, luckily it had been recently grated and the I10 handled the bumps well. The reward was well worth it as this side had less people and everything was super close. The falls were huge, the most powerful in Europe! Shortly up stream was a cascading large waterfall whilst the other way was a beautiful canyon. It may have been my favourite landscape of the trip. We headed back along the long dirt road where we welcomed the asphalt once again, this time heading towards an area high in sulfur pools. This felt like another planet, and the smell was horrendous 🤣 it was also quite fascinating to see the geothermal energy stations nearby.
    We finished the day with some hot chips, a delicious caramel apple pie and a beer on the marina of husavik, a fishing village of the north known for Wales.

    📌 The next day didn't involve much driving, we headed for a small but beautiful waterfall close to the accommodation before heading to the capital of the north, Akureyri. Ofcourse we tucked into some coffee and pastries, wandered around the Botanical gardens and then enjoyed some drinks at the local bar. We had plenty of time to spare and the peninsula an hour north had a brewery, we grabbed a quick lunch and off we went on another great drive! It was off the beaten track, the roads were quiet, gravel, the Cliffs close but the views amazing. The town was small, the brewery was great and it was a great relaxed afternoon.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Iceland Day 6 & 7

    Sep 16–18, 2025 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    📌 It was time for the west coast, we set off early as we had multiple stops along a peninsula towards the capital. First stop, coffee! A very good coffee was enjoyed at a shop run by a suspected Columbian given the decorations in the place. We then enjoyed driving a loop of the Sneafelness peninsula admiring the dramatic cliffs alongside the ocean, the beautiful views and even a very tasty lunch entailing fish and chips + a quesadilla, it really hit the spot. Another few stops that were great were the black church with a beautiful backdrop, and the small town with heaps of street art. We ended the day a little bit out of the capital where we stayed in a gorgeous hut with sea and mountain views, the sun came out and we even enjoyed a walk on the nearby beach (finding a red lion jellyfish!)

    📌 On our last full day we did the golden circle, a popular loop near Reykjavik and you could definitely tell, the crowds were much larger. We started with a visit to the plate boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. We then visited a couple of different waterfalls (had seen too many by now 😂) and then headed to the capital for a few drinks and our last night's accommodation in the pod hotel. The main church was definitely a landmark worth having a quick look at due to its unique and imposing design. Reykjavik definitely was a cool captial, the weather was out and the brewery we found was excellent, it was worth checking out for 1 night before our flight the next day.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Crete

    Oct 12–16, 2025 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    📌 Our last Europe trip! We flew into Chania and were keen to get amongst the renowned Crete food scene. We had a car which was convenient but also difficult due to the driving and parking which was possibly the worst we have seen in any country. Chania was a beautiful old town with bustling vibrant streets and restaurants, even late at night, one of the best things about this part of Europe.

    📌 We visited a few beaches on a road trip around the west of the island, it was narrow driving through valleys and inclines which gave Chloe a few heart attacks ☺️ One of the best meals was this day, at a small road side tavern with a peaceful garden and such friendly service, it felt very authentic and the value was insanely good!

    📌 We took our time driving between Heraklion and Chania, stopping at Rethimno, another beautiful town with small streets and colour. No matter the stop, the food was brilliant, the dips and the bread were always a must and it always finished with a shot of raki! The taverns were the highlight of the food trip, they felt very local.

    📌 Our last full day we spent around Heraklion, visiting the archeological site of the Minoans (super old mysterious civilisation), visiting a small town where we found a local shop serving delicious gyros and finally finishing the day at a nearby winery trying some unique wines from indigenous Crete vines. Chloe was quite content once we got rid of the car at the end of this day 😂    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Santorini

    Oct 16–18, 2025 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    📌 A short ferry trip over to Santorini was smooth and we arrive on the island early, keen to relax. The accommodation was lovely and the island was busy but not crazy! We enjoyed a nice brunch and coffee, (the Greeks continue to provide great coffee) before a short wander around Fira enjoying the views. The weather was warm and sunny, a great reminder to get away from the UK.

    📌 Each night we made a effort to have a nice view of the sunset and surrounding cliffs. The first night was the best, we sat at a small cocktail bar, it was beautiful watching the cliffs light up and the sky fade away into darkness. We had our best dinner afterwards, a small Mezze restaurant a 20 min walk out of the town. It was like we were in someone's home, an old school couple cooking delicious no frills fresh food for great prices. Our second night we had a reservation for dinner, the view was possibly better, but the menu markup on food (as expected) took away from it, particularly after such an authentic experience the night before! We finished the night with some delicious loukamades doughnuts 🤤

    📌 The biggest day we had was the reasonably strenuous walk from Fira to Oia. It was beautiful walking through the other towns and past the churches. The harshness of the island was evident however, so dry and I can't imagine the heat during the summer. We enjoyed a nice reward in Oia with a beer overlooking the water and then a top notch gyros for lunch! A very worthy visit to a beautiful island    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Athens

    Oct 18–21, 2025 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    📌 A few relaxed days in the capital, we were staying in a quirky Airbnb with a Greek woman who seemed to be quite the the collector or random things. The area was trendy and had many good restaurants, cafes and bars.

    📌 We continued our gastronomical adventure eating more cheese, pastries and ofcourse gyros. We decided to mix it up and go a little left field and have some Louisiana food as I wanted beignets, this was a poor choice, the food just didn't hit the spot. One of the evenings we found a great little local taproom serving a range of Greek beers, drinking and eating amongst the vibrant Athens atmosphere was a highlight of the city.

    📌 One evening we did a athens by night tour, it was great to be taken around and chat with the guide and some other english tourists. We had some good food and delicious wine (the guy was a wine enthusiast to the max!), we ended up at a rooftop for a few drinks and continued for some more once the tour finished.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Sicily: Palermo

    Oct 21–23, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    📌 A quick flight into Sicily, another region of Italy we had always wanted to explore. We landed in Palermo keen to get the most out of our next 6 days. We started the adventure with a food tour which was quite adventurous in itself. A few Aussies, Europeans, Irish and and an awkward American spent the next few hours together eating a variety of things including a spleen sandwich (wouldn't eat again), some arancina and gelato. It was a great food tour but Asia still wins for food tours so far, Europe has sooo many carbs!

    📌 The next day we made a short trip to the small nearby town of Cefalu. This was a beautiful town by the water, it was busy, the streets were beautiful and it was a little quieter than the chaotic Palermo. We had some delicious arancino freshly made before heading back for another local Sicilian specialty, the cannoli. It was a old monastery that was quite popular, hence with popularity comes stupidity 😂, we eventually had some delicious very large cannoli which was worth it.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Sicily: Sircusa

    Oct 23–25, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    📌 We caught an early bus to the east side of the island, probably my favourite city of Sicily. It sat in a beautiful spot by the water, it had great restaurants and it was not as chaotic and busy as Palermo and Catania. The weather continued to be on point, 22-25 degrees was much appreciated compared to <10 in England.

    📌 We enjoyed a relaxing few days, wandering around aimlessly, having apertivo wines and spritz and then delicious food. Sicilian food being an island was very fish focused, it was always fresh and tasty but Chloe and I both agreed we preferred mainland Italy food options.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Sicily: Taormina & Catania

    Oct 25–27, 2025 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    📌 The last few days we explored Taormina, another highlight of the island but a little more upmarket and tourist heavy. We decided it was worth spending a night there and it was a good decision. The town was beautiful, it had some gorgeous architecture, some beautiful beaches and a fantastic view from behind the city where you could see the Mount Etna and the Ocean.

    📌 That evening we had a beautiful sunset rooftop drink with amazing views and colours. We had a lovely conversation with some Americans whilst enjoying a drink and watching the sky light up next to the beautiful mount Etna volcano. The pricey rooftop prices were definitely worth it. We then made a great call on a dinner restaurant, the service was so friendly and the food was delicious.

    📌 The next day we headed for Catania, we were craving some Napoli style pizza and we hit the jackpot for lunch, more great service and a super friendly pizza chef. He talked us into a the "don Perignon" of local beer 😂, it was delicious and was only a little more then Aus prices in fairness.

    📌 We checked in and had a wonder around Catania, enjoying what was possibly our last warm night in Europe. We will definitely miss the vibes, Sunday night and everything was buzzing. The streets were hit and miss, a little rundown but the city was also full of more great architecture. We finished with a 3 course meal, some delicious seafood pasta, wine and ofcourse tiramisu. Until next time Italy 👌    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Albanian Alps part 1

    Oct 27–29, 2025 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    📌 We flew into the capital and headed for the mountain base of Shkoder via a small minivan company at the airport, we were used to the organisation and chaos of this kinds of transports since travelling eastern Europe last year.

    📌 Shkoder was a beautiful town and the the guesthouse was a gorgeous 200 year old renovated building. We left our things the next morning and headed off early for a long transport day into the mountains. It began with a bus ride full of various tourists and we soon began to make friends with some older Australians from Brisbane. The next part of the journey was a 2 hour boat cruise up river, this was chaos! An old boat, overloaded with obnoxious people seemed to be a nightmare but as people gradually got off at the most random spots and once the day trippers left, the boat was more roomy. It was a very beautiful cruise in the end, the autumn colours were beautiful. We then finished the journey with a short bus ride (a little chaotic as not enough seats) into Valbone where the hike would begin.

    📌 Given it was borderline end of season, most things were closed so we headed to one of the few restaurants that were open and ran back into the Australians. We had a nice chat over some wines and food before making our way back to prepare for an early morning hike.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Albanian Alps Part 2: Valbone to Theth

    Oct 29–31, 2025 in Albania ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    📌 We started early with a nice breaky and begun the walk through the town, it was approximately 4-5kms to the trail head at the end of the valley. As we were walking the Australians Michael and Tanya pulled up, they'd managed to score a lift from their hotel manager. We took the offer to cut a 1-2kms off the walk along the road and joined them.

    📌 We ended up hiking 80% of the hike with these guys, it was great. Along the way there was just such vibrant colours, the mountains were gorgeous, there was even a few places to stop and have a beer. The summit was a little sketchy but worth the views, the dogs along the trail were super cute and friendly and they would lead the way happily in hope of some food when we'd stop. At one point we were even joined by a little pup. Upon descent it was rough on the knees and we took an opportunity to have a beer with a lovely view!

    📌 It was a beautiful hike, the trees really made it special also. Overall we did approximately 18km and if was well worth the trip. We enjoyed a little wander around town before having a hearty dinner at our guesthouse. We were super fortunate with the weather and timing as the town of theth was basically shutting down for the season as we left.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Tirana

    Oct 31–Nov 2, 2025 in Albania ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    📌 We arrived back in Tirana and picked up a car to allow ourselves a little more freedom. First impressions were a little stressful though as this city was a chaotic place to drive!! We headed out of the city to go an explore the nearby town of Kruje. This was a hillside town with a nice bazaar and castle on the hill. There wasn't a whole lot to do there but it was worth a drive and visit.

    📌 We headed back to Tirana which was a long drive with Friday afternoon traffic, the roundabouts and lanes don't really serve much of a purpose when driving in Albania so cautious driving was a must. We headed out for a local meal and enjoyed the space of having a comfortable high rise apartment for accommodation.

    📌 The next day we set off early to the south, approximately 2 hours away was Berat, a UNESCO preserved ottoman town. The buildings were beautiful, you could see why the place was called the village of 1000 windows. We wandered through the streets, enjoyed some craft beers with a peaceful view and then eventually got some local lunch. The cruise back to Tirana was smooth, much less traffic on a Saturday but still chaotic driving, they weren't as aggressive as the Turks though which was a relief. Driving around Albania was interesting, waste disposal and burning rubbish is a big issue here, so many beautiful valleys lined with olive groves were filled with smoke.

    📌 We spent the last night celebrating our 5 years, I had found a well rated steak house which served up a delicious meal with wine. It was a great experience and a beautiful celebration date ❤️    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Montenegro

    Nov 2–5, 2025 in Montenegro ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    📌 We caught the bus out of Tirana, we were both keen on Montenegro as we weren't sure what to expect. The change from Albania was drastic, it seemed much cleaner l, upmarket and more adequately set up for tourists.

    📌 We had one night in Budva to suss out another town, the place had a very upmarket almost pretentious vibe about it, influencer types everywhere. It was however, a beautiful walled town on the water, and it was worth a visit. The highlight was our dinner, this was the official anniversary date and the meal was delicious with excellent service.

    📌 We spent the next few days in Kotor, a popular spot where the bay was enclosed within beautiful rugged mountains. The bay was lined with venetian ports, the old town was quaint, particularly when the cruise ships had left for the day and there were cats everywhere! We enjoyed a hike up to the peaks behind the city with an American/Indian guy before heading back down and stopping at a local hillside house for home made cheese and wine. It was quiet, the views were outstanding and it was one of the highlights. Our last dinner in Kotor was another treat, a little out of the town was a tiny pizza shop with the friendliest owner, he even gave us some beer on the house 🍻    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Dubrovnik

    Nov 5–7, 2025 in Croatia ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    📌 A few days exploring the old town of Dubrovnik, probably most famous for Game of Thrones, it was a beautiful walled town. We were staying a little out in a nice apartment and the walk into the centre each day with the views and sunny weather was great.

    📌 The town was starting to shut down so sometimes food options were a little lacking, however it was great to walk around and have the city to ourselves. We didn't enjoy too much food here as it was overpriced, our meals were outside the old town which was better value and actually included a great burger.

    📌 One of the highlights was afternoon drinks at the cliff bars, a bar built just outside the walls on the ocean. The sunsets were beautiful and the atmosphere was perfect.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler
    1

    Mostar

    Nov 7–9, 2025 in Bosnia and Herzegovina ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    📌 We crossed back out of the EU into Bosnia and Herzegovina. We with both interested to learn a little bit of history as it definitely is a country we knew little about.

    📌 We arrived early and enjoyed lunch at a low key restaurant where the woman was waiting and cooking fresh local Bosnian food. The Cevapi were delicious, the stuffed peppers and the stuffed vine leaves (Japrak) were nice and hearty! The prices were super cheap, most meals were around 15-30 euros including drinks.

    📌 The old town was beautiful, tradition shops lining the streets (a little touristy however), the old bridges and the clear rivers running amongst the Ottoman style buildings made a pleasant atmosphere to walk around, particularly in the late afternoon. Again, we found a local craft brewery serving delicious beers at good prices, hence we visited twice ☺️ One evening we ventured into the newer city to a restaurant on my agenda, the service was terrible and they wouldn't seat us despite us trying to find a compromise. We ended up going to a very average pizza restaurant 🤷

    📌 The final day we learnt about the Bosnian genocide and war post Yugoslavia. It was another learning experience of horror, frustration and sadness from the past that seems to be recurrent as we travel but yet seems to not change, history repeating itself today 🤯 We ended the day with a delicious dinner and wine, making up for the previous night. A shame we didn't get to Sarajevo but perhaps next time.    Read more

  • Steven CoeLiving in the UK Part 2Traveler

    Split

    Nov 9–11, 2025 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    📌 Back into Croatia and into the EU for couple of nights in split before heading up the coast of Croatia. The bus was interesting as we got chatting to a guy from caboolture and he was such a strange cat, definitely a one way conversation, talking at us, which saw Chloe walk off ☺️

    📌 Split was lovely, the waterfront walk, the old town/palace area and the dungeons were all cool. It was again interesting to see where some scenes of GOT had been shot. The town was pretty quiet and getting food was a little challenging sometimes as pizza, pasta and seafood options were less appealing given our diet since entering this part of Europe. We ended up going to a vegan bar for a less heavy meal one day ☺️

    📌 We didn't do heaps, it was nice to have good coffee, sit around in the sun, look at buildings and relax.    Read more

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