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Vela Huang

Vela Huang

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    • Our OE
      Couple of beach bums
      Looking out over the tops of the battlementsPlenty of breeze to fly the flagsView of the old cityGetting artsy with the gatehouseFound a cutieThe beach!That tropical feelingSquid ink paella & some sweet treatsWalking off our dinner

      To the beach!

      June 21, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

      But before we got to the beach, we stopped by the big stone gate into the city. We've passed this structure every day since we arrived, but we always had other priorities and hadn't gone up. Today was the day! So we bought our very expensive tickets (sarcasm) and made our way up the steps to the top of the gatehouse.

      It would have been roughly 8 or 9 storeys high and we got a very nice view out over the old town. We could see the tops of church domes peaking out past apartment buildings. We were lucky to have another fantastic blue sky day with only a couple of fluffy clouds scooting past on the Mediterranean breeze. We spent a bit of time atop the battlements, getting a couple of snaps before making our way to the bus station.

      It took about an hour by bus to get to the beach, and with a very lazy start to our day, it was about 6pm when we arrived. There was plenty of heat still in the sun, and plenty of people still out enjoying it. We found a spot and Nathan promptly made his way into the waves. The water was a little cool at first, but once in it was lovely. After Nathan had enough time trying to body surf the choppy waves, we chilled on the beach reading until dinner time.

      We found a neat little restaurant near the beach and ordered squid ink paella (it's the squid ink, it's not burnt) and topped it off with a cheesecake and tiramisu for dessert. A bus ride and short walk later we were back home. That's it for our time in Valencia, very pretty little city with an amazing climate. Looking forward to our next stop on the Mediterranean coast!      Read more

    • Our OE
      Bright and colourful day in Valencia
      The market buildingA sample of what we saw at the marketInside the silk merchants buildingInside Valencia CathedralSaint Vincent's armGiant gold processional pieceHuman remains uncovered in the crypt below the cathedralThe holy cupSangria time!

      Market, Cathedral & Sangria

      June 20, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

      Back out into the old town of Valencia. Today we were exploring the old food market and Valencia Cathedral. The day was absolutely spectacular, with an insanely blue sky and fluffy white clouds scooting across. Everything seemed particularly vibrant and colourful.

      First stop was the food market. There was so much variety and colour here, with gigantic capsicums, massive tomatoes, and bright purple eggplant. Butchers, bakers and fishmonger stalls were throughout this stylish building. We sampled some fresh juice, oysters, and some of the Spanish ham and chorizo on fresh bread, yum!

      Finished in the market we crossed the road to the old silk merchants building which we saw on our first night in Valencia. At a cost of only 2 euro to enter, this building was definitely value for money! A beautiful, cool, outdoor square with a fountain and orange trees was central to the complex, while inside the tall stone columns and vaulted ceilings were epic. The upstairs room with its patterned marble floor and intricate wooden ceilings was also spectacular.

      We continued on to Valencia Cathedral. We plugged ourselves into the audio guide which was included with our entry ticket (more places need to do this!) and set about admiring the cathedral's features. Our first Spanish Cathedral so there were definitely a few interesting items of note. Firstly was the range of different architectural styles, from Gothic, to baroque through to Neo classical designs also being represented. Vela got a little bored and tired so sent Nathan off to explore the rest of the treasures.

      The main items of note included; the preserved severed arm of Saint Vincent (patron saint of Valencia), the gigantic golden processional piece, the tombs and foundations uncovered in the crypt beneath the cathedral, and the most spectacular piece being the chalice which Jesus drank from during the last supper. Very cool cathedral.

      To top off our explorations we made sure to quench our thirst with an afternoon Sangria of course!      Read more

    • Our OE
      Hanging out by the pool
      Awesome architecture of the museum complexLeaf cutter ants cutting leavesVela smelling flowers (yes these don't have a smell)Really enjoyed the architecture of these buildingsAfternoon Sangria and a light lunchOld Roman bridge into the Old townCooling off by the fountain - Vela showing off her new hatGuess which ice-cream belongs to whoDinner time! Vela ate this all by herself, plus a dish of fried baby green peppers

      Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciences

      June 19, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

      After quite a relaxed start to the day, we took a bus across town to the museum complex. On arrival, there was an immediate impression made by the architecture. Completely white buildings with a backdrop of deep blue sky and light blue pools in front of us. Very awesome.

      We headed inside the science museum. It was filled with a bunch of space exhibits, some DNA stuff, and big pendulum clock. All-in-all not the most enthralling exhibitions. The most interesting item was a display of leaf cutter ants, carrying their claimed trophies back to their nests where they feed them to a fungus which provides the colony with food. Interesting!

      After the museum we stopped for a late lunch and a Sangria (this might be becoming a habit...) The prawns came out in a little bowl full of sizzling oil, and Vela had round two of her baby squid. We chilled out for a little while, enjoying the near perfect temperature and light breeze.

      We eventually made our way back towards the old town, stopping briefly for Vela to purchase a bikini (which will be required in the coming days and weeks) and a new hat. We walked back (roughly 3km) through the old riverbed park, enjoying the nature and the old Roman Bridge into the old town. We then found a neat fountain in the old town to chill out next to before having a cheeky gelato.

      Vela was still feeling a little peckish, so we stopped for one small taster before heading home. With squid, snails and baby green peppers in Vela's belly, we headed back to the apartment for a good night's sleep.      Read more

    • Our OE
      The sun!
      Entry through the old city wallLocal flag of ValenciaLa Lonja de la Seda de Valencia (old merchant building)Looking down the streetsSangria time!Zucchini Carpaccio & Valencia PaellaThat is a gigantic spoon in the pan by the way2The evolution of Sangria Vela (giggly)Relaxing walk home

      Arrival in Valencia

      June 18, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      An early morning to catch our plane, and by lunchtime we had landed in sunny Valencia! We enjoyed our time exploring England and Scotland, but boy are we glad for some blue skies and temperatures in the high 20s!

      We checked into our accommodation, a really nice apartment just outside the old city walls. After a light lunch and grabbing some breakfast goodies from the supermarket, we got straight into the Spanish habit of an afternoon siesta. We headed out for a wander around the old town at about 7.00pm and to hunt down some dinner.

      The architecture was in stark contrast to the Gothic style in Northern England and Scotland, with a much lighter coloured stone and giving off a Mediterranean vibe. We passed a few musicians busking and enjoyed the relaxing feel of the plazas where people were enjoying their evening meals. We made our way over to Yuso - a recommendation from Mike & Cass - and ordered a jug of Sangria to quench our thirst. We made sure to get the original Valencia version of paella made with chicken, rabbit and mushroom, and had a light dish of carpaccio zucchini. Very tasty, although possibly a touch on the salty side to have too much. Looking forward to trying a range of different paella in the coming weeks!

      A relaxing walk back to our apartment to digest our dinner, and off to explore more of Valencia tomorrow.      Read more

    • Our OE
      Golf time!
      Vela showing Nathan the way on the first teeFalkland Golf ClubGreat to get back on a golf courseThe big dirty rain cloud found us...Little bit of St Andrews swagVela enjoying the sun - she says she's a plantNathan running off again - always has to be in frontVela in actionFinal scores with a Mulligan each

      Falkland Golf Club

      June 17, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

      After being at the Home of Golf, we were itching to get out on a course for a hack - and try out our fancy new ball markers. So we stopped back in at Falkland Golf Club on our return to Edinburgh for a cheeky 9 holes. The weather was a little questionable, with some threatening clouds hanging around, so we packed our umbrella and a jacket and set out.

      The course was a tidy little 9 hole country course. The greens were in great nick, the fairways well maintained and it was a good reintroduction for us to golf. It was a little quirky with the second hole requiring you to hit your tee shot over a football field... But for just 10 pounds each we definitely won't complain!

      Playing with hired clubs is always a little tricky, but we had both decided that happy golf was the aim of the day. To be honest we both played pretty well considering we haven't been out for a while, we did give each other a Mulligan though to make up our rustiness. We had to hide under the trees for about 10 minutes from a particularly nasty rain cloud, but once that was over it was a beautiful afternoon.

      There were a couple of shots of particular note; both Nathan and Vela hit great shots out of the bunker (filmed both of them), a great bogey saving 20ft putt by Vela, but most impressive of all was when Nathan managed to bounce his tee shot on the 8th off the wall of the cart path and into the back yard of the house behind the tee box...

      At the end of our 9 holes we'd managed to achieve our number one goal of happy golf, and both shot sub 50 through the 9 holes. A great way to finish our UK road trip - back to the airport tomorrow headed for a warmer climate!      Read more

    • Our OE
      Standing on the 18th fairway
      Haggis roll for lunchHow could we not stop at the Dunvegan?Some legends stamped into historyStanding on the Swilcan BridgeView from behind the 17th tee boxLooking out over the 18th greenIt's not until you realise you could hardly see out of the bunker that you understand the difficultyVela demonstrating the depth of some of the swalesAnd topped off with a Sunday roast, YUM!

      St Andrews

      June 16, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

      Bit of an epic experience today. We left Edinburgh bright and early, with nowhere near enough sleep, and after a pit stop to get ourselves caffeinated, we headed further north, deeper into Scotland. We made a little stop on a country road with a little bit of a view of farmland and a lake, Vela had a nap and Nathan chilled out reading a book.

      With Vela feeling a little fresher, we popped down into the town, Falkland, and visited the golf course. The clubhouse was open so we had a couple of hot rolls for lunch, getting our first taste of haggis in the process. Honestly, not too bad and full of flavour. We made arrangements with the golf club to stop in tomorrow and play 9 holes on our way back, so looking forward to that!

      We continued on to St Andrews, and after getting our hands on some coins for parking, we got our first look at the home of golf, the Old Course. Not going to lie, it was a pretty surreal experience. On Sunday's they close the Old Course and it's open to the public to go for a walk. We were experiencing some typical Scottish weather - cold, wet and windy - so we just walked to the Swilcan Bridge for a quick photo before finding shelter at the nearby Dunvegan pub. The pub is iconic, and legend has it that Ernie Els was the first to hit a ball off the flagstones outside the pub to the 18th green on the old course at 4am, a feat which has been repeated at least once in recent history. The photos and golfing memorabilia inside the pub were pretty amazing, so we settled in with a pint of their local stout and watched a bit of the US Open on the telly.

      About an hour and a half spent hiding from the weather and it had cleared up outside, so we went for another foray into the Old Course. This time we walked a bit further to check out the famous 17th tee box, where you're required to hit your tee shot over the hotel to reach the fairway. We investigated some of the bunkers and fairways before we made our way back into town.

      Time for another pub for a bite to eat, being Sunday we had to get a Sunday roast before leaving the UK. So we split a pork roast and a beef roast between us, which each came with giant Yorkshire puddings and an assortment of delicious roast veggies.      Read more

    • Our OE
      We took our jackets and umbrella, so of course it was a lovely day!
      The Royal MileFound a nice little pub to sample a couple of dropsYum!Pretty hanging flowersBright!Few angles of Edinburgh CastleDown by the sea for some r&rCute!Sunset over Edinburgh

      Edinburgh

      June 15, 2024 in Scotland ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

      After a very nice sleep by the seaside, and a delicious full English breakfast at the hotel (Vela tried black pudding - not her jam) we were ready to get back on the road. Nathan made a quick pit stop to get a bit of washing done while Vela went for a walk through the old town of Berwick-Upon-Tweed.

      We crossed the border into Scotland and then set off for Edinburgh. After a short drive we arrived and headed straight to the middle of town. After we found a parking spot for the afternoon we walked up to the royal mile, a road linking Edinburgh Castle to Holyrood Palace. We wandered up the cobbled streets, enjoying the sounds of bagpipes which really made us feel like we were in Scotland. There was an assortment of other street performers as well, including a group that had some owls you could pay to get a photo with.

      We made our way up to Edinburgh Castle, expecting to be able to buy a ticket at the gate and walk right in. Oops that one might have needed a bit more planning... Looks like it books out at least half a week in advance... Never mind...

      We headed back down the Royal Mile and parked ourselves up in a pub for about an hour. They had some of the Euro Cup Football on so we kept one eye on the telly while sampling some real ales. After we were finished in the town centre, we made our way around a couple of spots for views of Edinburgh Castle. Both of us haven't been feeling 100% so we opted to drive out to a quiet spot at a marina to look at the boats and relax. We both ended up having a nap for about an hour before it was time for dinner and off to our accommodation.

      Unfortunately our accommodation was a bit of a dud. We didn't have high hopes as it was a hostel room with 6 bunks, but it was significantly smaller than expected and when paired with two guys snoring and another getting up very inconsiderately early (5am) having a shower and making a hell of a racket, it even fell below our low expectations... No more shared rooms in hostels for us!      Read more

    • Our OE
      Hiding from the rain (ineffective)
      Couple of snaps at Alnwick Castle"UP, UP, UUUP!""She's a nightmare, honestly, it's no wonder she hasn't got any friends!"Holy Island causewayLindisfarne Castle on the headlandRuins of the Lindisfarne PrioryFairy houseView from the hotelLooking out at Berwick (Berrick)Hazy'o'clock

      Alnwick, Lindisfarne & Berwick

      June 14, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

      Another lovely English summers day. Fortunately the temperature had improved with a high of 17, but pesky thunder showers were still hanging around.

      First stop today was Alnwick (pronounced Annick) Castle. The castle is famous as it has been used in many films and TV shows, most notably Harry Potter, but also home to Transformers, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, and Downtown Abbey. We jumped on the movie scenes tour and it was very cool listening to some of the stories, particularly that the fear in Neville's eyes during the broomstick scene was real.

      We walked through the inside of the castle (photos not allowed unfortunately) and marveled at the antiques, sculpted ceilings, and incredible chandeliers.

      After Alnwick we made our way to Lindisfarne Castle on Holy Island. The island is joined to England by a causeway which is covered by water and impassable for about 4 hours at every high tide. On arrival, Vela was suffering from a lack of sleep so we took a short intermission - probably quite a good thing as a rather heavy downpour went overhead, including a small amount of hail. Once it had passed, we walked over to Lindisfarne Castle - which made for a very striking figure on the only hill at the head of the island. On our way back to the car, the heavens opened on us again and we tried to hide under our one umbrella... Of course this led to both of us getting rather damp.

      As the rain lightened again, we stopped past the ruins of the old Lindisfarne Priory. Vela also found a little cottage with the most amazing gardens - it looked like a fairy lived there.

      We left Holy Island via the causeway and headed up the coast to Berwick (Berrick) for our overnight accommodation. A very cute little hotel with a sea view. Nathan thought it was prudent to crack open a hazy by the seaside and we relaxed with the sound of waves lapping the beach outside.      Read more

    • Our OE
      Whitby Abbey
      Vela standing on some stairsThe view looking inland from WhitbyAnother view of the AbbeyTrying to get a little artsy (we cheaped out so taking this photo over the wall)On top of the Whitby cliffsSurfers at SaltburnFarms on top of the cliffsVela standing on some more stairsOops she caught me taking photos

      Whitby & Saltburn

      June 13, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

      Bit of a slower day as we have been feeling a little bit flat (possibly a hangover from being unwell a couple of weeks back). So we visited the Whitby Abbey on the hill and made sure to sample a crab sandwich and smoked kippers before leaving.

      We stopped in at Saltburn and walked up and down the pier. There was a gaggle of surfers braving the cold to catch a ride - definitely wetsuit weather. We wanted to catch the funicular up the hill, but unfortunately it was under repair so we had to put our legs to work instead. The view was pretty cool, with flat farmland going right up to the 90 degree drop straight down into the North sea.

      After we'd had enough wandering around, we made the short hop over to Newcastle and chilled out for the evening.      Read more

    • Our OE
      Looking out over the North York Moors
      A selection of plants and flowersDodging sheep in the moorsStopped at the Blakey Inn for a chicken parmo and a pintRobin Hood's BayRobin Hood's BayBoggle HoleLooking out over Robin Hood's BayGetting a little artsySunset from Whitby

      North York Moors & Robin Hood's Bay

      June 12, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

      Bit of a long day today. We got going pretty early and headed up into the North Yorkshire Moors. It was a pretty frigid sort of day and outside the temperature only just creeped into double digits, a cold summers day even by northern England standards. The moors were very pretty however, with pink red and purple flowers. The original plan was to go for a bit of a hike but we opted out of it as we felt we could see most of the terrain from the car.

      We drove down into a little farm village and went for a wander along some of the country lanes, with big oak trees and pretty English gardens lining the area. We then headed back up to Blakey Ridge to visit the inn. Jenny used to work here back in the day and the local delicacy, a chicken parmo hot shot, came highly recommended. We opted to share one as well as a pint of real ale - it was a good call as we struggled to get through it with both us! The chicken parmo is a crumbed chicken steak, covered in bechamel sauce, cheese, salami, and some other goodies.

      After lunch, we made our way to the coast to check out Robin Hood's Bay. We did a bit of research and apparently there isn't much linking Robin Hood to the bay, but it was known to be a hot spot for smugglers. We went for a little wander along the shore, Nathan wanted to explore further to Boggle Hole, while Vela liked the idea of finding a little tea shop and reading her book (she wasn't a big fan of the 11 degree air temperature). So we split up and Nathan went to find Boggle Hole - a little spot where a river flows out over the beach. After a little wade over the the river and hike back on top of the cliff Nathan returned with damp shoes and socks.

      We then headed to tonight's destination, Whitby. We were a bit knackered by now, but we went for a little stroll through the town to get fish and chips from Mister Chips and met up with Jenny's sister, Hannah. After dinner, Hannah took us for a little wander through the old market street and to check out the town's sea defences - everything was shut however and we were pretty cold so we headed back to the hotel to warm up and do a proper exploration of the town tomorrow.      Read more

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