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Vela Huang
Vela Huang

Vela Huang

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  • Our OE
    Pretty people
    Eggplant, cheese and tomatoGrilled seafood platterMeatballsGnocchiCheers!Last sunset in ItalyCya later!

    Last night in Europe

    20 июля 2024 г., Италия ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Our final day in Europe. After Capri we were pretty exhausted, so we made the most of our fantastic hotel room, using the private terrace, sun beds, and generally relaxing and enjoying the view of all the boats going to and from Capri.

    We thought we might head to a beach in the afternoon, but there weren't a lot of great options in walking distance, and we were happy relaxing.

    We went back to the same restaurant as our first night in Sorento, but a bit later to take full advantage of the sunset. We ordered a feast, starting with an eggplant, tomato and cheese dish before sharing a grilled seafood platter, meatballs, and gnocchi. It was delicious but our eyes were definitely bigger than our belly.

    Plan all in place for tomorrow to get back to Naples airport, bound for the Philippines!    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    1Checking out Via Krupp
    Off to Capri!On our final approachVela looks like she was made for this lifeFinally found some sand!Views from Gardini di AugustoOur afternoon spent checking out the caves and the waterReady or not, here I come!Boat lifeChilling out with the sunset

    Capri

    19 июля 2024 г., Италия ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Big one. We started the day off right by enjoying an early breakfast at our accommodation - an omelette, breads, and sweet treats - before we caught a bus to Sorento. From there we jumped on a ferry over to Capri. We were on a bit of a tight timeline on Capri as we had to catch a ferry back at 4.20 in order to make the last bus back to our accommodation. Vela had the day all planned out though.

    We started with a hike up from the main marina to the Capri town centre. It wasn't midday yet but the temperature was well into the 30s. Neither of us has ever sweated so much in our lives. Nathan had rivers running down his arms and dripping off the end of his fingers, while Vela (blessed with those superior Asian genes) experienced a light sheen and sweat beading on her upper body...

    We made it to the top, made sure to rehydrate, then headed for the gardens - Gardini di Augusto. The Gardens provide a great lookout point over the southern side of Capri. The bay was chock full of boats, and the water looked incredibly inviting. We made sure to get our fill of photos and also headed to the Via Krupp walkway for some extra shots.

    Time for a quick lunch back in Capri town before we headed back down the hill to the marina. We hunted out a private charter boat and locked in a two hour trip to find some swimming spots. We shared the cost with a couple of other Chinese girls who just happened to also be from Chongqing!

    We spent the next couple of hours enjoying the waters and sights around Capri. Our driver took us into some of the caves and showed us the white cave which you could swim inside to find lit up by a natural skylight. The water was amazing and there were a few inquisitive fish that followed us around. It was very refreshing to dive down to the bottom where the water was cooler, holding your breath and checking out the fish that came for a nosey.

    All too soon it was time to head back to the marina. We made it back in time for our ferry and shortly were back in Sorento. We had a nice big meal for dinner at a restaurant overlooking one of the marina's near Sorento and enjoyed watching the sun set over the water again.    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    Clifftops of Sorrento
    On the ferry from Naples to SorentoExploring Sorrento and trying out the Aperol & Campari SpritzThe Napoli GulfLooking forward to getting in that waterVesuvius looking majestic in the backgroundDinner time!Sunset view from the restaurantQuick evening photo shootAnd watching the last of the sunset from our balcony

    Sorrento

    18 июля 2024 г., Италия ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    We jumped on a ferry this morning and moved ourselves across the Napoli Gulf to Sorento. We arrived and after climbing up the cliffs from the ferry terminal, we set off to explore the old town. It wasn't quite midday, but it was hot enough so we decided to test out the Aperol & Campari Spritz at a local bar.

    After we were refreshed, we went back to the cliffs for a view of the gulf and the people enjoying the water below. Our hotel is a little way out of town, so we caught a bus for 30 minutes to get there. The hotel is pretty sweet with a great view - you can see a little corner of Capri and all the way out to Ischia.

    An afternoon nap later and it was time to head out for dinner. We had an awesome meal, starting with stuffed courgette flowers, followed by lasagne and clam tagliatelle, and finished off with cannoli and gelato. We had a great view of the sunset from the restaurant, but we opted to head back to our hotel to enjoy the last of the sunset there. We even managed to capture the exact moment the sun dropped below the horizon.

    Looking forward to more adventures tomorrow, and definitely getting into that water!    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    Off to Pompeii!
    The streets with their raised stepping stonesSome of the viewsThe plaster casts made in the holes left by the ancient citizensSome of the wall paintings we sawThe bath houseChecking out a bakery1No caption neededSome very cool mosaicsAnd an epic feast to end the day1

    Pompeii

    17 июля 2024 г., Италия ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Very big one today. We took so many photos we didn't know what to do with them! So sorry for all of these being collages, but even still not all of the photos we wanted to share made the cut.

    Anyway... The main event today was a visit to the ancient ruins of Pompeii. The city was buried when Mount Vesuvius erupted nearly 2000 years ago. The eruption left Pompeii in a state of very good preservation and gives a great insight into life in the Roman Empire at the time - including hollows in the ash where people were buried alive.

    The place was completely fascinating to us, and we knew to get the most out of it we needed a guided tour. Even with the guided tour it felt like we were only scratching the surface. The streets with their raised stepping stones, the open spaces with Vesuvius looming on the horizon, the plaster casts of the ancient inhabitants of Pompeii, the bathhouse, the mosaics, and the artwork - the whole place felt like a window into history. It even has its own mini Colosseum and a couple of outside theatres.

    We spent a solid three hours wandering around in the 35+ degree heat enjoying the sights of this place. Eventually it was time to return to Naples however, and we were quite hungry by this point.

    We headed straight for dinner. Vela booked us into a restaurant where she could sample some local crab. Nathan went for a more traditional gnocchi option. But the surprise highlight was the tiramisu. After we ordered the dessert and the waiter brought out a small serving table, we knew something was up. They proceeded to make the tiramisu in front of us, dipping the biscuits into the espresso before coating it with Mascarpone and a dusting of cocoa. What a great way to finish off our day!    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    Naples!
    2Waiting for our turn to get a pizzaApparently the inventor of the pizzaCouple of awards... Should be pretty good then!Cooking timeAlright, that's bigger than we thought...And we got one each...Not sure how, but we made it through!Cheeky seagullCheeky gelato

    Naples

    16 июля 2024 г., Италия ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Travel day for the most part. With our plane leaving around midday from Nice and arriving into Naples around 1.30.

    Once we were back on the ground we made our way to our hotel. It was incredibly hot, some of the signs outside the pharmacies were saying 38 degrees. A lot of stone and concrete in Naples and it felt like the heat was coming from all around us. Thoroughly dripping we made it to our hotel room where we had a short rest and a change of clothes before braving the heat again.

    For dinner we made our way to "L'antica Pizzeria da Michele" which was made famous by the movie "Eat, Pray, Love". There were only 3 flavour options, each a different variation of tomato, herbs and cheese, and a fourth option which was a combination of two flavours, and they were all priced at 5.50eur. With a plethora of Michelin and other awards posted to the front door, wet knew we were in for something special.

    We ordered a pizza each and washed it down with a beer. Feeling like we needed to walk off some of the food, we began wandering home. We then realised we were actually in Italy now and hadn't had a gelato today, so we made a quick pit stop for gelato. It was about 9pm by now, and the pharmacy signs were still reading 34 degrees...    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    The main beach at Antibes
    Crepes for breakfastFeeling like millionairesMillionaires bayMillionaires bayReady for a dipThe whale and the mermaidWhat's that face for?Back in Antibes, hunting for gelatoFound it! Mango was the flavour of the dayAnd French roast for dinner, yum!

    Antibes - Millionaires Bay

    15 июля 2024 г., Франция ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Last day in france. We decided to take it a bit easy and just head to the beach. Vela did a bit of research and settled on heading to Antibes, so we hopped on the train and headed down the coast.

    We arrived in Antibes and our first stop was a little crepe shop on the side of the road. We started with a couple of Nutella & Banana crepes, but also had to try the more traditional sugar and lemon - sometimes, as in this case, traditional is best!

    We then had a bit of a walk ahead of us to reach our swim destination. About an hour of walking in the midday heat and we were absolutely melting. We finally arrived at our swim spot and were quite surprised to find a yacht washed up on the shore... The beach was quite crowded but the water looked just so good (and we were so hot) so we headed straight for the wet stuff. We spent a couple of hours paddling around, checking out some fish, and watching people jump off the cliffs on the far side of the bay. Everyone was very respectful, I think they were all aware how crowded the place was and this was the only way for everyone to get their fair share of enjoyment.

    Afterwards we made our way back up to the road, and timed the bus to perfection (with a little run right at the end to ensure we made it). The bus back to Antibes was a much more enjoyable 15 minutes compared to our hour-long walk out. Vela searched out the "worlds best gelato" for our afternoon treat - and it really was pretty good, even making a little flower in the cone.

    Finally it was back to Nice where we went to a French roast shop for dinner, trying some ratatouille for a starter and the roast lamb & veal for our mains. Everything was top notch.

    Thoroughly exhausted we headed home to relax ahead of tomorrow's departure.    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    Monte Carlo
    Couple of dollars worth of carsChecking out the marinaView of Monaco and the surroundingsSelfie time!Couple of dollars worth of boatsAlways need to check for fishAfternoon gelato!Nathan looking for fish2Chilling at the beach

    Monaco

    14 июля 2024 г., Монако ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    After we finished up at Eze we hopped on another bus and crossed the border into Monaco. We visited the casino to check out the cars outside, as well as the marina, but overall it's not really our thing. Definitely a few dollars worth of toys parked up at the casino and the marina though. One thing we did notice was how clear and clean the water in the marina appeared. You could easily see the bottom and there were plenty of fish milling around.

    We wandered around a little, got our daily ice cream, and then just as we were deciding to head back to Nice, a bus appeared perfectly for us. We hopped on and then checked Google. Although the bus said Nice on the outside, Google recommended we transfer and take a train from Eze station. We listened to Google and did as we were told, but ultimately this was not the right call in terms of getting home quickly. We had to pay an extra 7 euro for a train ticket and the next train was at least 20 minutes away... So we decided to head to the beach instead!

    Eze beach was a lot prettier than Nice, and we didn't have big breaking waves to contend with. We spent about an hour floating around and relaxing on the stoney beach. We then caught a VERY full train back to Nice and finished off our day cooking gnocchi at home and watching Spain take out the Euro Cup AND the SailGP.    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    Checking out the view from the exotic garden
    The view from the busOff into Eze!Winding our way through the streets of EzeArrived at the exotic gardenNot a bad viewSelfie time!Vela checking out the viewNifty little streetGotta get a view shot through a windowLunch time!

    Eze

    14 июля 2024 г., Франция ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We'd never heard of this little cliff town near Nice, but when it was recommended to us we were quite firmly told we HAD to go to Eze. So, as usual, we did as we were told. And it didn't disappoint!

    To start with, the bus ride up to Eze was one of the most scenic bus trips we've been on. With massive cliffs dropping off into the sparkling, azure Mediterranean. White yachts, launches, and super yachts were lined up or moving along the coast. It was pretty good.

    We arrived and tucked into a deliciously flaky and crunchy (yet somehow soft?) croissant for breakfast. With some energy now in the tank, we climbed up the last part of the hill and into Eze proper. The streets were all narrow and winding, and it was full of cute little shops and restaurants. We bought tickets to the exotic garden and made our way up to the top.

    The exotic garden was full of aloe and cacti, which somehow seemed right at home with the view out over Med. We spent a bit of time enjoying the view and getting our fill of pictures before heading back into the town for lunch. Vela ordered a yummy tomato based pasta and Nathan had what he thought would be a pizza, but turned out to be a bit of a cross between a pizza and an open top toasted sandwich. Very yum!    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    Off to Nice!
    Checking out the old townView out over the MedCouple of views from the lookoutWhere Nice meets the MedEnjoying the cooling mist from the waterfallLooking good team!Ice cream time!Enjoying the beach & a bit of plane watchingThe rocks are alright...

    Exploring Nice

    13 июля 2024 г., Франция ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Time to go and check out some of the local spots. We started by taking the tram into town, got stuck when the metro gates wouldn't let us out (we weren't the only ones) before finding one that was jammed open (probably by a frustrated tourist) so we managed to escape. We wandered up the main street for a little way and Vela grabbed a sandwich for lunch.

    We headed to the old town, enjoying a walk through the narrow streets lined with little shops, greenery and flowers. We wound our way towards the eastern end of Nice and walked up to the lookout point. The view back over Nice and the sparkling Mediterranean was epic! We made sure to stop off at the waterfall on our way back down and enjoyed standing in the cooling mist and breeze it generated.

    Next we made sure to treat ourselves to a little ice cream. Vela went back for seconds, and attempted to get a third helping before Nathan put his foot down. From there we wandered over to the beach for a bit of a sunbathe and a swim. The water was beautiful, but a little choppy, and it was quite tricky to get in and out with the rocky beach and a steep slope. A little unsure of our final opinion of the rocky beach, it was nice to not get sand everywhere but definitely not as comfortable as sand for lying on...

    We concluded our day with some Sichuan noodles and relaxing at our apartment watching the Sail GP finals in San Fran.    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    Tall storm clouds on the plane
    Low fluffy clouds casting a shadow on the MediterraneanVela getting the key from the side of the roadRomantic dinner with a view of the medDown by the seaDown by the sea1Octopus wrestlingOctopus wrestlingOctopus wrestlingSneaky gelato

    Headed for a Nice spot

    12 июля 2024 г., Франция ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Travel day! Early start to take the metro to Munich airport - very pricey costing almost 30 euro for the two of us, but we got there.

    After a 40 minute delay due to bad weather on our route, the first plane took us back to Barcelona. We were checking to see if any cup boats were out, but didn't spot any. Quite a significant delay in Barcelona waiting for our plane to Nice. Not entirely sure of the reason, heard whispers of an issue with the air bridge and other whispers of air traffic control holding the plane for some reason... Anyway, we were back in the air about 2 hours later than expected.

    Some pretty cool clouds were spotted from the plane as we headed into Nice, the pilot even making a special announcement for the tall storm clouds. We landed safely and took the tram to our accommodation. Awesome spot booked by Vela about 1 minute from the waterfront, 2 minutes from the tram station, and with a supermarket downstairs. Nice one!

    After a home cooked meal (rather average steak, but with some pretty decent vege) we went for a little wander to the beach. We watched a fisherman reel in a couple of octopus and wrestle them into a container. Then we ended our night with a couple scoops of gelato. Ready to explore some more Nice spots tomorrow!    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    The Konigssee
    Our 100 year old electric boatCouple of lookersApproaching St. BartholomaSt BartholomaSt BartholomaAt the Obersee, time for a dip!A trick of the lightReturning homeAugustiner Biergarten - Pork knuckle & a maß of beer

    Konigssee

    11 июля 2024 г., Германия ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    This morning we woke up bright and early and made our way to pick up a rental car for the day. After a brief mix up at the rental agency we were on our way to the Konigssee, a lake area right on the border of Austria.

    After two and a half hours driving (big traffic jam thanks to some road works) we arrived. It was great to smell the fresh mountain air and the views out over the lake. We took the ferry/tour boat, which we were told was 100 years old, but had been retrofitted with an electric motor so it was lovely and quiet glided (glid? glode?) across the lake.

    The tour guide told us a few facts, including a VW Beetle found at the bottom of the lake (over 180m deep) with the driver still inside, and also demonstrated the fantastic echoing quality of the cliffs by playing us a tune on his trumpet. Supposedly they could get 3-4 echoes with a trumpet, but up to 7 with a cannon!

    We explored two little towns on the lake, and walked a short track to the Obersee where we braved the chilly waters for a dip (and for the "gram").

    Driving home afterwards was much quicker with no traffic jams. Nathan had a great time cruising at 140km/h when the speed limit and traffic allowed.

    Back in Munich we headed to the Augustiner Biergarten. As it was our last night in Germany we splurged a little on the famous pork knuckle and a 1L maß - pronounced mahss - of beer. The pork was a little salty, but the maß went down a treat!    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    Afternoon storm moving in
    Dragon guarding the town hallSurfing in the middle of Munich - who'd have thunk it?Cheers!2Thirsty after the glockenspielDinner time! Some spicy Chinese food for a change

    Hanging out in Munich

    10 июля 2024 г., Германия ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Today we headed in to central Munich to check out the glockenspiel. We missed the midday display by about 20 minutes, so we had to wait until 5pm for the next one. So we entertained ourselves and made the most of our free travel pass from the football game last night.

    We checked out the famous river surfing in central Munich. The Eisbachwelle wave used to be illegal, and the surfers (who were exceptionally territorial) were chased off by the police whenever spotted. Its now legal, but apparently the surfers are still quite territorial, wanting to ensure that nobody gets hurt due to inexperience which might impact negatively on them being able to continue surfing the Eisbachwelle. It was a nice spot to relax and have a beer, enjoying the successful surfing as well as the not so successful.

    Afterwards we made our way back to the glockenspiel, just as an afternoon thunderstorm rolled in. The bells were very pretty, and the figures told their stories of a jousting tournament and a royal wedding. We did quite enjoy the performance, and the thunder rolling in the background seemed to add to the experience.

    Time for dinner, and we met up with one of Vela's friends from the Xiamen University sailing team. A nice change to have some Chinese food - it's been a while!    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    Making our way to the stadium
    Inside, two hours before kickoffAbout an hour to go, starting to fill inCheers!Crowd in now, about 30 minutes to kick-offGreat action shot by VelaSun setting as the action beginsHalftime refreshmentsLeaving the stadiumLit up in the winners colours!

    Eurocup - France v Spain

    9 июля 2024 г., Германия ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Well, the title pretty much sums everything up. While we found ourselves in Munich we took the opportunity to purchase some second hand tickets from disappointed German supporters and watch Spain v France in the Eurocup semi-final.

    As you might expect, the event was run very well, with all public transport being free for 36 hours from 6am on match day until 6pm the following day. We made our way to the stadium nice and early. We made sure to get some food and drink and soak in the atmosphere. A full 2 hours before kickoff, the French fans in particular were in full voice with flags waving and their whole section of the stadium absolutely alive. Once the Spanish fans rolled in they definitely matched the French enthusiasm. There were still plenty of German supporters in the crowd, but we think the main reason they showed up was to boo Spanish #24 for the handball against Germany which potentially cost them their spot in the semis...

    The first half was awesome, with three goals being scored in the first 30 minutes. The football stagnated a bit afterwards but the atmosphere was electric - final score 2-1 to Spain.

    After the game we made our way back home, and again it felt like everything was extremely well organised. They even had a scissor lift with a couple of people on microphones helping to direct traffic while playing music to keep everyone entertained and not getting rowdy while waiting for a train.

    Yes the tickets were up there in price. No we aren't massive football fans. But it was an awesome experience to be a part of such a massive spectacle. It's unlikely we will get the chance again, so we are very happy we took the opportunity when it came our way!    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    By a river
    Beer on the riverPretty German townView from the Marienberg FortressOn a hillThe old bridge into Wurzburg1Rate our recreation /10On a bridgeFound this dragon sunning himselfExcited for some chili's!

    Wurzburg

    8 июля 2024 г., Германия ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Alina and Julien dropped us off at Darmstadt Hauptbahnhoff (main station). We said our goodbyes and made plans for Alina and Julien to visit (Feb/March 2026, mark it in your calendars!). We then made our way to Frankfurt where we caught our bus to Wurzburg.

    Nathan visited Wurzburg 10 years ago and remembered it as a beautiful little German town on the Main River, just inside the Bavarian border. We dropped our bags and went exploring, stopping for a quick beer on the river before heading up to the Marienberg Fortress on the hill. Some great views over Wurzburg and a beautiful breeze made it a nice place to relax for a little bit. We tried to visit the garden at the fortress, but there was some restoration work going on so we were unable to get inside.

    We headed back into town, recreated a photo Nathan took 10 years ago on the old bridge, before heading for dinner. Vietnamese was on the menu tonight and Vela was very happy to find some super spicy chili's. Back to the hotel to rest up. We made a spur-of-the-moment decision to purchase tickets to the Spain v France Eurocup semi-final in Munich tomorrow night, so looking forward to experiencing some European football!    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    Off to the fair
    Quiet morning finishing off some of the wedding cakeSome "artistic" friendsGot a little lost on our drive homeYep not sure we're meant to be in the middle of a farm...The reaction to the bottlesThe carnageThe cleanupAt the fair, feeling better after some fatty food and fro-yoNot a bad view from the apartment

    Hanging out in Darmstadt

    7 июля 2024 г., Германия ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Bit of a slow day after the wedding. We "escaped" about 2am, but the bride and groom and many others were still going until 4 or 6am... So we were looking pretty sprightly by comparison.

    We spent the morning helping tidy up the venue before we headed back with Alina and Julien to their apartment in Darmstadt. Julien wasn't quite up to driving, so we took Alina's car back and got a little lost on the way - but Google got us there eventually.

    On arrival we discovered some of Julien's friends had managed to get in and leave a surprise present - a bunch of empty bottles nicely laid out around the apartment (apparently a German tradition). When the door opened they were playing Julien and Alina's theme song from the wedding, so they did get a good laugh out of everyone before we all pitched in to tidy up.

    We then headed into town to check out a street fair which was in town for the week, where we got some much needed street food. We returned to the apartment and blobbed out for the evening. Nathan and Alina got a good catch up in before the tiredness overtook us and it was time to rest it off.    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    The happy couple!
    It's wedding time!Giving you an idea of the settingNot always serious...Looking cute guys!SpeechesWhat a feast!The sun goes down and things are about to get serious on the dancefloorDance time!Dance time!

    Wedding in Brombachtal

    5–7 июл. 2024, Германия ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    With Hendrik's assistance with the intercity trains, we arrived into Darmstadt main station late afternoon. We were greeted by a very excited Alina and were whisked away to Brombachtal where we would be staying for the next few days. Straight away we headed to the bar to hang out with Alina and Julien and watch Germany vs Spain in the Eurocup. Unfortunately after extra time Spain progressed over Germany - but it was a very good game.

    The following day was the big day for Alina and Julien, and the morning weather looked to be perfection for the wedding. Unfortunately some clouds rolled in and by early afternoon it was a little wet and the ceremony was forced inside. The ceremony was beautiful with lots of stories, including Julien knowing exactly what he wanted when buying an engagement ring for Alina - "a circle one".

    Afterwards there was mingling amongst the guests, drinks, photos, speeches - the usual wedding itinerary - and some of the friends even used AI to generate a song for Alina and Julien, which was played many times throughout the afternoon and evening. Dinner was one of the most amazing buffets we've seen, with woodfired BBQs cooking up a feast of salmon & beef amongst an amazing array of salads and other dishes. Nathan had to have a second plate so he could sample everything...

    After dinner the party lights and DJ came out so we could hit the dancefloor. We eventually left around 2am, once we finally managed to sneak past Alina's sister who kept taking us back to the bar whenever we tried to leave. Many of the guests didn't leave until 4 or even 6am, so we got off pretty lightly!

    We had a great time, and it was a great celebration of Alina and Julien!    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    So good to see Hendrick again!
    Checking out the geese in the parkMore grease doing their thingThe seaweed wallPretty gardensEnjoying the natureEnjoying the natureDelicious quiche for dinnerMade it to the right train, can relax now!

    Essen

    4–5 июл. 2024, Германия ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Leaving Hamburg behind, we made a short overnight stop in Essen to visit Hendrik and his girlfriend Antonia. It was a bit of a flying visit, and with both Antonia and Hendrick being doctors with their hectic work schedules we were very lucky to manage to meet up with them.

    We arrived into Essen around 5.30pm on Thursday night and met up with Antonia while Hendrick was working his 24h shift at the hospital. Antonia took us for a walk around the park in Essen which was really nice, it felt like we'd been missing a bit of nature over the last couple of weeks. One particularly notable area of the park was the seaweed wall. They have a wall where they trickle salt water over seaweed which is growing on the wall and some benches facing the wall. Antonia told us this is so people can get some fresh salt air and its health benefits, which is lacking due to Essen being quite a long way inland. A bit of a foreign concept when you come from New Zealand but very cool to see.

    Antonia then made us a beautiful vegetarian quiche for dinner before bed. The next day Antonia and Hendrick swapped places, with Antonia heading off to her 24h shift while Hendrick arrived home at about 9am. Fortunately Hendrick had a reasonably quiet shift so he was bright and cheerful when we met him. We headed out for coffee and breakfast and spent the full 5 hours we had with Hendrick non-stop chatting and catching up - it's been 10 years since Nathan last saw him. Unfortunately the 5 hours together was far too short, but there are potentially plans for Hendrick and Antonia to visit NZ in the future so hopefully it won't be another 10 years!

    We then headed to the train station, and Hendrick helped us figure out the trains as our original train was delayed nearly an hour which would have caused us to miss all of our connecting trains and resulted in an absolute nightmare. Fortunately if this happens the German system allows you to catch any train you like to get to your final destination - so Hendrick assisted us to not have complete carnage on our way to Darmstadt.    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    Fancy running into this guy
    Currywurst time!German bakery goods & some sandwiches from the butcherThe Hamburg bunker buildingAt the fountain outside Hamburg City HallHamburg City HallHamburg opera houseThe Hamburg docks (UNESCO World heritage site)Small selection of German beerVela's signature noodle dish

    Hamburg

    2–4 июл. 2024, Германия ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    After an overnight stop in Bilbao, we hopped on a couple of planes and wound up in Hamburg, Germany. It was a bit of a grey and rainy afternoon when we arrived, but after 4 short rides on the metro we bumped into our good mate, Daniel. After we made ourselves comfortable on his pull out bed couch, we headed into Hamburg in search of Currywurst, a German Street food made from curried bratwurst sausage - delicious!

    We started the next day the right way with some goods from a German bakery and butchery before we set off to explore Hamburg. We checked out an old bunker building - which is being renovated to have a public garden - and has a night club in the basement. We then made our way into central Hamburg to see the city hall with its very impressive Gothic architecture. Next stop was the Hamburg opera house, which was supposed to be a free visit to check out some of the harbour views, but unfortunately this has recently changed to require a ticket... And finally a walk over the boardwalk to check out the old canals where international goods such as sugar, coffee and spices used to be unloaded.

    We made our way back to Daniels apartment with an assortment of German beer and some ingredients to make Vela's signature tomato & egg noodles dish for dinner. It was awesome to stop in Hamburg and catch up with Daniel in his natural environment, and a big thanks to him for hosting us!    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    Haro main square
    Red wine fountainLittle parade heading through the main squareStanding in the party square - the little white window in the top right was our apartmentWe couldn't even get into the party squareTrying to find a bus to the hillsTractors with trailers taking wine fightersSequence from top left to bottom right over two daysEnjoying the party and the wine!Dude walking around with his mobile bath tub

    Haro - Wine Fight

    28 июн.–1 июл. 2024, Испания ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    We continued our journey by bus from Logrono to Haro. Haro is in the centre of Rioja, Spain's wine producing region. Every year they hold a wine festival to celebrate, and this includes a wine fight up in the hills, using up much of the low-grade wine which would otherwise be sent to be made into vinegar.

    We arrived Friday morning, with the festivities set to start in the afternoon. One of the first things we were greeted with was a fountain which had been dyed red... A sign of things to come. We made our way to our accommodation, which happened to look right out over one of the squares where much of the partying would take place. After sorting some supplies, we headed to the main square for some food and enjoyed a small parade heading through the square.

    Slowly the square outside our apartment window between to fill with people as marching bands made their way through and the local bars tested their sound systems out. By nightfall the square was packed. We attempted to get amongst everything but couldn't get through the wall of people. It was also a touch chilly so we retreated back to our apartment and opened the window to let the music and atmosphere in so we could have our own little private party. We eventually went to bed about 2am, with the party still going full tilt out our window.

    We awoke at 6.30am and had a good look at the carnage outside in the square. Broken glass and spilled drinks everywhere - but the clean up crew was in full swing. We geared up with water guns and wine and headed off in search of the buses to take us to the hills for the wine fight. The temperature was very cold (probably only 15 degrees) and Vela was shivering even though she was dry. With rain in the forecast we decided to give up on the wine fight. This was a bit of a shame as it was the main reason we came to Haro, and had the weather been sunny it would have been awesome, but it was the right call to look after our health at the end of the day.

    We went back to our apartment for a bit more of a nap. Slowly the wine fighters filtered back into the square, their white shirts from the night before decidedly grape coloured now. We headed back down to enjoy the music and atmosphere and made sure to have a couple glasses of red wine while we were at it (only 1.30eur per glass!) There were marching bands, making their way around, and once they headed home there were people with big speakers in trolleys to take their place. It was a great time having a little boogie in the streets with the locals!

    All-in-all, we didn't quite manage to do what we had planned, but we had a great time and would definitely come back again in the future (time and money allowing) for a second attempt!    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    All packed up, heading on to Logrono!
    All packed up, heading on to Logrono!The changing landscape as we made our way NorthFountain in LogronoThe old streets of central LogronoTapas time!Late evening sunsetTinges of pink in the cloudThe main square and cathedralTime for a little treat!

    Logrono

    27 июня 2024 г., Испания ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    A little bit of a rude awakening this morning with construction work being done on the roof right above our heads... A bit disgruntled we brought it up with the hotel and managed to negotiate a late check-out and a couple of extra free drinks for the inconvenience. This suited us perfectly so we could get a bit more planning done before our train left at 3pm.

    We eventually made our way to the train station to leave Barcelona. The first train took us to Zaragoza and was a very comfortable high speed train. With about an hour's wait in Zaragoza, we eventually boarded our train 20 minutes late. There was no air conditioning aboard this time but that was ok because we did manage to grab a couple of seats (no seats were assigned on this service).

    About 30 minutes into this trip the whole train was suddenly swamped with passengers, all in their late teens/early twenties who were all dressed for a party. The aisles were packed and the already unbearable temperature on board doubled. We were a little concerned when the train, which was definitely on the older side, seemed to struggle to accelerate out of stations... About an hour later they all got off and the train grew bearable again. We were quite glad to see they weren't following us to Logrono or Haro.

    The landscape slowly changed over our trip, and we started to see more grape vines and vineyards in the hills - definitely heading in the right direction! We arrived into Logrono at 8.30pm, about an hour late, but the outside temperature was very comfortable for our walk to the hotel. We dropped our bags off and immediately headed for the main streets of town for tapas (or pinchos as it's called in northern Spain). The prices here were very agreeable compared to Valencia and Barcelona, so we ordered ourselves a small feast to recover from our journey.

    Afterwards we wandered the streets, enjoying the late sunset and mellow street lights. We even treated ourselves to some gelato before heading back to the hotel for the evening.    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    Back in our natural habitat
    Lunchtime sangria before we jumped on the boatRainbow cloud? Must be good luck!Heading out of the harbourWe found Nemo!First glimpse of the ItaliansFly by from the FrenchOrient Express (French), INEOS (British) & Prada (Italian)Hard at workAnd a massive tomahawk steak to refuel at the end of the day. Yum!

    AC Hunting

    26 июня 2024 г., Испания ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Well we hinted earlier in the week, but today was our time to go AC hunting. It was a fantastic day with 15 - 18kt of wind and a choppy sea state. We arrived down at the marina early, so Vela parked herself at a restaurant with a sangria and a salad while Nathan wandered around to see whether any AC boats were on the water.

    There were at least 5 boats out. INEOS and Alinghi were close in, and maybe American Magic as well, but the rest were too far away... Maybe Team New Zealand in the distance? It also looked like a number of the AC40s were out training for the youth and women's AC.

    Nathan met back up with Vela at the restaurant, and Vela pointed out a very cool rainbow cloud above the marina - must mean good luck! We finished off the salad and sangria and made our way onto the dock found Nemo! Our ride for the afternoon, a 34ft Beneteau.

    After a short trip out of the harbour we quickly spotted the boats. We were fortunate enough to have some of them come right up close to us and show off some maneuvers (though Nathan failed at getting good video of these...)

    An awesome afternoon watching these high tech machines tear up the Mediterranean, topped off with a steak for dinner.    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    3D rendering of the completed Sagrada Familia
    Passion & Nativity facadesOur first impressionStanding in the middle of the templeAs the light pours in from the WestAnd the light filtering in from the EastThe ceiling is a work of artA magical staircaseNo Photoshop neededMore Gaudi madness

    Sagrada Familia

    25 июня 2024 г., Испания ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    So. There is a building in Barcelona, it's hard to miss, and we've seen it (her?) a few times the last couple of days. From the outside from afar it's one of those "yeah, it looks kinda cool" sorta buildings. You kinda get this feeling that it's pretty unique, the profile on the horizon is definitely a little different. As you get a bit closer, and you start to see the spires sticking out over the tree tops, you start to notice some of the extra little details; the stars on top of the spires, the fruit baskets scattered along one side, and you start to get an inkling that this is something special.

    Then you get your first full glimpse of the cathedral. Ours was of the Passion facade. And your thoughts are suddenly "wow, okay that's really impressive." You have to take a moment to try and take in all the detail, but you might spend all your life staring at this one aspect and never see everything. Eventually you tell yourself to move on and walk around the building. We walked past the holy facade next, the eastern end of the church, not much to see here yet - the church is still under construction after all, and has been for the last 140 years.

    Then you turn the corner and get a good look at the Nativity facade. It's beyond belief. This is one of the oldest parts since the Sagrada Familia's reimagining. The Nativity facade is a completely different style to the Passion facade. Where the Passion facade was blocky and had a "clean" feel, the Nativity facade feels busy, with a Gothic undertone. Again you feel like you could get lost in the detail. We spent a good 20 minutes just standing in what little shade we could find staring at this structure in front of us. So engrossed, we would likely have been easy targets for any pick pockets - fortunately not today! But the incredible nature of the facades didn't even come close to preparing us for what we were about to see...

    We finally made our way through the Nativity facade and into the church knave. We just stood there. We were gobsmacked. Blown away. The stone exterior did not prepare us for what we had just walked into. The initial impact comes from the size of the interior. With massive stone columns reaching up into the rafters, where they split into smaller "branches" and then "twigs" to support the roof. The knave is aptly named "The Forest," and it feels like you're standing amongst ancient, giant trees of stones. And the leaves of those trees? The light.

    And what light! Every colour of the spectrum filters in through the intricate stained glass windows, each window made up of hundreds, if not thousands, of individual panes. The inside of this temple of light is awe inspiring. We lost ourselves taking photos. Every nook, every angle, there was something new. And if you stay long enough, everything changes again as the sun drops lower in the sky. It feels like if we were to return tomorrow in the morning, the whole interior would be brand new.

    It was a truly fantastic experience. Gaudi's vision is beyond belief. And this will most definitely be one of the highlights of our trip.

    (Sorry for getting a little gushy)    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    La Pedrera - Casa Mila
    Checking out the "whalebone" atticSome of the models of La PedreraCrazy = geniusThe rooftop viewWhat a rooftopVela getting artsyThe rooftop guardians (definitely not chimneys)Some of the epic detail at La PedreraThe Butterfly Courtyard

    La Pedrera - Casa Mila

    25 июня 2024 г., Испания ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Today was all about Gaudi. Too much Gaudi for one post so we've split today into two instalments.

    A bit of an early start for us, having to be out the door by 10am for our entry time into La Pedrera. This was our first taste of Gaudi. To be honest we knew very little about Gaudi before today, but after experiencing some of his work, it's absolutely conclusive that he was 100% a visionary and a genius... but also 100% crazy.

    After arriving at La Pedrera we collected our free audio guides - honestly everywhere needs to have these included - and made our way up to the apartment. The apartment was the least interesting part of La Pedrera with the most interesting part being the use of marble for some of the detailing, and the patterned floor tiles.

    Afterwards we went up into the attic space. One of Gaudi's traits was taking inspiration from nature, so the attic space and the structure for the roof is modelled on the rib cage of a whale. So we made our way through the belly of the beast, admiring the models made for La Pedrera - including a parking garage - there was barely a straight line in the whole place. There was also one of Gaudi's string models, where he would hang strings from the ceiling and, using small bags full of lead shot, he would identify the perfect angles for structural stability. He also used this method when designing Sagrada Familia.

    Next we headed onto the rooftop. This place was a treasure trove, with arches to frame Sagrada Familia, chimneys designed to look like helmeted soldiers and stairwell entrances like seashells. We spent a significant amount of time up here just enjoying the architecture and ambience.

    We finally dragged ourselves off the roof and back down to the ground floor where we walked through the two courtyards built into the apartment building; the butterfly courtyard and the flower courtyard. Again the detail was incredible, with thought given to parking cars (which was quite novel at the beginning of the 20th century), grand stairwells for hosting parties, and detailed ceiling paintings depicting mythological scenes. There was a strong feeling of being underwater in these courtyards, very likely because of the curvature of the building as well as some of the decor.

    We left La Pedrera - Casa Mila apartment block feeling very excited about architecture and looking forward to having a closer look at the Sagrada Familia this afternoon...    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    N - "We're going on an adventure!", V - "Not more hills..."
    Checking out the Barcelona viewClimbed a hillNot long to go now!Barcelona beach - packed!Found a quiet spot on the end of the break waterView from the cable carHey ETNZ, do you need a hand to unwrap your delivery?Sangria time! Cava sangria on the left, traditional on the rightV - "I'm definitely going to figure out how to make sangria at home!"

    A Hill, A Beach, A Cable Car

    24 июня 2024 г., Испания ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Our day started with a quick stop at a barber where Nathan got his mop pruned back to a more presentable state. Next we hiked up a pretty decent hill - though we cheated and took escalators part of the way - to Park Guell. We expected to be able to just walk in and check out the park, but unfortunately you need to buy tickets, and they were all sold out for the day... Oh well.

    We quickly formed a new plan and set off around the park to a hill where we could get a good view out over Barcelona. It was cool to see the Terracotta colours of the Barcelona rooftops with the sparkling blue Mediterranean behind. The Sagrada Familia makes for a striking landmark too.

    After we made our way down from the hill we caught the bus to Barcelona beach. The looming presence of the Americas cup was noticeable here, with an electronic clock counting down to the start of racing. There were a couple of AC75s training off in the distance, but too far for us to see which teams.

    We went for a wander along the beach, keeping our valuables closely guarded as it felt like it could be a hotspot for pick pockets. The beach was absolutely jammed full of people. It was a lovely day and we would have loved to go for a dip, but it just didn't feel safe to leave our stuff with so many people around. So after a short photo shoot on the end of the breakwater we made our way back.

    One last activity to top off the day was the cable car ride over Port Vell. The wait was significantly longer than we expected, but once we were up the tower the view was pretty awesome. We had a bit of a gander down into the AC teams bases as we flew overhead in our little red basket, but there wasn't a lot of action. Nathan also spotted Skorpios, a 137ft carbon fibre offshore racing weapon, sitting up on the hard waiting for her next race. Team NZs Taihoro was still wrapped up in the corner - seriously if they want a hand to unwrap we don't mind!

    We landed safely on the other side, conveniently right next to a bar... So we finished our day with a couple of Sangria's - one traditional and one Cava (traditional is best!). Safe to say we're sangria converts!    Читать далее

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  • Our OE
    Vela hanging with Pablo
    Really had to squint at this one...Enjoying the pigeons in the windowDog?On location with the ACOld Te Aihe on display in Alinghi coloursWe asked the seagull for the inside scoop on the cup, but he remained tight-beakedWhat's that in the corner?The only view the challengers will get of TaihoroCouple of professional spies

    Picasso & The Cup Spies

    23 июня 2024 г., Испания ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    We made it to Barcelona! After a travel day yesterday we arrived early afternoon. Vela wasn't feeling too flash so we had an easy evening hanging around the hotel.

    But today we hit the streets. First stop was the Picasso Museum. There was a massive collection of sketches, paintings and other creative works. We particularly liked his collection of pigeon paintings from his time in Nice - all painted within a week of each other. There was a short video as well which really impressed upon us the speed at which he worked. It was also interesting to see how his style developed over time, from realistic paintings, through his blue period, to the distortionate style he is most well known for. Despite all this, I'm not sure he's ever seen what a dog actually looks like...

    After Picasso we took a short stroll down to the Americas cup village. There wasn't much going on today, not sure if any of the teams were on the water. However we did play cup spy and noticed a white shrink-wrapped package tucked away in a corner... A little snooping and it turns out that ETNZ's race boat to defend the cup arrived into Barcelona last night, not long after we had arrived!

    We headed for a closer look, hoping to find someone we could volunteer our unwrapping services to - no luck on that front. We did get around the other side and made a human tower to peek over the fence, we got a good view of the Taihoro's stern, a view we're sure the defenders will get sick of seeing come race time!

    We've booked ourselves onto a boat trip to hopefully watch some of these machines fly around later in the week!    Читать далее

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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!

    21 июня 2024 г., Испания ⋅ ☀️ 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!    Читать далее

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