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Vela Huang

Vela Huang

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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

      July 15, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 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.      Read more

    • 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

      July 14, 2024 in Monaco ⋅ ☁️ 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.      Read more

    • 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

      July 14, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 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!      Read more

    • 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

      July 13, 2024 in France ⋅ ☀️ 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.      Read more

    • 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

      July 12, 2024 in France ⋅ ⛅ 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!      Read more

    • 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

      July 11, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 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!      Read more

    • 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

      July 10, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 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!      Read more

    • 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

      July 9, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☀️ 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!      Read more

    • 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

      July 8, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 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!      Read more

    • 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

      July 7, 2024 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 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.      Read more

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