Reset search
Europe
  • Our Year Off

Europe

A 254-day adventure by Our Year Off Read more
+15
FollowInsightsInsightsCalendarCalendarPhotosPhotosShareShareBucket list
Newest first
  • Trip start
    April 8, 2017
    Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off

    Brecon Beacons

    April 8, 2017 in Wales ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    First stop on our year off was Wales..
    Expecting cold and wet, we had beautiful sunny days and lots of fun with the family.
    Via Bristol to Brecon Beacons we picked up Juliet on the way to met Jen, Doug and the girls. Visited the national showcaves - 250 dinosaurs, 3 caves and a playground - lots to keep all of us entertained!
    then we were off to celebrate Richard and Nia's wedding at the stunning Lake Vrynwy.    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    1

    Lake Vrynwy

    April 10, 2017 in Wales ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Wonderful wedding in a beautiful location. Great to spend time with all of our family before heading off for our trip. Lots of love, laughs and most importantly for a Harnden family wedding - dancing!!Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off

    Beauly, Scotland

    April 15, 2017 in Scotland ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    So after a brief stop in Dumfries the day after the wedding, we drove up to the north of Scotland where I became a bit excited at the sight of snow on the mountains 8D
    The view from the croft - panoramic from Inverness to big Ben Wyvis - is quite something.
    Walked by Loch Ness to Urqhart Castle, went to Mass on Easter Sunday and left to some playing bagpipes, wandered around the Old Priory at Beauly and even helped move a few stones.    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off

    Manchester

    April 21, 2017 in England ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Always a great time had here! Fire breathing on canal street?? Millions of Mopeds on a St George's day parade (photo expertly taken opposite an adult superstore) need I say more?! Yes...
    Food food beer beer food food beer beer
    In between the beer and food we did visit the Comedy Store, John Rylands library and Salford Quays.
    Kate and I destroyed ourselves bouldering at the climbing centre and then she bought some bubbles so we could all act like the children that we still are
    Hostess with the Mostess gave up her bed for us and therefore we left her broken and exhausted on Monday morning - til next time my dearest ****    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off

    Base camp

    April 26, 2017 in England ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Return to base camp (in-laws) until moving on to Europe via christening in Buckingham!
    Good weather seems to be following us around :)
    After a brilliant weekend in Manchester, relaxing and repacking!
    tried out the bike rack today, taking the bikes to the Tamar Trails - which I would really recommend to anyone who likes cycling/running/walking. showed me how unfit I currently am tho with some steep ascents...    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off

    Dover to Calais

    May 9, 2017, English Channel ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    So.. after a lovely few days in Buckingham for new godson William's Christening - save for our bicycles being stolen 😫 - we're now on a very quiet ferry to Calais (sadly sans velos).

    It's a beautiful sunny day, hopefully it will follow us for the next few months.

    Will update when we are settled in Switzerland 🇨🇭    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    21

    Camping Bella Tola

    May 11, 2017 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    The title is deceptive, we haven't pitched our tent..yet. And gladly so as its blowing a gale here nestled between the Swiss Alps. Thunder storm due tomorrow so glad to be in a cabin.
    Drove around 8 hours yesterday to get here and seems we left the sun in France.
    Campsite is mostly empty and the rep said we're a bit early for Switzerland. Cable cars etc not yet opened so can't see some of the views on high but already seen some spectacular scenery since crossing the border from France.
    Went for a walk in the forest today after lunch at a Swiss restaurant (see picture of Stuart and his rosti). Heading to Lausanne tomorrow to check out the Olympic museum and the rest of the city.
    Stuart found a beer for about 50p today so is very happy :) everything else in Switzerland is quite expensive!    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    1

    Lausanne

    May 12, 2017 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    Today was meant to be horrible weather - only got damp once - so headed to Lausanne for some sight seeing.
    It is in quite a stunning setting, set on Lac Lemon and is also set on a pretty steep hill.. as our legs found out.
    Spent hours in the Olympic museum (I am a big fan) which is well worth a visit as theres so much to see and so many good stories to ignite your Olympic flame!
    Set off up lots of hills and steps to reach the Cathedral, great view from the outside.
    Took a picnic as our budget doesn't stretch too far here in Switzerland
    Tomorrow is our last day and although we wanted to visit the Matterhorn we may have to save it for another trip.. will wander around the local area instead.
    Next stop, Milan :)    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    2
    12

    Simplon

    May 14, 2017 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌫 6 °C

    The drive from Switzerland to Italy through the Simplon pass is breathtaking!
    We were so high when we made a loo stop people were skiing on the mountain nearby!
    Up, up, up through endless tunnels then down alongside Lake Maggiore.

    Arrived at our purple palace where we have a huge room to make the most before we get camping..

    P.s. If you look closely at the first photo you'll see the havoc travelling is playing on my hair.. so static I keep giving stuart shocks ⚡️    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    22

    Milano

    May 15, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Saw the sights in Milan today.. Castello Sfrozesco, Parco Sempione, Il Duomo..
    Warm for us Brits here, even now and its only May!!
    We climbed the steps up to the top of Il Duomo (its cheaper) and the view was as impressive there as the interior.
    Saw all the Italian elite out shopping. Wandering past Prada in my primark trousers I must admit I mentioned to Stuart that if we cut out trip short by a month I could buy myself a bag...
    Hotel is really good - huge room and good breakfast - but onto our first night camping tomorrow. Heading down to Tuscany to attempt to erect the tent without our tent assistant Soph :) wish our marriage good luck!    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    2

    Firenze

    May 17, 2017 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Obviously Florence is a beautiful city but... the highlight of today had to be the start of stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia. Little did we know at the time but we were literally an arms length from Omar Fraille, the winner of todays stage! Quintana, Cavendish, Greipel were all there too. Pretty starstruck to be honest! The view from Piazzale di Michelangelo also made the hike up there worthwhile.
    It wasn't as busy as we had thought it might be when we opted to get the train to avoid another drive - if you haven't experienced Italian driving I would not recommend it - Stuart refuses to do it so I am taking on the challenge and driving defensively at all times.
    After the start of the race we headed back to the centre of Florence via the Ponte Vecchio. We went into Il Duomo which in my opinion is not as impressive as Il Duomo in Milan.
    Florence is a real stunner though and worth the trip to wander around the old streets.    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    1

    Pisa

    May 19, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    Hadn't thought too much about Pisa before heading there to see the Leaning Tower and to be honest didn't think too much about it having been there. Having looked for parking beforehand a few websites had mentioned avoiding certain carparks for fear of thieves and as I am on permanent crimewatch since the bikes were stolen I was feeling wary anyway! When you arrive it does seem pretty dodgy as every corner there's a chap trying to sell you something. At least the Prada bag there may not have cost as much in Milan...

    Went to see the Tower but decided against going inside. The area where the Tower is, with the Baptistry and Duomo - the only three things referred to in the guidebook and I can kinda see why - is immaculate and full of tourists, but otherwise the city appears to be made up of university buildings, tourist shops and restaurants. Altogether we were in and out within about an hour :)

    This did however allow us to get back in time for a swim in the pool, as we have done - in typical Brits on holidays style - everyday. Have attached a picture of the pool and the view.

    Typing this from inside the tent as a massive thunderstorm is raging above us. Onto Rome tomorrow which I think will look even better    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    1

    Rome

    May 22, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Day one of four here in Rome. Got through quite a few of the big 'sights' so will try to document Rome in a few days of blog. Colloseum was the first stop, which I had never been inside before and really is quite an epic reminder of how cruel humans are! Next we wandered around the Roman Forum (thanks for the suggestion Nia!) so much to see there but would get a tour guide if I went again.

    After lunching about 4pm we headed to the tourist filled Fontana di Trevi which was beautiful as ever but you cannot move for us holiday makers there.. and the bustle can detract from the real beauty of the fountain itself. We then walked to the Pantheon in search of a Gelateria that I visited nearby on previous visits. Evidently whilst my memory is pretty awful at the best of times, it obviously doesn't forget a sweet treat as I found it - Della Palma - and it has 150 flavours to try! Perfect temporary remedy to the heat!

    Hot hot hot for little old me here and I am not coping too well with the heat vs clothing situation. I could quite possibly be the worst dressed person in Italy at the moment :) Definitely not made for this climate so don't worry Mum I won't be moving to Italy!

    Campsite is a bit of a let down after the last one as we didn't realise before we came that it is 18 - 30 on a budget vs a Saga holiday. Lots of noise from the bar which is open til 2am and definitely not made for tents - after hours of hammering and a few bent pegs - hence why the majority of other (older) campers are in caravans and mobile homes! But it did teach me to read trip advisor in more detail before choosing the next one!

    Plenty more to see tomorrow so will keep you posted    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    111

    Roma

    May 26, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Rome, take 2.

    Seen a lot, walked a lot, queued a lot, over the last four days.

    Tuesday we spent the majority of the day in the Vatican City. It is absolutely mobbed here in Rome. Not sure if it is the time of year or if it is always like this but I don't recall the sheer amount of people when I was last here, admittedly about 12 years ago.

    We queued for about 45 minutes to view the Musei di Vaticani - a collection of museums - and most importantly to be squished like sardines into the Sistine Chapel. Incredible collection of sculptures, artwork and artifacts in the Musei - which Stuart and I took really seriously - and worth the wait to see Michelangelo's masterpiece. Next we headed to St Peter's and queued for about an hour and 15 minutes as despite returning three times during the day the queue never got any shorter, The experience was made much more enjoyable by spending the time chatting to a Korean chap called Reagan who is travelling Europe on his own.

    When we finally got through security, I made the journey up to the Bronze Doors to request tickets for the audience with the Pope the following day. Only one person is allowed to go up the stairs and I got to chat to a Swiss Guard. Visiting St Peters is a must,it really dwarfs any other church that we have visited.

    On Wednesday we headed in what we deemed to be early to get back to St Peter's square for the audience with the Pope. Reckon we underestimated it by about two hours as the place was swamped when we arrived. Although we couldn't get into the centre of the seating, we managed to hear and see him from a distance so pretty pleased with that.

    We then went onto Castel Sant'Angelo, which sits on the west of the River Tiber which was built by Hadrian as his Mausoleum. Whilst I didn't really find the exhibits that fascinating.. can I say that? it was worth it for the view from the top. As we left the Castel we crossed the River only to bump into our friend Reagan again randomly in the street, we are now Instagram buddies so can follow each others travels. Despite having seen the Pope a few hours earlier I think that chance meeting was definitely Stuarts highlight of the day!

    Headed to the city last night to eat after doing washing and preparing for moving on. Visiting my gran's friend Maria today and on the ferry to Croatia next Thursday, in the meantime who knows, will keep you updated!    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off

    Aquino

    May 28, 2017 in Italy ⋅ 🌫 30 °C

    The last three days we have spent in the midst of wonderful Italian hospitality. We visited Maria and her family in Aquino. Maria is my grandparents friend who was originally from Guernsey before she moved to Italy with her husband. I have often heard my grandparents talk of Maria, her family and the nearby Monte Cassino so we could not miss the opportunity to pop by on our trip. We stayed with Maria in Aquino and met her three children and four grandchildren.

    Stuart finally experienced real Italian home cooking and safe to say that he adored it! As my mum put it he was in his element "good food and good company". Maria's daughters, Stella and Anna-Maria both hosted us for pranzo (long lunch with pasta as a mere starter...!) finished off with Italian coffee which Stuart is enjoying very much!

    After having lunch made for us by Maria and meeting her son Carlo on Friday, we headed to Stella's house for the largest pizzas I have ever seen with all the family. In the garden we saw fireflies which I got a little childishly excited about!

    On Saturday we had a traditional Napolitano soup, followed by Buffalo - which neither of us had tried before - home grown beans and home made salcicce washed down with home made wine at Anna Maria's. Late afternoon we headed to the Abbey of Monte Cassino which is a short drive away. Perched on top of the mountain this incredible place has been destroyed four times and rebuilt, most recently during terrible fighting in the second world war. We were not prepared for how impressive the Abbey is both inside and for the views. We then headed down the mountain to visit the Polish and then the Commonwealth cemeteries paying tribute to those who lost their lives trying to take back the Abbey and the surroundings from the Nazi stronghold in 1944.

    Today we went to Mass in the church in Aquino followed by a cafe in the Piazza where everyone congregates on a Sunday to meet and drink more coffee. We could definitely get used to the culture here. Another huge pranzo followed on the terrace at Stella's house with a view of Monte Cassino.. On the drive out this afternoon Stuart commented that he was very sad to leave. We were made to feel completely welcome and will definitely plan to return again to visit everyone and try to see all the places that we will sadly not have time to see this trip.

    We have now arrived in Pompeii to visit the "scavi" and Naples.. will write again in a few days.    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off

    Pompei

    May 29, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    We picked our B&B so we could visit the "scavi" at Pompeii. This is the Italian name for the excavations at Pompeii. We had previously read somewhere that Pompeii may not stay open to the public as the constant traffic is damaging the protection of the artefacts. "In June 2013 UNESCO declared: If restoration and preservation works “fail to deliver substantial progress in the next two years,” Pompeii could be placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger." (from good old wikipedia!) We had no choice really but to ensure that we made a visit.

    The place is huge.. easy to forget that it is a whole city that was destroyed and therefore we underestimated the five hours that we would be walking around! The city foundations themselves are well preserved, showing how the city would have been laid out. For the first time we purchased audio guides (gotta be careful of the budget!) to show us around. The history of Pompeii and the age of the artefacts is quite incredible but I am beginning to realise that any type of archaeology is just not for me. Stuart on the other hand finds it fascinating and therefore for anyone else who probably would be interested, it is worth going while you have the chance.    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    122

    Napoli

    May 30, 2017 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    "Vedi Napoli e poi muori"

    Rough translation "See Naples and die". There is nothing else worth seeing after a visit to Naples according to this old Italian proverb..

    It is dirty, smelly and noisy. Not necessarily a criticism from me as I love cities and this is definitely a buzzing city. I really enjoyed the maze of narrow alleys and then when you reach the bay with its beautiful waters and the view of Vesuvius, it really is quite something.

    We got the train from Pompeii to Naples as Maria's son had advised us that all the cars in Naples were round ;)

    We massively underestimated the size of Naples and ended up walking 12 miles throughout the day. A lot of it in search of Piazza Plebiscito and the Pizza Fritta (fried pizza) that had been recommended to us. It didn't disappoint. They made it fresh in front of us. It had tomato, salami, buffalo ricotta and something else I can't remember, then fried in about 2 minutes. Piping hot and delicious, my mouth is watering at the thought!

    After we found this treasure, we wandered to the bay and sat by the water, taking in the view and the Italian street style which appears to be popular in Naples.. very gansgta.

    Luckily for my back which is suffering at the moment, Stuarts new found love of espressos means that we can stop often for a seat in one of the many cafes down the side streets. However, having seen on the news that 2 days previously 6 people were shot in a 24 hour period, it was a bit disconcerting hearing a loud bang to which a lady next to said "I don't like this at all" and quickly moved on. Convincing myself it was a balloon we stayed to finish our drinks and evidently lived to tell the tale.. Maybe we should take the proverb a little more literally!    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    1

    Matera

    May 31, 2017 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    This place.. is such a beauty. Our rough guide (thanks Richard and Nia!) describes it as one of the south's most fascinating cities. It is where Mel Gibson filmed the Passion of the Christ and you can see why it was such a fitting setting. We both wish we could have more time here as one day is definitely not enough to appreciate it all. The apartment that we are staying in is also quite a luxury! There is a four poster bed and a fab shower. Good old Airbnb! When we arrived the hostess showed us exactly where to head to and where to eat.

    According to the local leaflet, Matera is one of the oldest towns in the world, dating back around 7,000 years.. Matera has two 'Sassi', which are two districts made up of two sets of dwellings. The original cave dwellings date back to the early 18th century, the "Sasso Caveoso" and were lived in by "peasants". We visited one of these cave dwellings which were really pretty cool, also literally pretty cool as it was super warm here today.

    After WWII they moved the people into newly built dwellings which are in the second "Sasso Barisano". These were built in a sympathetic style and the overall effect looks amazing.

    Tonight we ate some regional food in a cave restaurant and it was really good and of course really filling. Luckily the lady here stocked up with tea bags, so just chilling with a cuppa, you can take the girl out of Guernsey...

    Matera is another UNESCO world heritage site so currently feeling very cultured ;D Off to Bari and the overnight ferry to Dubrovnik tomorrow, will catch up next from Croatia x    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    5

    Dubrovnik

    June 3, 2017 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    A.K.A Kings Landing for all you Game of Thrones fans out there! For those of you who aren't, Dubrovnik doubles as this fictional city for some of the filming of the series.

    We are actually staying in Mlini, which is a resort just south of Dubrovnik, as Dubrovnik would have bust the budget! The reason for coming here was of course to visit Dubrovnik itself but yesterday we were pretty exhausted after the ferry ride that was a journey in itself.

    It involved complete and utter confusion. From the moment we boarded - about 3 hours before the ferry left - until getting through passport control in Croatia we, and seemingly everyone else including the staff, had no idea what was going on. Firstly our sat-nav took us to completely the wrong place for the port in Bari. When we found it and 'checked in' as we should we were just told to wait in a big carpark where people were still trying to sell us selfie sticks... Chaos at the gate continued into the car deck so we were relieved to arrive up to our cabin. 2 tiny bunk beds - one broken - and a wash basin. The facilities on the ship do not appear to have been changed from the 1970's and the CD selection since the 1990's. The crossing itself was fine and in the morning the chaos continued with a 45 minute wait to be allowed off the ferry and a further 1 hour 45 to get through passport control.

    I am learning a very important lesson this trip. No-one queues like we British but I think they could do with learning ;)

    Back to Croatia. Mlini is a nice quiet resort. We are staying about 150 steps up from the beach area but this is getting off lightly compared to some of the places. Yesterday we swam in the sea and chilled and had a beer by the water.

    Today we headed into Dubrovnik by boat. The majority of our time was spent in the Old City where it is surrounded by walls, a bit like St Malo. Being Game of Thrones fans ourselves we booked into a walking tour to hear about the filming of the show and the history of Dubrovnik.

    It really is a great looking city. Thronging with tourists again (us included!) and most of the Old City is just restaurant, souvenirs, restaurants, souvenirs and so on. Our landlady - who I would estimate to be in her 60s - did say its not like it used to be when she was younger. The tour was interesting and included a visit to the Fort Lovrjenac whose entrance has an inscription in Latin reading “Freedom is not to be sold, even for all the fortunes of the world”. Which is particularly interesting as for 450 years Dubrovnik paid the Ottoman Empire a fortune every year to remain independent... At the end of the tour we got to sit on a replica of the Iron Throne so unlike most of the characters in the show, we had a happy ending.

    Tomorrow we move north to a place called Kastel Luscik near Split for four days and hope to finally do some washing!!    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    1
    311

    Kaštel Lukšić

    June 4, 2017 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Where we are staying now is in a place called Kastel Luksic. It's part of an area called Kastela, basically the coast between Split and Trogir dotted with Castles...

    The minute we arrived we really loved it so booked an extra 3 days to make our stay up to a week! We have two rickety old bikes, but bikes nonetheless, included in our accommodation so I am one very happy girl. Such a joy to be cycling even if it is at 5 mph holding on for dear life!

    The sea is refreshing and clear, we have both been "swimming". Inverted commas as it's more a quick dip and then sitting in the shallows since I read about shark attacks in Croatia!

    The drive up here took us 24 mins through Bosnia. This is somewhere we wanted to stop but insurance restrictions changed our minds.. at least we gained a stamp in our passports to say that we have been here!

    We diverted off the motorway to drive the coastal route as the Dalmatian coast is beautiful! Arriving here we were not disappointed.    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    111

    Split

    June 6, 2017 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Stuart had been bitten by a mosquito on leaving Dubrovnik. It wasn't until we arrived in Kastel Luksic that we realised his foot was hugely swollen and he was struggling to walk. He could've done with rubbing the foot of your man Bishop Grgur Ninski instead of posing with him - it is said to bring you good luck - but we forgot about that.

    The bite was a few days ago and therefore I thought he could easily manage the 303 stairs to view Split from the Marjan Peninsula once we had seen it from the ground! He did but we didn't do too much walking around once we were up there as he was in quite a bit of discomfort. I am a very thoughtful wife!

    Split is an Old Town - like a mini Dubrovnik - with the modern town growing up around it. It was a half hour bus ride from where we are staying. I preferred it to Dubrovnik as whilst it had the same marble roads and stone buildings, it definitely has a more chilled out vibe. Our guide describes it as a 'hectic' place but maybe we were there on a quiet day but I didn't get that impression at all.

    Through the Bronze Gate of the Old Town you get to the port from where you can travel to the various Islands. Many people advised us to visit the Islands - in particular Havr - but on our budget it'll have to wait for another time.

    Whilst Stuart was nursing his elephant foot, I have been suffering from the heat.. arms are all bumpy 😳. This gave us a perfect excuse to head to the air conditioned cinema in one of the shopping malls. As you will know we love going to the cinema and this one did not disappoint. We already knew that Croatians watched films in English with Croatian subtitles, one of the many reasons they speak such good English! Relaxing in the big seats of a near empty cinema to watch Wonder Woman for about £3 each, can't complain!

    The day was topped off at Sexy Cow, a fast food place we had found on good ole Tripadvisor. Great filled wraps with lots of flavour and I just loved the name :)    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    1
    1

    Trogir

    June 10, 2017 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    So on our last day in Kastela, we visited Trogir, another UNESCO World Heritage site a bus ride in the other direction.

    Whilst I run the risk of sounding spoilt with lovely places - I am - the main attraction is the Old Town. To my uncultured eye, this is a lot like both Dubrovnik and Split. White marble roads, attractive stone buildings, by the sea and maze-like small streets.

    Both the highlight and the lowlight was climbing the Cathedral Tower. It gives you a "sweeping view" of the town, but I couldn't experience these as I developed some kind of height fright half way up the bell tower so let Stuart continue whilst I held the handrail in a vicelike grip.. If you look at the photo he took you will see me in the corner holding on for dear life!

    Also the Cathedral has a ornate door featuring Adam and Eve, who I am copying. Also in the Chapel - dedicated to St John of Trogir - there is a man popping his head out upside down and for all the googling I cannot work out who he is or what he is doing.. too cheap to buy a guidebook :)

    So possibly good timing to be moving on tomorrow to see some different sights altogether!    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    122

    Plitvička Jezera

    June 11, 2017 in Croatia ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    So definitely saw some different sights today.

    The Plitvice Lakes take your breath away. Waterfall after waterfall leading to crystal clear lakes. It really feels almost like a fairytale. You follow wooden walkways and take boats and a train/van/type/vehicle to get around. I don't think I can do it justice with an explanation so I have tried to pick the best 6 photos to give you an idea of what it is like. Though I am not sure that they show you how amazing it really is either. You will have just have to visit for yourselves!

    By the time we had arrived at the Lakes it was about 3pm and whilst it was quite busy I think a lot of people had come and gone. There is a lot to explore, hence we walked about 9 miles in the 4 hours we were there.

    On the drive into Plitvice we had noticed various red triangular road signs with pictures of bears... So Stuart was desperate to see a bear. He said that this would be even better than having seen the Pope or Nairo Quintana. If any of you however, have seen the documentary about bear enthusiast Timothy Treadwell, as I have (thanks Amy) you would have shared my desperation NOT to see a bear. Also we worked out on our walk back to the B&B through the woods at dusk that all we had to defend ourselves was GoPro on a stick.

    Safely back at the B&B we had a meal of potatoes, salad with traditional Croatian meats and a paprika salsa, neither of which names I could repeat, cooked by the owner. It was absolutely delicious. I swear the sausage had some kind of melted cheese in it which for me was heaven.

    Now we are exhausted but looking forward to seeing the Capital tomorrow.    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    5

    Zagreb

    June 15, 2017 in Croatia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We had a couple of nights in the capital before leaving Croatia.

    Zagreb is not a big city and was the first place that didn't seem to be swarming with Tourists. Lots of great things to see when wondering around and a really chilled out atmosphere. We arrived in the afternoon on the first day so we took a slow meander around - it was like 35 degrees - and took in some of the main sights. First observation that it was really green and really clean. there are also lots of statues, but Nikola Tesla is the only name I recognised, albeit I had to google what he is famous for :)

    We rented a room in the flat of a Croatian chap about our age. So the first night we spent with him and his friend. We drank beer together and they told us about Croatia:

    the corrupt politics;
    the mass migration to Germany;
    the lack of recycling;
    that it is legal to ride a scooter without a helmet;
    that there are many places we really should visit next time;
    that their "popstars" are just regular people who like to sing, earn a normal wage and live in the local neighbourhoods; and
    the women...

    Croatian women appear to all be beautiful and slim... in a country where they make croissants filled with chocolate, I don't know how that is possible!

    On the second day we walked around the Dolac Market. We bought some Burek (traditional Croatian stuffed pastry) for lunch. We then visited the Cathedral, which I thought we had been told was the tallest building in Croatia - despite the various high rises that have sprung up - but I have since read that apparently it is the tallest in the Country. No wonder I couldn't fit it in my photo! It had an impressive interior and the ceiling looks like it is covered in stars. It is also rumoured that its three chandeliers were in fact made for a casino in Las Vegas but ended up here instead.

    Next up we headed to the 'Museum of Broken Relationships', whose exhibits are items contributed to by people who have been broken hearted alongside the stories that accompany them. Our host was not keen when I suggested we were going to go but we went anyway. Whilst the items were some regular and some random - many household and many weird - the stories made it for me. Varying from funny to strange to tearjerking.

    By this point we were both a little weary so we headed to Tkalciceva Street to people watch. Its basically a cool street full of bars and restaurants where you can sit and watch the Croatian world go by.

    To finish the night we went to a Croatian restaurant for traditional BBQ food recommended by our host. As you will see from the picture.. it was a real meat feast. We had already tried some of this in Plitvice from our host there so had an idea of what to expect but it was really immense. Meat stuffed with cheese.. dreamy...    Read more

  • Our Year OffEuropeOur Year Off
    1

    Ljubljana

    June 22, 2017 in Slovenia ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Sorry for the little delay in posting this but whilst we are now in Austria, we arrived here from a stay in Lovely Ljubljana.

    The Slovenian capital is wonderful and there was so much going on.

    We had an idea of a couple of things that we wanted to see but had no idea that there would be so much else on offer else we would likely have stayed for more time. Also we only really saw two other places in Slovenia other than Ljubljana but I get the impression that there is so much more to experience. Our host and his friends told us of so much more.. definitely one to add to the future holiday list!

    We arrived on the Thursday and spent most of the day chatting to our new Slovenian friends. Later in the evening we did pop into town to try some Slovenian food - more of that in a separate post as I must elaborate on the food we had whilst here as it was so fantastic!

    Friday we knew that the Tour of Slovenia was taking place so we headed to the HUGE Tivoli Park to watch the start. Got up close to Mark Cavendish was definitely a highlight. Not such a grand scale as the Giro in Italy but great atmosphere. Once the race started we toured the park on the bikes that were included with the place we rented. Things were going well until Stuart snapped the pedal and the pedal arm clear off his bike with his brute strength.. so we were walking after that..! heading back in to the centre of the city we found the weekly Friday food market, and aren't we glad we did, amazing food.. again. After lunch the heavens opened and we waited - luckily undercover - for the end of the race. There was a nasty crash just before the finish but an exciting finish nonetheless.

    Taking the broken bike back to the flat our host was very understanding as I suspect the bike was not brand new. We then wandered back into the city for a bit of sightseeing on foot and another lovely meal.

    Saturday Stuart had discovered a board games cafe so we headed there. Great place, lots of games and good coffee. After this we had read of a burger and beer festival - right up our street :) in the centre. We then visited Ljubljana Castle where we finally got to ride in a Funicular. Having missed out on a couple of previous chances to go in one. We then had an amazing tour where they get actors to reenact stories detailing the Castles past as a penitentiary in different parts of the castle. The attached picture is taken from the viewing tower for which we had to climb the spiral stairs.. my height fright returned but it was worth battling through it for the incredible view. Apparently you can see a third of Slovenia from up there.

    From the castle we headed to an area called Metelkova. It is covered with Graffiti and is like the 'alternate' area in Ljubljana, It was a "former barracks complex of the Yugoslav Army" according to our guide. We were here specifically as it was the start of Ljubljana Pride. As proud allies to the LGBTQ community we enjoyed the parade through the city streets to loud music and surrounded by lots of colour as you will see! Incredibly that was not all as we stumbled upon an open air concert set up. Turns out we had arrived in time to get seats to a free concert by the Slovenian Philarmonic Orchestra. Accompanied by a mezzo-soprano they covered various famous opera and show tunes.. amazing music and luck for us!

    To say that we had to choose to miss a wine festival shows you how much there was to do! Definitely top of my "will come again" list so far..

    But the food, oh the food, it really does deserve a separate post...    Read more

  • 2025© FindPenguins
  • Home
  • About us
  • Group Tracking
  • Press
  • Terms
  • Privacy Policy & Cookies
  • Help Center
  • Legal notice