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Round-the-World

April - July 2016
A 104-day adventure by Aaron and Flora Read more
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    Day 8

    French Alps - Annecy

    April 21, 2016 in France ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today was spent walking around Annecy, a romantic alpine town in the French Alps with canals winding through old buildings. The water is crystal clear. We weren't so lucky with the weather today. This didn't stop the locals from taking their daily walks around Lake Annecy. We followed suit.

    The French love their dogs. Everywhere we go, we see them walking their dogs, even in the city. Apart from the crazy French driver that went ballistic when we nearly took his car out in the mountains, everyone else seems so laid-back. There is no rush. Life moves as fast as their little French bulldog and they seem to be more than content with it. A worthy lesson to learn, we think.

    And then there was that witching hour again where Flora hears nothing but the rumbling of her stomach. We headed down a cobbled path to find some food. In order to keep our budget down, we avoid the expensive restaurants and cafes and frequent boulangeries for yummy baguettes. This time, however, Aaron decided he'd get a burger from a street stall, chock full of french fries.

    We find a nice spot in the park adjacent to Lake Annecy to enjoy our lunch and the stunning view of the Alps.    Read more

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    Day 10

    Sisteron

    April 23, 2016 in France ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    We sadly bid our alps home goodbye this morning. It has been the most rejuvenating and incredible stay and we are already wishing we could return at the end of our Europe trip. We head off to our next accommodation, this time in the French Provence to sample some of the local wine. Unfortunately, Flora has taken ill. She spent most of the night awake. She would spend the entire drive asleep (nothing new really).

    Along the way, we stopped by at Sisteron on Trevor's advice. You know what they say - locals know best. We only had a short time here so we went straight for the top of the hill where La Citadelle de Sisteron sits.

    Today is a history day. Today, we used our selfie stick for the first time. Aaron was hooked. That selfie stick would be an extension of his arm for the next hour. The citadel had been used as a fortress for centuries, a jail for a time and even held a Polish prince prisoner at the top of the tower. His cell was closed off with perspex but they had furnished it with a small bed, a study table and a (very princely) mannequin.

    After some selfie-stick time, we headed back to the car and continued on to Aix-en-Provence where we would stay for the next 2 nights.    Read more

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    Day 11

    Aix-en-Provence

    April 24, 2016 in France ⋅ 🌬 11 °C

    We arrived last night just before nightfall. We are staying at an old French chateau that had been slowly renovated by their owners, Dominique and Eric, over the past 10 years. We are a big fan of old buildings and houses. Unfortunately, this renovation had not been done properly. We had reservations about the structural integrity of the house. Our room was up on the second floor, up some flights of stairs with 10mm cracks that had propagated from the ceiling, down the wall and across the entire width of the stair. To make matters worse, upon further inspection, Aaron pulls out a loose chunk of concrete from a step.

    The house was also a little eerie (according to Flora). Aaron mentions ghosts right before bedtime and spooked an already unsettled Flora. She would not sleep well again that night. Her cold makes her restless and hiding her head under the doona to avoid ghosts makes it rather difficult to breathe. Aaron thought it all so amusing.

    Thank goodness for daylight. Flora couldn't get out of the house quick enough. We went to the city for a few hours to see what it's all about. We walked down Cours Mirabeau, a wide main thoroughfare in the city, and found very few people about. We cut across through an alleyway and found that most of the shops were closed (it was a Sunday), much to Flora's dismay. Exploring shops in a spiderweb of alleyways has quickly become Flora's favourite pastime in France.

    We got to the main square and, all of a sudden, there was a huge congregation of people. Is there a market?? No, just a gazillion tourists on tour groups. We left the city and headed off to a couple of little towns called Bonnieux and Apt.

    Aaron loves challenges so when his mate, Liam, tells him about a time when he worked on a homestead in the Provence region, Aaron thought he would find it. Armed with a roughly-placed flag on a Google map screenshot from Liam, and the directions that, "it is about halfway between Bonnieux and Apt," we set off on this great adventure. Oh, Liam also mentioned that the guy that lives there is called Ian Anderson. Should be super easy to find.

    For the next hour, we drove down a 14km road, stopping at letterboxes outside some homesteads to see if an Ian Anderson lives there. There were lots of houses and homesteads. Lots. We got to Bonnieux to find some wifi so we could ask Liam some questions about the location of this homestead but, being a Sunday, nothing was open except for a bar without WiFi. Sorry Liam, we tried.

    We took this opportunity to walk around little old Bonnieux. Such a shame that none of the cute little shops were open. The wind was ripping right through our jackets. It's one of the coldest days we've had in France and it's not helping with Flora's cold. Time to head home.

    Flora needed some Asian food. Some warm bowl of soup. On a Sunday. In France. Against all odds, she found one in a town 10 km away. It's no Tra Vinh back home but it sure hit the spot.    Read more

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    Day 13

    Nice

    April 26, 2016 in France ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Wow. I have heard that Nice was a must-see but I was not prepared for this. We had a full day to explore Nice so we had to make it count.

    We started first at the Old Town (Vieille Ville). This was the best Old Town we have seen thus far. Narrow alleyways snake through vibrant markets selling all sorts of things. One of our favourites displayed various salts from around the world in big jars. You can buy them in smaller amounts where they're packaged into test tubes - brilliant! The owner said her favourite salt is one from the Murray River in Australia. We never even knew that the Murray produced salt. We'll have to give this a go at home.

    We finally got to the waterfront where the view completely floored us. The water was iridescent blue. The last time we saw waters this beautiful was in Exmouth and Coral Bay. This Mediterranean coast is unique as it doesn't have white sandy beaches. Instead, the French strip off to their underwear on a warm day and lie on the large pebbles on the beach. By warm, I mean 20degC with bone-chilling winds.

    The best views of the coastline and Nice are to be had at the top of Castle Hill, just at the end of the promenade. If you ever get the chance to visit Nice, you will see that the photos here cannot do it justice. We wish we could spend more time here.

    This is our last French city for now. Tomorrow we will make our way to Italy.    Read more

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    Day 14

    Monaco

    April 27, 2016 in Monaco ⋅ 🌬 18 °C

    There was time for a quick stop at Monaco to see the Jacques Cousteau Museum that Aaron has been wanting to see. Jacques Cousteau was a marine conservationist that produced many documentaries to raise awareness for his work. He also co-developed the Aqua-Lung, better known as scuba gear or underwater breathing apparatus.

    We were rather disappointed with the museum. We were misinformed about what the exhibition was about. We thought it would feature Jacques Cousteau's life and conservation work but it was mainly a small aquarium with displays of preserved marine animals. It did have a good view of Monaco from the top of the museum though.

    It was not a wasted trip. We got to walk along a section of the Grand Prix circuit! Aaron's stoked. Unfortunately, our bad timing will see us miss the Monaco Grand Prix by a month. Maybe next time.    Read more

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    Day 15

    Cinque Terre

    April 28, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Cinque Terre, which means Five Lands, are centuries-old fishing villages that are nestled along the Italian Riviera. I’m sure you have seen some photos of these villages before – pastel-coloured houses perched on terraces built into the steep, hilly landscapes.

    We took a train from La Spezia, which is the main town in the area. Our aim was to trek from one fishing village to another. The coastal walking trails between the closest three villages, Riomaggiore, Manarola and Corniglia were closed so we decided to go against the flow of traffic and start at the last of these 5 villages.

    We hopped off the train at Monterosso. It was overcast and cold, definitely not what we were hoping for. The clouds made the ocean look grey and uninviting. There was a small beach right across from the train station that we are guessing would come alive in summer. We’ve arrived in the shoulder season which means cooler temperatures and fewer tourists. It has suited us just fine so far.

    After a big bowl of pasta at a nearby restaurant, we were ready to start our walk to the next fishing village, Vernazza. This village has probably been the most photographed out of the five villages. You will see Flora’s attempt at replicating that famous image below. This trail was surprisingly pretty challenging, maybe it’s because we were both so unfit. The walking trail was narrow in most parts. It took us immediately on an ascent to the top of the hill. We’re both not walkers. If there is a trail, it is a challenge to see how quickly we can get to the end of it. This meant shimmying around slower walkers or people coming from the other direction. Generally, most people get annoyed at us tail-gating them and they let us pass. Yes, we’re one of those annoying people.

    There was no running involved as the possibility of falling off a cliff was fairly high. We got to Vernazza in 90 mins. During this time, the sun had come out and it was gloriously warm. It would be a crime to not stop in some places to take in the view. In a distance, we could see the colourful houses of Vernazza. Though not as vibrant as some photoshopped images would have you believe, it is still a spectacular sight. It felt surreal finally being in a place you’ve only admired through photographs. It definitely did not disappoint.

    After we rested our legs and enjoyed a coffee and gelato, we continued to the next trek to Corniglia. This trek was a lot easier with fewer steps. The guidebook said it should take 90 mins to get to Corniglia. 45 minutes later, we arrived in a pretty little town that sat high up above the waters. Must be difficult to operate as a fishing village if it sat this high up off the waters. We immediately fell for the charms of this little village. There were plenty of little shops everywhere you turn. The houses and shops were not built to a grid system. You just had to pick a little alleyway and explore it.

    We cooled down with a glass of lemonade made from local lemons grown right on the terraces that surround the villages. Refreshing! We headed for the train station to head home. At the train station, Aaron discovered to his glee that the shop sold cans of beer. He sat down on the bench, drinking his beer, while we waited for the train. Flora suspects this was his favourite part of the whole day.    Read more

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    Day 16

    Lerici

    April 29, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today was a relaxing day. Flora had a sleep-in while Aaron enjoyed the sun in the terrace with a beautiful view of the hills. In the afternoon, Flora dropped in at a Crossfit gym in La Spezia. It was a small gym but the coach and members were really friendly. So friendly that they asked her to compete in a Crossfit competition the next day. More on that tomorrow.

    We enjoyed a pasta dinner in nearby sleepy fishing village, Lerici. This little town has similar charms to its more famous sisters, Cinque Terre, but is less touristy. Fishing nets are laid neatly in large storage boxes by the pier for use the next day.

    We can see why our B&B host suggested this village was even more appealing than Cinque Terre. We had wanted to see another fishing village that the host recommended. Porto Venere is apparently a lesser known, yet more beautiful, village compared to Cinque Terre. We would never see it for ourselves. Tomorrow and the day after, we would be at a Crossfit competition.    Read more

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    Day 17

    Pietra Santa

    April 30, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    How did we come to this? We were at Pietra Santa, some 50km from La Spezia, for Flora’s first Crossfit competition. In Italy. Probably the most random thing we’ll be doing on this trip. The competition area was already set up on the sandy beach and it looked amazing!

    With the mountains for our backdrop, and no clouds to shield the sun, it was going to be a marvellous day. The first two workouts were scheduled for the morning and a third in the afternoon. There were log bars to throw overhead during the second workout – something Flora has never done before. There was also a beach sprint, which Flora thought she’d smash. Well, it went something like this: swing off the pull-up bar like a monkey, throw some heavy stuff, lift some heavy stuff, and shuffle along on the sand like a geriatric.

    Wow. It sucks being sick and unfit. Just as Flora thought it was all over, she was told she had to come back again the next day for a last workout. If she makes it, there will then be a semi-finals in the afternoon. There goes the visit to Porto Venere!

    That night, we took a walk along the streets of Marina di Pietra Santa. The main street was bustling with street stalls. For dinner, we headed into the main town of Pietra Santa, a small town but big on character. Beautiful old buildings with tables and chairs spilling out into the narrow streets. We picked a restaurant to have our dinner and was rewarded with the best pasta Flora has ever had. Can’t remember what Aaron had but Flora’s pasta dish of spaghetti with clams and fish roe was mind-blowing. What a surprise from such an unassuming little establishment. Our entree of duck carpaccio was also demolished in a matter of seconds. Amazing.

    We packed our bags early the next morning and headed to Pietra Santa again for the final day of the competition. Flora made it to the semi-finals (surprise!) to lift more heavy stuff. It was a weekend to remember for Flora. New friends, electrifying atmosphere set in a beautiful location and Flora’s first ever Crossfit competition. Truth be told, Flora just really likes lifting heavy stuff.

    We sadly bade farewell to everyone from Crossfit La Spezia and headed off to Rome at 4pm. Aaron’s got a long drive ahead of him.    Read more

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    Day 19

    Colosseum, Rome

    May 2, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Rome, you are a stunning city. We’ve grown accustomed to quiet little towns so this is a bit of a shock to the system. Aside from the crowd and insane number of tourists, we found ourselves in awe of everything. It felt like we were immersed in a history book; Roman soldiers could trudge around the corner and it would not look out of place (maybe).

    Flora’s friends from Melbourne, Viv and Kez, were coincidentally holidaying in Italy too. We decided to meet up in Rome and see the sights together. Ok, in all honesty, we changed our travel plans so we could be in Italy at the same time as them. Thanks to Aaron for being such an accommodating husband :)

    Flora had always wanted to see the Colosseum. Aaron had seen it before, but he remembered little of it; he was young and probably inebriated at the time. There it was, the majestic Colosseum. The sheer scale of it is astounding. It looked intimidating against the dark clouds behind it. Flora was floored. When she picked her jaw back up off the ground, they found Viv and Kez (happy dance!).

    We got ourselves an audio guide which resembles a 1980s telephone that you have to hold up against your ear. The Colosseum was built nearly 2000 years ago for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. Over the years, natural disasters and looters had reduced the Colosseum to mostly ruins. What still stood and the parts that were rebuilt was sufficient for one to imagine the Colosseum as it was in its glory days.

    The Colosseum was open to everyone – rich and poor, young and old, men and women, although the women and slaves who were considered of lowest social standing were placed in a different section. Entertainment back in those days included watching men who were sentenced to death, eing forced into the arena, naked and unarmed, where lions and other beasts would rip them to pieces.

    The most interesting part of the Colosseum would have been the basement which we were not allowed into as we weren’t part of a guided tour group. Bummer! It would have been so interesting wandering through the maze of small rooms which used to house the animals for the contests. These animals were brought up into the arena via a lift system and trap doors. Those Romans thought of everything!

    Next, we headed to the Roman Forum which was effectively the central business district of the city for the Romans. The Forum provided a central meeting place for people to trade, hold public forums, and celebrate battle triumphs. Perhaps the most important of them all was the birth or inception of the Senate.

    The word “senate” means “old man” in Latin, or assembly of elders. The Senate during the monarchy held little power but it came to prominence when the monarchy was overthrown in a coup and replaced with a republic.

    It was a real pity the rain came pelting down again and we had to cut our visit short. We should have read up more on the Roman Forum beforehand so we knew what we were looking at. Next time, hopefully.    Read more

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    Day 20

    Vatican City

    May 3, 2016 in Vatican City ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    The day didn’t start as well as we’d hoped. The bus ride into the city was a debacle, but more on that in tomorrow’s post.

    Today’s agenda was the Vatican museum and St Peter’s Basilica. First up was the Vatican museum. We met up with Viv and Kez at the entrance to the museum. Wow. It appears all of Europe had decided to visit the museum the same day. It was packed from wall to wall, so much so that it was uncomfortable.

    We paid extra for audio guides, which turned out to be a complete waste of time because it didn’t line up with the exhibit numbers in the museum. Let’s wing it then. We didn’t know what to expect from the museum. There were lots (I mean LOTS) of sculptures of torsos. Hundreds! Whilst trying to follow the audio guide, we got herded like sheep from room to room, all of which were filled with tour groups with little standing room left.

    Sad to say, we didn’t enjoy this as much as we would, but only because of the crowd. The entire time, we just felt like a molecule of water swishing around in the ocean. This post will not do the museum justice. If you wanted to visit the museum, go really early (and zoom around really quickly before the throngs of tourists come in) or go a couple of hours before closing. I’d hate to think of how much more packed it would be during summer. At least the coffee was cheap.

    Afterwards, we got in a queue to see St Peter’s Basilica. Aaron was not quite as enthusiastic as Flora to be standing in a crowd again but it paid off in the end. We visited the tombs of past popes. The bodies lay in intricate tombs along the crypt corridor. Once we left the crypt, we found ourselves right in the heart of the Basilica, in the middle of a mass. The grandeur of the Basilica winded us. I thought Notre Dame was unbeatable, but I stand corrected.

    St Peter’s Basilica is completely overwhelming. One cannot possibly be unmoved by the beauty and riches inside it. I will leave you to peruse the photos as words cannot do it justice.    Read more

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