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Europe and a little Asia

September - December 2015
A 92-day adventure by Off Duty Pharmacist Read more
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  • Off Duty PharmacistEurope and a little Asia
    11
    Day 71

    Eze and Monaco

    November 10, 2015 in France ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    We woke up and had breakfast in our little apartment then set off to catch the bus to Eze, a medieval perched village 30 minutes from Nice. It took us ages to find the bus stop but we found it and hoped a bus would come. The bus rolled up and we were on our way. The views along the coast were incredible. We reached Eze and headed for the garden at the top. We strolled for a while, enjoying the views. We then walked through the village - it was like stepping into a movie set. We then walked down the terrifying nietzsche path to Eze train station. It took about an hour and was mostly loose rocks with some stairs. Two stations on the train brought us to Monaco. It was super clean and the port was filled with expensive boats. We walked up to the famous casino and found somewhere to have lunch. They are doing a lot of roadwork in Monaco at the moment. Tired from our big day we caught a bus back to Nice and strolled along the Promenade De anglais to get to our apartment. We rested for a bit, enjoyed some champagne then headed to the old town for dinner. Had zucchini dumplings to start then ravioli for the main. Mine was in a traditional sauce - daube. We shared some rose wine. Creme brulee and chocolate mouse finished a good meal.Read more

  • Off Duty PharmacistEurope and a little Asia
    Day 71

    Nicely played Nice

    November 10, 2015 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    Today we got up leisurely and decided what to do...Both a bit weary from the amount of walking we've been doing we decided to have a more relaxing day and use the hop on hop off bus. Now, I've always cringed at these for being very in your face and expensive and have not once used one. But we really enjoyed ourselves. It was made better by the crazy streets and rogue branches trying to wallop everyone on the right hand side of the bus. Being Nice, there were some great views and places we wouldn't have seen if not for the tour. We went on one loop that lasted 1hour 15minutes then walked through the markets and bought some dried pineapple and dates to have at the promenade overlooking the beach. These were the best dates I have ever eaten. Wow! Then we wandered along the beach and into a park for a little while before finding somewhere for lunch. After lunch we got back on the bus for another fun loop. Then we went to the galleries Lafayette shopping center to find me a new coin purse as my other was falling apart. We then came back to freshen up. Dinner in the old town again, we had a drink at a bar on the way. Steak for me, duck for B and caramel tart for dessert. A glass or two of wine and we called it a night. Tomorrow we leave Nice and France. What a week! France has been great! A few things we've seen: you can park anywhere you want with a smart car, they have charging stations to encourage smart cars, the French still love to smoke but e cigarettes are on the rise, the French love their dogs (and letting them poop wherever), French people are friendly, B thinks French cows are sheep (cows are small). Au revoir from FranceRead more

  • Off Duty PharmacistEurope and a little Asia
    Day 72

    Au revoir France

    November 11, 2015 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Today we say farewell to France. We've loved all three cities we've seen for different reasons, had some great food and done a lot of walking. There may have been a few cold beverages in there too! Today we got up and packed again (both pros at this now) and headed to the park to relax before our train this arvo. A quick lunch of pizza for B and a baguette for me and we were off for the station. A few Italian cities later we arrived in Genoa (Genova) and found our Airbnb apartment. It's stunning and in a great spot. We grabbed a quick pasta dinner and some gelato and we are ready to call it a night.Read more

  • Off Duty PharmacistEurope and a little Asia
    Day 73

    Buongiorno Genova

    November 12, 2015 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Today we set off around the old port town of Genova (Genoa in English, not to be confused with Geneva). We walked around the port to see where the cruise ships dock when they are in town. We had lunch at a small restaurant (2 pizzas, a pasta dish, 2 beers and one wine €33 for 3 people). The aquarium was next where we were successful at....finding penguins....As well as dugongs, seals, dolphins and smaller sea critters. Back to the apartment to relax a bit before dinner. We found a little pizza place that was modern, 4 drinks, 2 pizzas and a salad €42. Couldn't find gelato though so we will be on the hunt in Florence.Read more

  • Off Duty PharmacistEurope and a little Asia
    Day 74

    Buongiorno Firenze

    November 13, 2015 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    After waking up and having a coffee we packed our bags for our trip to Firenze (Florence). We grabbed a coffee and pastry from a small cafe then grabbed our bags and got the metro to station. Two hours later we were in Pisa for a quick stop before our train to Firenze (only an hour). We got a taxi to our unit but we were a bit early so had coffee and tiramisu and apple tart. Hello Italian sweets. Lucky we have been walking and carrying our bags...We checked into our AirBnb unit which is in a great location very close to the famous Ponte Vecchio bridge. C and I went to buy some groceries for breakfasts and a lazy dinner tonight. Oh look. Red wine in our basket. Seriously at €6 who were we to say no. We had to weigh our bananas and tomatoes ourselves - top tip, they are indeed not called Roma tomatoes in Italy. Oblongo in fact...fair call I guess. We had pasta with salad and bread rolls for dinner and all the groceries we got came to €20... we were quite surprised at this cheap price. Back to the unit to do some washing and have dinner. Later we decided to venture out to find gelato but most places were closed. We found a place open but the gelato was average and expensive. Hopefully we find better!Read more

  • Off Duty PharmacistEurope and a little Asia
    Day 75

    Finding Firenze

    November 14, 2015 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    After a slow start, we walked to the Pizzale Michelangelo. Quite a hike up stairs and a steep road had us looking over Florence with its terracotta roofs, bridges and the Duomo. We then walked down and into the heart of Florence to the Santa Croce Basilica. We went inside and saw great stained glass and the tomb of Galileo Galilee and Michelangelo. We then had lunch - the best ravioli ever with sheep's cheese, gnocchi with tomato sauce and salad. Oh yum. €50 including 3 drinks. Back to the apartment to have a siesta. We then went to see the markets of leather, tshirts and.....selfiesticks. Try as you will, you cannot evade them. We dropped by the Florence Cathedral next. No way you could fit that in a normal picture frame and the facade was so ornate. Back to the apartment for a little while before venturing out again for dinner. We went to Il David right near where we are staying. Pretty good meal and great tiramisu and canoli!Read more

  • Off Duty PharmacistEurope and a little Asia
    1
    Day 76

    Firenze Frenzy

    November 15, 2015 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    An early start saw us strolling around the corner to the Uffizi Gallery to see works of art by Leonardo Da Vinci, Botticelli and Michelangelo. There was no wait to get in which was handy. The gallery has a huge number of "Madonna with child" paintings. It was popular to be painting that in the 1400 and 1500s! After the gallery we had cappuccinos before a stroll through Florence. We saw a Lindt shop so had a quick look...there were about 12 flavors of Lindt Balls we'd never seen. We decided to get a few for tasting, of course. For lunch we grabbed some paninis to have at the apartment and had a relaxing afternoon. We decided to do some shopping on the Ponte Vecchio then we had some cocktails to toast out last night in this great city. Mojito for C, Singapore sling and a Manhattan for B and a Rum Cooler for me. Dinner saw us at a little Enoteca having osso bucco, pasta, chocolate lava cakes and of course wine. Next stop, Roma!Read more

  • Off Duty PharmacistEurope and a little Asia
    Day 78

    Buongiorno Roma

    November 17, 2015 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    A late check out had us on a midday train to Roma! It was a quick and relatively painless train journey and we were soon at our apartment in Rome. We got some groceries then went for a stroll towards the Castel St Angelo before having dinner just near our apartment. Dinner was great - saltimbocca for B, chicken with capsicum and tomatoes for C and roast chicken for me. It was honestly the best roast chicken I've had - crispy skin and herbs just made it mouth watering. The creme caramel for dessert was also good. Tiramisu for B and a ricotta and pear tart for C. Early night tonight.Read more

  • Off Duty PharmacistEurope and a little Asia
    Day 78

    Roman roaming

    November 17, 2015 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    An early start this morning had us walking to the Vatican for a 9am scavi tour. This tour runs under Saint Peter's Basilica to see the musoleums and Saint Peter's remains that were found in archeological digs from 1939 to 1949. An interesting experience that not everyone gets to see. We stayed a while to see the coffins of the various popes throughout time and to see the Basilica itself. Next, we had coffee on our way to Piazza Navona. We then found the Pantheon and went inside. Lunch was next - a salad and two pasta dishes to share plus a drink each €32. Next on our search was the Trevi Fountain and gelato of course. We then made our way back to the apartment (10kms walked today according to C's fit bit). Dinner was pizzas, wine and dessert. €54 and a great view.Read more

  • Off Duty PharmacistEurope and a little Asia
    Day 79

    Rome wasn't built in a day....

    November 18, 2015 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Another early start had us walking to the Colloseum for our underground tour. There was no line at the structure when we arrived and our tour was soon underway. It was a fantastic way to see the Colloseum from a different angle. The tour also takes you up to the third level with a fantastic overview. An early lunch was had before an afternoon at the Roman Forum seeing all manner of Roman buildings used back in the day. The cobblestones were taking their toll so we started the walk back to the apartment. We managed to find gelato on the way back (miraculous). We rested up for a few hours before dinner at a great little wine bar. We had 3 wines, a cheese and salami tasting plate, pizza, risotto, potato and veggie crostini and 2 desserts for €76. I really enjoyed the atmosphere there - it's called mimi and coco if you're off to Rome sometime soon. Tomorrow we depart Rome and Italy...B and I are off to meet some very special people in Bristol!Read more

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