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Europe 2025
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  • Jenny Day

Europe 2025

Greece, Greek Islands, Amalfi coast, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania & Dohar Read more
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    🇴🇲 Al Rustaq Province, Oman
    Europe 2025

    Doha (cont’d)

    October 12 in Qatar ⋅ 🌙 31 °C

    Souq Waqif had many falcons that were for sale.
    Falcons are considered a pet in Qatar and are as common as cats and dogs for us and the birds sell for a range of prices depending on the beauty of the bird and its speed.
    There were a variety of birds on show including a white falcon that had a price of $65k as it was considered a very prized specimen. The passion originated from ancient times when falcons were priceless in securing meat for the family.

    The market specialized in all things Arabic…spices, pets, robes, lamps, incense, dates, sweet pastries and of course camels 🐪.    Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Doha (cont’d)

    Oct 12–14 in Qatar ⋅ 🌬 34 °C

    After a lovely morning on the Hilton’s private beach we took a city tour with a guide named Saloo who took us for a tour around some of the more interesting sights of Doha.

    First we visited a recently built housing and shopping precinct (called the Pearl) that had external air conditioning installed. It was my first experience with this and it is amazing what a difference it makes to the temperature of the area. Unsure of the environmental cost however 😳
    The whole area was spotless and so impressive.

    Our next experience was to the blue mosque to understand more about the religion of Islam and some of its teachings.Jen had to wear a burqa and a lady spoke to us about what it was like to be a Muslim and gave Jen an English version of the Quran as she was leaving.
    From there we travelled to a remarkable building styled by a French architect and based on a plant called a desert rose which housed their cultural museum..
    Hopefully the photos will give you more of an idea as to how impressive the building is…
    The next stop was Souq Waqif a local market that was so interesting.    Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Doha

    Oct 11–13 in Qatar ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    We arrived in Doha and had the most over the top guest experience at the hotel possible…
    Firstly we had a security x ray screening before being allowed in.
    Then the receptionist politely gave us a complete run down of everything to do in Doha even though we are only here for three days which we did explain. He gave us a map which he circled nearly everything on.
    We then went up to our room only to be confronted by two of the staff doing a final check of our room by opening cupboards and drawers and looking behind doors before we could go in.
    Inside we are then introduced to the evening beverage manager and facilities manger who assured us that we could call them at any time.He gave us his card.
    Then the services manager arrived with a mop because there was a drop of water on the floor and he gave us his card for “anything” after he had shown us all the things he possibly could in our room which is actually as big as half our house at home. He then insisted we go out on the balcony and look at the view.
    5 minutes after they had left we then had a phone call to check if everything was ok in our room.
    An hour later we got a What’s App call.
    The attention to detail and desire for customer satisfaction was impressive if not a little claustrophobic.

    The view from the hotel room is magnificent though and the accommodation is very luxurious :)    Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Athens (cont’d)

    October 10 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    After having a drive around the City checking out all the major sites and comparing architectural styles ( which took quite a while as the traffic is really congested) we were treated to a surprise lunch which no one really wanted as we Al’s have a feast tonight 🤦‍♀️ The Greeks really overfeed…even the gym has snacks in there !! ( dried fruit and nuts)
    After lunch I went for a wander while Rich went back to the hotel.
    Our dinner was in a really cool area of Athens -Psyrri with lots of funky cafes and bars.    Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Acropolis (cont’d)

    October 10 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    There is a special olive tree that represents a gift from Athena who the city of Athens is named after . Olive trees are prolific in this part of the World and are considered extremely useful, not just for obvious reasons of oil and fruit but the wood of the olive trees is considered valuable as a beautiful hard wood with fine grains and perfect for carving. Some live for 3000 years ! This one is only from WW 2 era as the original was destroyed in an earthquake, like a lot of ancient things around here.
    We couldn’t believe the amount of people here…average of 20,000 visitors per day. Each paying 30 euros!    Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Acropolis

    October 10 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    The Acropolis is an extraordinary experience and an architectural feat.
    It is testament to man’s ingenuity to be able to construct such structures that are thousands of years old and still awe inspiring.

    Acropolis means an elevated fortified place and the position of the Acropolis in the city of Athens justifies its title.
    The size of some of the stones used in the construction are 2 tonnes (the weight of 2 cars) and it was interesting to understand the engineering feats used to move and adjust these massive pieces of granite.
    Another lesser known fact is that the columns have been positioned with a slight inward lean to soften the appearance of the structure to the naked eye…and it works.

    The Acropolis is made up of a series of temples dedicated to the ancient gods of early Greek history.    Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Athens

    Oct 9–11 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Athens is a vibrant city. Nothing is over 6 floors tall so it sprawls as far as the eye can see.
    Like any city there is a mixture of areas but interspersed between is a number of archaeological sites.
    We went for a walk in their botanical gardens ( not a patch on Melbourne!)met a turtle, checked out Hadrian’s Gate and some ancient baths and browsed a market which was like any other street market in the world with a Greek twist. On the way back we did a bit of unplanned shopping which is often the way when you have a mind in holiday mode!
    Dinner was another feast and a few goodbyes to some of the group who are leaving    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    2

    Arachova

    October 9 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Arachova is a special little village which is close to Delphi and in the winter is a ski resort called Parnosos which really had an Alpine vibe.

    Hopefully you will be able to tell something of the height of the area by some of the photos.
    The village streets are very narrow and often you have traffic blockages as cars and buses maneuver around each other to get past… everyone needs to be patient!    Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Delphi (cont’d)

    October 9 in Greece ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    The ancient Greeks considered the centre of the world to be in Delphi.

    The sacred precinct occupies a delineated region on the south-western slope of Mount Parnassus.
    It is now an extensive archaeological site, and since 1938 a part of Parnassos National Park. The precinct is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in having had a great influence in the ancient world, as evidenced by the various monuments built there by most of the important ancient Greek city-states, demonstrating their fundamental Hellenic unity.Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Delphi

    Oct 8–9 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Delphi is the most beautiful little village, nestled in the mountains and in ancient time was considered to be the navel of the world or the centre of the universe. Rich is still not well so I had a wander around the small village and then went to another family run restaurant for a cooking lesson.
    It was a lot of fun we all made tsaziki and cheese pies and had a feast. Tsaziki actually takes days to make properly and you adjust garlic, salt and oil as the flavours develop. I will never be able to make it that good at home though as Greek yoghurt is amazing ..so thick and creamy. It must have something to do with the fat/protein content of the Greek cows.    Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Delphi Archaeological Dig

    October 8 in Greece ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Delphi is nestled right up high in the mountains and is renowned for the Temple of Apollo and built the city in his honor.

    Unfortunately many of the early ruins have been pillaged and robbed of the gold and bronze that adorned some of the statues. The Greek government has made a major effort to preserve and protect the remaining treasures by building a museum to house the artifacts that remain.

    The marble slabs and stones that had been chiseled to create columns and walls is testament to the ingenuity of the people of the time.    Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Corfu

    Oct 6–8 in Greece ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    After a 90 minute ferry ride from the mainland we arrived in Corfu at 7 pm just as Rich started to get food poisoning from a dodgy barek at lunchtime , consequently he spent the whole time in bed 😞
    We started the next morning with a tour of the town and the Old fort. A cleverly designed building with multiple walls and security layers which has enabled Corfu to resist many invasions (because of its strategic location) for over 4000 years .
    This has meant that it is quite different from Islands on the Aegean Sea. The architecture is a reflection of Venetian influence and residents need to adhere to a strict colour palette of about 20 shades of terracotta and yellow with window frames only about 4 colours.
    The rest of the day I just got lost in the numerous meandering narrow streets filled with cool cafes, restaurants and shops . I tried cumquat products which the area is famous for and people watched in the piazza for a bit.
    They have a cricket oval on Corfu which is very unusual for Greece. It’s not very big but people come from all over the world to play matches.
    At night time we went to a famous family run restaurant in a little village and had soooo much delicious food( I was served about 20 different vegetables in all sorts of styles) We listened to a band , learnt some Greek dances and danced the night away. It was so much fun but sad cos Rich couldn’t be there 😒    Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Gjirokastra

    October 6 in Albania ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    This is a small Albanian village which is en route to Corfu.
    Quite picturesque nestled into the mountains and quite remote.
    Village full of restaurants and little souvenir shops including one stonemason hence Ty’s gift.
    He was so happy that we bought something from him and was overjoyed when he found out we were from Australia 🇦🇺.
    I also bought some little bunnies made by a local woman for the girls,
    We ate Bureks for lunch.    Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Tiranë

    Oct 5–6 in Albania ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Today we explored Tiranë which is the capital city of Albania.
    The city is a great contrast in architecture as the building design represent the different political eras…fascist, communist and free market.
    As an interesting insight during the communist occupation of Albania 173,000 bunkers were built to protect the people from any potential invasion from the west.
    The city embraces many different religions as there are many different churches in the city but nothing extreme eg the Muslim’s don’t wear hijabs.
    It is quite a modern city with expensive buildings but poverty outside the city.
    There was a pyramid to climb with 360 degree views of the City and a plans castle turned into a bazaar and cafes and bars.
    The country is keen on becoming part of the EU and is hoping to have its membership verified in 2030 which would then allow them to trade in euros 💶.    Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Budva

    Oct 4–5 in Montenegro ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Budva is another little walled town in Montenegro with narrow cobblestone streets and cute little buildings. We had a cruise on the harbour to get a different perspective and saw Stewart Island which has beautiful homes that no one lives in because of a dispute between the owner of the homes and the government.Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Kotor

    October 4 in Montenegro ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    Kotor is a cute little walled town in Montenegro . Montenegro means black Mountain and all the coastal towns have an imposing mountain range behind , it is very beautiful.
    We stopped here for a few hours, walked all around the City and had a beautiful Italian lunch in the town square. I bought a little Christmas tree which is like a Babooshka Doll , hand painted by a local family. Their name is Vishnish which translates to cherry so they include little cherries in their work which is always done by the Grandfather.Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Cavtat

    October 3 in Croatia ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    We walked around the promontory at Cavtat and then had dinner in an enclosed restaurant and for the first time on the trip indulged in a favorite dish of mine…white bait.
    We finished off with a delicious ice cream and a walk back to Hotel Croatia.Read more

  • Europe 2025
    1

    Dubrovnik

    Oct 2–4 in Croatia ⋅ 🌬 16 °C

    We arrived in Dubrovnik late at night so it was wonderful to see this magical place in daylight. We are staying in a cute little village called Cavtat on the outskirts.
    We started the day with a morning tour and it was really moving to hear our guide speak about life when they were under siege and she was a young teenager. To see the enemy walking around on the surrounding hills must have been very scary for 4 years and to have the necessity to get food and water ..even the children would have required a great deal of courage.
    After the tour we paid $160 Aus for the privilege of doing the 2 km walk around the wall . It was worth it to see the city from that perspective.
    Shopping is always compulsory and we got some Croatian opal and silver products and then finished off with a Bellini in a very elegant restaurant    Read more

  • Europe 2025
    2

    Split + Diocletian’s Palace

    October 2 in Croatia ⋅ 🌬 14 °C

    We visited the coastal town of Split and spent most of the time walking through the remains of an emperor’s palace.

  • Europe 2025
    Erred

    Plitvicka Jezera Waterfall Park

    October 1 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Early morning visit to one of Croatia’s 🇭🇷 favorite national parks.
    Beautiful array of waterfalls and cascading layered lakes that have crystal clear water and a wide variety of aquatic and bird life.
    Trout, carp, yabbies and water snakesm inhabit the lakes and enjoy the warmer mineral waters    Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Lika National Park - Plitvice Lakes

    Sep 30–Oct 1 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    What a stunning National Park- a World Heritage Site with multiple lakes and cascading waterfalls.
    We did a 5 km walk to see the highlights… the Croations are not very imaginative with their names … they call things as they see them eg Big Waterfall, White rock.
    This part of the world has been significant during their wars as it is close to their borders and the Villagers have been displaced many times . However they are a resilient lot and last night we had a talk by a very entertaining storyteller named Sonja who decided she would put their village Licko on the map by resurrecting an old custom to preserve future generations by knitting “Willy Warmers” and marketing them World wide…consequently journalists from all over the world have come to this Village of 145 people to do a story!    Read more

  • Europe 2025

    Kumrovec

    September 30 in Croatia ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    The countryside is really pretty and dotted with castles and barns. This time of year they are starting to bring the animals in for Winter.
    The region we travelled to is Zagorje region and we then went to lunch at a local farm/ restaurant with views of a castle and rolling hills where we were welcomed with bread and salt and honey liqueur ( a local custom)and then had a traditional feast of vegetables,, various meats including duck, pickled vegetables and cheese, red and white wine followed by blue berry liqueur and a streusel type dessert before saying hello to the farm animals… all the scraps are fed to the goats, pigs and chickens…perfect recycling 🙌

    Ricotta cheese with pepper
    Pickled peppers and dill pickles
    Bacon and potatoe
    Meat and onion mix
    Cured meat platter with home made salami
    Bowls of salad 🥗
    Roast duck and beef
    Potatoe with parsley
    Beans
    Pasta
    Rice with mixed vegetables

    The food was hearty and wholesome hence the pictures of the pig who I think does pretty well at the end of the day because the meals are really big.    Read more

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