Disclaimer – by no means am I an expert as to what is best to pack, worth spending money on or what is silly and considered a waste carrying (I know your thinking this about the pineapple shirt) but this is what I have decided to start with.
Also, I have purchased all of these items myself – no brand affiliation, sponsorship or gifting has occurred… but if you’re really keen to have me wear/use something of yours then let me know, Patagonia I am talking to you!
Let’s be honest, I probably won’t finish with this exact contents but I’ve decided that this hike will be a learning experience for both myself and my pack contents.
Aotearoa’s 3000km thru hike from Cape Reinga to Bluff
5 years ago I travelled to the South Island of New Zealand for the first time.
The reason I was there was to see all the ‘Big Things of NZ‘ but thats a different story, anyway whilst sight-seeing everything that Bluff had to offer a muddy, sweaty backpacker asked if I could take her picture in front of the Bluff signpost. She was so elated to have made it that I asked her why? Te Araroa was her response and I have been curious ever since.
My journey in deciding to walk Te Araroa has been much like the trail itself – long.
Amongst finishing my studies, moving, starting work, pausing work, moving and re-starting work again, all whilst struggling with mental illness and loss, I have come to the decision if not now when? and so my planning to walk Te Araroa began! Throw in a pandemic and you’ve got the whole shebang.
Mum and I at Bluff signpost 2017
I plan to start in October-November of 2021 walking in the SOBO direction or from Cape Reinga to Bluff for those not yet down with the hiking lingo (weather and tide dependent since you start the walk along Ninety Mile Beach and I don’t want to be washed away my first day, that wouldn’t equal longevity for the walk or my blog).
While I am starting the walk solo, I hope to make friends along the way but would also love to see a friendly face – so join me! Send a text, call, facebook message, email, carrier pigeon, whatever and I will get back to you (reception and cellphone battery life dependent)
And if you just want to know more about the trail click here…. or here
“I hope you live a life you’re proud of and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again”
Our plane ride to Spain went without a hitch and before we knew it we were wandering the streets of Barcelona; the city of dreams.
From previous travels N.D had already visited Barcelona and other regions of Spain but as it was my first time we focused on exploring the main sites and trying the local cuisine.
The four days were spent doing A LOT of trotting and reacquainting ourselves with our favourite tour guide; Rick Steves.
Some of the famous sites included:
Catedral de Barcelona, Basรญlica de Santa Maria del Mar and La Sagrada Famรญlia
La Rambla, Plaรงa de Catalunya and Palau de la Mรบsica Catalana
Ciutadella Park, Arc de Triomf and Arco de Triunfo de Barcelona
Casa Amatller, La Pedrera-Casa Milร and Casa Batllรณ
Gรผell Palace, Gothic Quarter Barri Gotic
Mercat de la Boqueria
Magic Fountain of Montjuรฏc
Olympic Ring
As usual no tour is complete without stunning scenery and hill climbs. The best views were from MUHBA Turรณ de la Rovira, Parc del Turรณ del Putxet and Montjuรฏc Castle Hill.
By far my favourite day in Barcelona was the day we explored solo and I went and toured the awe-inspiring, very impressive and still a masterpiece in progress Basรญlica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Famรญlia; more commonly known as the Sagrada Famรญlia.
For those of you living under a rock that is the unfinished church in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia Spain. The largest unfinished church in the world!
Originally commissioned and with construction underway in March of 1882, architect Francisco de Paula del Villar would be the first but by no means last to work on this masterpiece. After much turmoil he resigned and the notable Antoni Gaudi took over in 1883 transforming this project into the Gothic, Art Nouveau form it is today. Gaudi would inevitably devote the remainder of his life to this project and after his tragic passing in 1962 see less than a quarter of his vision complete.
Delays to the church have been frequent; from its highly intricate and ornate design, to funds initially only from private donations, the Spanish Civil war putting a complete halt to construction and later a fire in 1936 which was started by the disgruntled anarchists from FAI. Plans for the church were even stolen that very same year. In 1939 the continuation of the church was saved by Francesc de Paula Quintana who took over-site management and was able to use material from Gaudรญโs workshop initiative and published photographs to redraw the plans. With construction resuming in the 1950s and advancements in technology enabling quicker progress you’d have thought that completion would be obvious but the lack of materials and aging of those already used meant further delays. The Montjuรฏc stone found only in the mountain of Montjuรฏc being a prime example. After the closure of the last quarry of that mountain range in the 1970s the basilica can now only source this particular stone from torn down buildings and has forced developers to find new materials to replicate the same colour, strength and durability.
The church passed its halfway point in 2010 and with increased general admission prices and further donations hoped to be finished by 2026; the centenary of Gaudรญ’s death… but then the pandemic happened. Now with no confirmed end date and the project’s greatest challenge ahead in the construction of ten more spires each symbolising an important biblical figure in the New Testament anything is possible.
Staring up at the ceiling I truly appreciated Gaudis vision of wanting the church to be a “bible in stone”; showcasing the journey of Christ through his stages of life, death and rebirth. Whether you see us as children of god or simply animals in a jungle, the Sagrada Famรญlia with its beams as sturdy as tree trunks provides shelter for us all and that’s pretty special.
Even in its unfinished state the Sagrada Famรญlia became the highlight of my time in Spain and possibly the best tour I went on during our Europa travels! I can’t wait to see it all over again whenever it’s complete. ๐
Viana do Castelo, Portugal
Barcelona โ๏ธ Porto ๐ Viana do Castelo
Viana do Castelo, Portugal | November 19th – 21st
From Spain it was a hop, skip and a jump to our last country of the Europa trip… Portugal.
Before we were joined by our two new travelling buddies, N.D and I ventured north to the quaint seaside town of Viana do Castelo.
With a looming church atop a hill, olden brick buildings and raining, grey atmosphere this coastal town looked like something out of a Grimm Brothers tale. But despite the chill N.D and I had a great time trotting around it!
The Santuรกrio de Santa Luzia church was first on our exploration list, followed closely by the Poรงo Negro & Praia do Porto de Vinha costal walks and later by me taking a picture of every tiled building… trust me there were a lot.
Little did I know Porto and Lisbon would also share the external tiled appearance and I would be forced to limit my photography to only my top ten, more like fifty favourites per day. ๐
While we didn’t try any authentic Portuguese food in Viana do Castelo, we (really N.D) did cook quite the culinary feast that was very delicious!
Porto, Portugal
Viana do Castelo ๐ Porto
Porto, Portugal | November 21st – 25th
We trained and trotted from Viana do Castelo to Porto to met our new Portugal companions Josรฉ and Deb.
N.Ds mum and friend (who very kindly hosted us in Portsmouth earlier in our trip) were joining us for the last two stops in Portugal and what was to be the wettest days all trip. Winter had well and truly arrived in Europe.
While in Porto we did what any local would do… we drank port! And lots of it. I think the four of us might even call ourselves port connoisseurs; well we at least know the difference between a white, tawny and red. ๐
From port tastings to river cruises, we frolicked the streets of Porto exploring Cais da Ribeira, Ribeira do Porto and Cais da Estiva and spent probably too much time eating natas, ice cream and treats. It was an absolute delight!
The city sites included the Church of Saint Ildefonso, Porto Cathedral, Bolsa Palace, Clerigos Church and Tower, Rua Santa Catarina, Palacete dos Pestanas, Clรฉrigos Tower and Igreja do Carmo.
Livraria Lello was number one on my to see list, with its art nouveau exterior, winding wooden staircase and lavish interior I was elated to visit this historic bookshop… even if it did have a long cue just to enter.
Meandering around Mercado Beira Rio, Mercado Ferreira Borges and Mercado do Bolhรฃo enabled us all to enjoy many market treats before our trip south to our final destination.
Lisbon, Portugal
Porto ๐ Lisbon
Lisbon, Portugal | November 25th – 28th
Cherry based liqueur (Ginja) to colourful streets, seaside towers to tiled buildings, palaces on churches on monastery’s of things to marvel at and explore. Lisbon had it all! Well only if you were happy to spend your time trotting up and down hilly streets and alleyways all day. ๐
Some of the places we marvelled at included:
Ponte 25 de Abril, LxFactory and MAAT
Pavilhรฃo Sala Thai, Padrรฃo dos Descobrimentos and Jerรณnimos Monastery
Belรฉm Lighthouse and Belรฉm Tower
Aqueduto das รguas Livres, Miradouro de Sรฃo Pedro de Alcรขntara and Foz Palace
Cat by Bordalo II, Basรญlica da Estrela and Green Street Lisbon
Elevador da Bica, R. Nova do Carvalho, Doca da Caldeirinha, Arco da Rua Augusta and Praรงa do Comรฉrcio
Lisbon Cathedral, Urinol, Caracol da Graรงa, Chafariz dโEl-Rei, Alfรขndega Jardim do Tabaco and Old Alfama Square
History of Lisbon Mural by Nuno Saraiva, Santa Justa Lift, National Pantheon and Carmo Convent
One particularly sunny day we ventured north to the brightly coloured and still very hilly town of Sintra. Here we explored Torre da Regaleira, Castelo dos Mouros, Vila Sassetti, Sintra National Palace and Sintra City Hall.
I also found my new favourite castle in the Park and National Palace of Pena. With its brightly coloured exterior, conical roofs, tower battlements and turrets galore what’s not to love of this 19th century romanticist era palace. ๐
Our final day was spent trotting along the costal boardwalk exploring many tourist spots, running into stores sheltering from the rain and finishing up with a scrumptious Portuguese feast at a local restaurant (thanks Josรฉ).
Auckland, New Zealand
Lisbon โ๏ธ London โ๏ธ Singapore โ๏ธ Auckland
That felt like the longest commute home… ever. Okay so it’s not like we were sailing across the ocean but in the modern age of commercial flights taking three plus days to get home seems excessive! Leaving November 28th at 3am from our accommodation we arrived at the airport only for me to realise I had left my passport in the living room and we needed to rush back and collect it. Not only was this the last day of our trip but I’ve never done something like this before… really not my finest moment! After a stressful pre check in process our leisure time in the terminal had quickly evaporated and we promptly boarded. Only to be delayed once boarded on the plane due to fog in London and later a thunderstorm in Singapore.
On December 1st sleep deprived, dehydrated and completely time bamboozled we finally stepped off the plane in Auckland and were home! After over four months abroad I had definitely missed the tiny oasis that is the country located at the bottom of the world.
After a confusing and lengthy border crossing we finally made it into Albania and the city of Shkodรซr. Sharing the same lake, scenery and wildlife as Montengero it didn’t feel like we had travelled to that far nor exotic of a destination. But the fresh passport stamp and new language suggested otherwise.
Albania is a country that prior to arriving in Europe I embarrassingly couldn’t have pointed to on a map and definitely had no idea why tourists travelled to. After chatting with friends, travellers and complete randoms N.D and I quickly discovered the numerous fun, adventurous and cheap activities this Eastern European gem had to offer.
Our visit to Shkodรซr was intended to provide a starting point to complete a popular hike in the northern region (Valbona to Theth). Unfortunately due to snow, seasonal changes and limited accessibility our arrival to the region timed perfectly with the hikes closure and instead we had to entertain ourselves within the city. So… that meant a lot of coffee drinking, food tasting and goat spotting. ๐
While our stay in the city wasn’t part of the plan and I may have sulked about missing out on the hike for longer than I care to admit, it did remind me of an important lesson in being flexible to change.
“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind”
Bruce Lee
And now we have a great excuse to come back to Albania in the summer complete the hike, explore more of the southern aspect of the country and venture into the greater Balkan region! Well after I’ve travelled to 50+ other countries on my ‘to trot’ list. ๐
The snow in the north bought with it a much cooler temperature and with that a sad realisation that we were no longer in the European summer we started in. Might have to partake in some more indoor activities? Or continue our numerous exploratory trotting adventures but while wearing everything we bought. ๐
From cobbled streets to town markets, multi coloured buildings to cheap coffee shops, restful lake reserves to the majestic Rozafa castle, strolling around Shkodรซr felt whimsical and enchanted. Especially when we spotted the goats casually munching the street plants. Plus I was stuffed with syrup laden, waffley delights so everything seemed better!
Tirana, Albania
Shkodรซr ๐ Tirana
Tirana, Albania | November 9th – 14th
The Tirana bus stop. Quite the haven for commotion, yelling, intense bargaining, excessive horn usage and confusion… especially if you’re a tourist. When we arrived at the stop (station seems to functional of a word for this outside monstrosity of chaos) little did N.D and I know that we would be visiting this site multiple times over the next five days for all matter of day trips, missed buses and more confusion.
Some of those day trips from the capital include:
to the stunning seaside port city; Durrรซs
possibly the most pictured windows and buildings in all of Albania; Berat
where the castle is stacked on top of itself like a cake tin: Kruja
The day trips all involved a early morning hourish walk to the bus depot, confusion about cost or when to pay and if we were even on the correct bus. Once their the cheap coffee houses always called our name and we found ourselves trotting the streets caffeinated to the brim just waiting for our next coffee or meal stop. Gotta love the affordability of Albania.
We tried all forms of local cuisine from street side vendors, fast-food restaurants and fine dining. Even ate Mexican, Italian and Japanese style food. My favourite was the hotpot stews while N.D really liked the stuffed eggplants.
While staying in Tirana we decided to do something very unusual to our trip so far but very common with most tourists. We went to all usual attractions. ๐ Our capital quests I might even call it.
We walked from one side of the city to another, trotted down main roads, busy highways and broken concrete paths, through construction sites, Sunday markets and past outside stalls to the parks, lakes and numerous bunkers scattered throughout the city. You name it and N.D and I probably walked it… twice.
Some of the sites we visited included:
Bunk’art; if you do any tourist attraction in Albania make it this!!! Built for the paranoid dictator Enver Hoxha this massive bunker was constructed on the outskirts of Tirana to accomodate Enver and his companions, while he commissioned a further 221,000 smaller bunkers to be built around Albania for the locals safety.
Cable Car ‘Dajti Ekspres’ and climbing Dajti Mountain. Incredible views were on offer when N.D and I climbed up this mountain including a wee self-timed photoshoot that one of us loved.
Dajti mini-golf; first 18 hole mini-golf course in Albania. You can guess who won verses who got the most hole in ones! ๐
Before we knew it we were catching our final bus from Tirana and headed to the international airport for the last leg of our trip… next stop Western Europe.
As owners of a converted van back in New Zealand (he’s named Bertie) we were starting to miss the freedom that road trip travel provides. Being able to leisurely stop when you want, bypass bad weather and explore at your own pace; vanning provides everything we want in travel. Especially when it can house a quiver of surfboards, snacks and a place for my occasional naps! Unfortunately as we travelled from New Zealand and are only away for four months the cost and carbon emissions of shipping the van could not be justified, nor the ever sky rocketing fuel prices that the world is experiencing. Add in international insurance and rental costs and the concept of hiring a vehicle seemed out of the question for our travels… until Montenegro!
Our bus trip from the city of Dubrovnik to the Bay of Kotor would be one of our last for ten days as we were about to embark on something we hadn’t done during our entire Europa travels. ROAD TRIP.
14 cities, 8 old towns, 3 national parks and 1 ascent of the tallest mountain in the country was all that we managed to cram into our road trip and it was incredible!
The Bay of Kotor which people have been calling home since antiquity is located in the south western region of Montenegro. Colloquially known as Boka this region consists of many well-preserved medieval towns including Kotor, Perast, Risan, Tivat, Herceg Novi and Prcanj.
During our three days in Kotor we explored the old town, trotted up hills and patted kittens, exactly how everyone’s first days in a new country should be spent! ๐
The Kotor old town consisting of the Kampana Tower, Kotor Fortress and the ruins of St. Nicholas Monastery were magnificent. Kotor is famous for being the only natural and cultural UNESCO World Heritage site in the country. With its Illyria, Byzantium, Venice, and Austria influenced architecture the surrounding fortification system made up of ramparts, towers, citadels, gates, bastions, forts, cisterns, a castle and ancillary buildings was vast and spectacular to wander through. The litters and litters of cats prowling around the town may have meant the exploration took longer than usual, what with all the pats I was providing but it was great.
The following day we set off early from the seashore to trot up the Ladder of Kotor and ascend Pestingrad (1009 metres). The panoramic views we enjoyed while eating lunch from the top made up for the layers of salty sweat I had accumulated all over my face, back and legs.
The descent was far less hot (thank goodness) and we rewarded ourselves with a old town favourite, an ice cream.
Our final day saw us give our last pats (and milk) to the adorable kittens at our accommodation, catch the last bus during our time on Montenegro and bid farewell to Kotor… but not the bay itself, we’d be back.
Rijeka Crnojeviฤa, Montenegro
Kotor ๐ Podgorica ๐ Rijeka Crnojeviฤa
Rijeka Crnojeviฤa, Montenegro | October 29th – 30th
From Kotor we bussed then trained to Podgorica Airport to collect our rental car. We were both so excited to experience the luxury of complete travel freedom again, even if it was a car and not a van (it just meant we would have access to a shower more regularly ๐ ).
Our first stop in the new wheels was Lake Skadar National Park. As we headed towards the city of Virpazar we caught glimpses of this famous, freshwater lake with its turquoise waters, wildlife and medieval monastery. On crossing the appropriately named Crossway Bridge we were confronted with how expansive the lake actually was.
As the largest lake in southern Europe, Lake Skadar which is named after the north Albanian town of Shkoder (named Lake Shkodra in Albania) has a seasonal surface area that fluctuates between 370 km and 530 km squared. Home to a few islands, two churches, a former fortress and prison, the island is designated as a national park on the Montenegrin side and a natural reserve on the Albanian side.
The drive across the centre and around the north western shoreline of the lake provided multiple scenic vantage points and many photo opportunities, there was no such thing as a bad view. That night we stayed in the quaint village of Rijeka Crenojeviฤa and made some road trip itinerary changes for the predicted storm ahead.
Zablijak, Montenegro
Rijeka Crenojeviฤa ๐ Zablijak
Zabljak, Montenegro | October 30th – November 2nd
The next morning we were bright eyed and bushy tailed for the proposed “best view of the lake” and the famous ‘green horseshoe’; Pavlova Strana view point. While the view was pretty, the surrounding piles of rubbish and terrible street appearance did not live up to expectations… at least we got a laugh out of how comical our hype was! ๐
That day we were headed for Durmitor National Park to hike a mountain N.D was very excited about. But not before stopping in two towns, exploring a famous monastery and having lunch. Gotta keep fed obviously.
Ostrog Monastery is a 17th century monastery and pilgrimage site that has become a popular stop amongst tourists since being rebuilt into the cliff face.
The originally planned lunch stop in the second largest Montenegrin city of Nikลกiฤ was quite the cultural experience. During our two Sundays spent in Montenegro we noticed a theme with shops, supermarkets, everything being closed. With no sign of civilisation for the first half of the day we wandered around in what felt like a ghost town until lunch when crowds of people suddenly formed everywhere. All drinking coffee, drinking beer, drinking spirits and smoking! Without a slice, entree or even crumb of food in sight. The supermarkets remained closed but the coffee shops were in full swing. Our first tastier of this occurred that Sunday and while being a novel surprise, it did leave us without any groceries. ๐ฆ
During our stay in Durmitor National Park we trotted two trails and visited the largest canyon in Europe (Montenegro really likes advertising how big everything is!).
ฤurฤeviฤa Tara Bridge is not just any large, concrete archway structure but the exact 365 metre length bridge that after completion in 1940 allowed vehicles and pedestrians to cross the largest canyon in the continent. Tara Canyon is just that canyon; at its deepest point the canyon falls to 1,300 metres.
The views from the bridge were breathtaking, literally I looked down and was immediately reminded I disliked heights and needed to return to solid ground.
In the afternoon we opted for a less sky-high adventure and trotted around the famous Crno Jezero (Black Lake) of the national park. Unlike the name this time, the lake was a lovely vibrant blue colour and my feet happily stayed firmly on the ground.
The following day was probably the highlight of the road trip for N.D! We climbed Bobotov Kuk, at 2523 metres tall it is the highest peak in not only the national park but the entire country. Needless to say N.D was very excited to trot up it, I on the other hand needed a little bit of sugary encouragement (and distraction from the height).
However, once we were at the top I was reminded why I partake in these trips. With stunning, panoramic views as far as the eye could see I was chuffed that we had made it, especially before if snowed the following day.
Perast, Montenegro
Zablijak ๐ Perast
Perast, Montenegro | November 2nd – 3rd
From Zablijak we were headed back towards the Bay of Kotor, this time towards the more northwestern town of Perast. But not before a few golden photo opportunity stops along the way; Slano Jezero and Risan were just too pretty not to gaze at. ๐
Our time in Perast was short and sweet. We wandered along the coastal path through the old town, enjoyed ice creams at the beach, basked in the few remaining hours of sunshine and then admired the shimmering light of a beautiful sunset. Well it was amazing until I bent to pat a cat and it pounced at me. I’m fine, the cats fine, though the fish the cat later gnawed at probably isn’t.
The town of Perast may be more well known for its proximity to the island that the Chiesa della Madonna dello Scarpello, the blue roofed catholic church is perched on. Yes that church is pretty but nothing beats the glistening lights along the shoreline at nighttime!
Budva, Montenegro
Perast ๐ Budva
Budva, Montenegro | November 3rd – 5th
From Perast we cruised around the Bay of Kotor to the infamous Kotor Serpentine road. Renowned for its incredible views, seriously narrow road and multiple hair pin loops, we gradually made our way to the top, basking in the stunning scenery the entire drive.
From the top we had views of Kotor Bay, Tivat Bay and even the Adriatic Sea.
Once at the top we headed for the third national park of the trip; Lovcen National Park. Having had incredible views from Bobotov Kuk which we felt we earned having trotted to the peak, the views from Lovฤen didn’t feel as special given we only drove. With the last remains of good weather we trotted around the top and some of the surrounding smaller trails in the national park before heading to the town of Cetinje.
Brightly coloured buildings, autumnal leafy trees and small cobbled streets made the entire town very picturesque. In Cetinje we enjoyed the first pineapple pizza of the trip! I was very excited. ๐ Following on from lunch we explored the old town and then continued our roadie towards Budva.
Unfortunately the bad weather caught up to us and our two days spent in Budva were very wet. Despite the constant downpour and occasional thunderstorms and lightning we still managed to explore another old town, enjoy my new favourite chocolaty drink and pat a few cats along the way. So the usual. ๐
Bar, Montenegro
Budva ๐ Bar
Bar, Montenegro | November 5th – 7th
From Budva we continued south along the coastal route, stopping to see the peninsula of Sveti Stefan and walk along Petrovac beach.
By lunch time we had made it to Bar. After walking around King Nikola’s Palace and the township we enjoyed a Mexican meal at a German tavern while in Montenegro. Quite the experience. ๐
The following day the rain had eased and we decided to venture to the town furtherest south and trot around Ulcinj. The old town of Ulcinj is raised above the nearby beach and promenade. With howling winds and not another sole in sight our exploration around the medieval, stony buildings was quite airy. Especially when we were later walking under several pine trees along a dirt road to the costal tip.
But as with every Sunday, once midday occurred the locals were out and we decided to join them in their favourite pass time of coffee sipping and people watching along the promenade. This entertained us for hours!
Sadly our road trip and time spent in Montenegro had come to an end. We both agreed that driving around the country was our best way of seeing and experiencing everything we wanted to. While N.D loved the freedom of chopping and changing our travel plans, I liked being able to stop every five seconds and take another scenery picture! And the cats of Kotor of course. ๐
From Split we ferried across the Adriatic Sea to Braฤ Island, specifically the town of Bol.
Hopping off the boat the sun was setting, water glistening and I was chuffed with our decision to island hop the next ten days around the Dalmatian Islands.
Dalmatia encompasses Croatiaโs western border and Adriatic Sea, running from the island of Rab in the north it stretches just below the Istrian peninsula to the Bay of Kotor in the south. From historic cities to quaint mountain towns, sprawling vineyards to hidden beaches, each island was unique in history and atmosphere.
‘Island holidays’ usually involve two main things; spending time on a beach whether that be tanning, reading, swimming, napping, you get it and treat sampling (you can decide what your treat of choice is be it sugary or alcoholic). Mine is definitely sugary. ๐
So I’ll spare you the intricacies of the books I read, tan lines I’ve developed and every flavour of ice cream I tried and instead mention some of the other things we got up to over the ten days.
Braฤ is famous for the breding of olives, vine, figs, almonds and maraska sour cheery. The olive has become one of the most valuable treasures of the Mediterranean people, it has even earned the nickname the ‘olive climate’ when referring to a place in the Mediterranean with ideal weather conditions.
"A fight broke out among the greek Gods on who gets Attica. Zeus decided to give this Greek province to the one who gives their inhabitants the most valuable gift. Poseidon, the God of the Sea made the sea foam and offered to the Attican a fleet of horses. The goddess Athena threw a spear on Attica out of which an olive grew. The Gods ruled in Athena's favour."
While on the island of Bol you can climb the highest mountain of the Adriatic Islands; Vidova Gora, so of course we did. Setting off early one morning (to try avoid the midday heat) we started what was to be a very straight forward and easy ascent of Vidova Gora at 780 metres tall.
At the summit we were rewarded with spectacular panoramic views and could see the fondly advertised ‘symbol of the Adriatic’; Zlatni Rat (Golden Horn Beach). What I maybe appreciated more was the perfectly placed picnic table. ๐ It provided great views and a place to enjoy our overpacking of snacks (it’s becoming a theme on our hikes recently).
The accommodation we stayed in also provided something great: a feline friend named Rosie (I named her this after the welcome gift we received at our accommodation). She became a regular visitor during our three days on the island and by the end was lapping up her milk feeds, knee cuddles and numerous pats N.D and I were giving.
The accommodation we stayed in also provided something great: a feline friend named Rosie (I named her this after the welcome gift we received at our accommodation). She became a regular visitor during our three days on the island and by the end was lapping up her milk feeds, knee cuddles and numerous pats N.D and I were giving.
On our final day in Bol we noticed a lot of the restaurants, cafes and bars closing and packing up for the season. This we later discovered would be the theme not only for our days island hopping but as we continued to travel further south. Off season in this part of Europe doesn’t just mean less tourists and cheaper prices… it can also mean fully closed. ๐ฆ
Jelsa, Dalmatian Islands
Bol โด Jelsa
Jelsa, Dalmatian Islands | October 17th – 19th
On our arrival to Jelsa we were met with another gorgeous seaside town and an ideal accommodation upgrade.
At most places we stay we aim for a few things:
cheap
pay in advance (we don’t carry a lot of cash and with travelling across so many countries with different currencies it can become quite expensive making many ATM withdrawals or conversions; so we like to pre pay on credit card and avoid all this (plus we get airpoints and other perks this way))
some sort of kitchen/kitchenette set up; all we really need is a fridge and kettle to store milk and make coffee/tea for breakfast… and noodles (or ramen as I like to call them – makes me feel fancy) for dinner if the meals at restaurants are too expensive (SWITZERLAND!!!). If they also offer a cooktop or other appliances then great – more dinner options!
So you can imagine our surprise when the room we got taken to was not just a room but an entire house. Complete with three bedrooms, separate bathroom, entire working kitchen, lounge and a balcony with sea views. Incredible! And it was so cheap – literally a quarter of the cost of our room in Rome (which didn’t even have a kettle… we went caffeine less in the mornings!).
Needless to say we made a buffet of food during our stay in Jelsa; pancakes, Turkish platters, pizza, stir fry, spring rolls and fries. All enjoyed with a great view. ๐
Hvar, Dalmatian Islands
Jelsa ๐ Hvar
Hvar, Dalmatian Islands | October 19th – 20th
When our stay in Jelsa was complete we sadly farewelled our island home but not the island itself and ventured to the bigger city of Hvar.
Hvar town is considered the more lively and up market part of Hvar in comparison to the quieter, smaller town of Jelsa. With surrounding tall ships, massive launches and several multi-day cruise companies moored at the docks I could instantly see why. Unfortunately a night on the town wasn’t for us as our arrival was met with an almost unanimous ‘closed for the season’ sign on every store front. Instead we settled for a stroll through the old town, swim in the ocean, trot up to the Fortica Fortress and ice cream stop. I’m not complaining, it was bliss!
At night with the ships all illuminated and town ghostly quiet we had a lovely time just gazing out over the water. And I may have imitated the many men fishing just for laughs. ๐
Korฤula, Dalmatian Islands
Hvar โด Korฤula
Korฤula, Dalmatian Islands | October 20th – 22nd
No sooner had we arrived in Hvar did we find ourselves back on a ferry destined for our next island; Korฤula.
Perhaps the islands biggest claim to fame is as the birthplace of Marco Polo, but N.D and I were far more interested in seeing Korฤulas well preserved gates, towers and archaeological sites.
During our time here we stayed in the old town of Korฤula and went out each day exploring different parts of the island.
From the beaches of Banje to Ispod Duvana it was beautiful and with warm water N.D had a blast swimming and exploring the sea life below. I on the other hand found the abundance of sea urchins littering the ocean floor a bit intimidating and only swam once. But that’s okay, I couldn’t work on my tan and book reading while swimming could I. ๐
One day we hired bicycles and explored the towns further around the island including: Lumbarda, Vela Przina Beach, Raznjic and Raฤiลกฤe.
On our final night we went to a cocktail bar I had heard much about! Famous for its stone castle building, ladder staircase and incredible views; Massimo was the perfect finale for our time on the island of Korฤula.
The next day we packed up, stocked up and headed for our final island destination.
Pomena, Dalmatian Islands
Korฤula โด Pomena
Pomena, Dalmatian Islands | October 22nd – 24th
Fortunately I searched the island of Mljet prior to our departure from Korฤula and discovered that the local supermarket and surrounding food providers had all closed that week for the season. This meant that we needed to come to the island prepared. Not that cooking our own meals is an issue, we had been doing that throughout our time in the Dalmatian Islands (while the accommodation is cheap the restaurants are not) but normally we would grocery shop on arrival… with everything closed that would have been challenging to say the least.
With bags of food we arrived in Pomena to visit one exciting spot. Mljet island is famous for its ancient ruins, caves, sprawling beaches and multiple hiking paths which are all encompassed in Mljet National Park. The town of Pomena is situated within the national park and provides residents an inside glimpse of the parks natural beauty and wildlife.
During our time on the island we obviously explored the National Park; from trotting around both lake edges, to scurrying through underground tunnels and hiking up Mt Veliki and Mt Montokuc (the tallest peaks in the park), we experienced stunning scenery, phenomenal weather and had an incredible time. Even managed to buy popsicles from a lovely lady – you can’t beat a calipo in the sunny afternoon… or whatever the Croatian version of it is. ๐
The Dalmatian Islands were stunning!
Our time spent exploring each place was special. Possibly made even more unique by the fact that there weren’t a lot or even any other tourists in the towns when we were there. It felt like we had the whole place to ourselves… and a hoard of sandflies at dusk break.
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Pomena โด Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik, Croatia | October 24th – 27th
If I thought the Dalmatian Islands were a tranquil oasis of seclusion then nothing could have been a bigger contrast than arriving into Dubrovnik. Met with enormous cruise ships, towering bridges and cues of tourists Dubrovnik was a lot to take in on arrival.
Continuing on with the predominant theme of Split, Dubrovnik was crowded with Game of Thrones fans, merchandise store and tour vendors. You would stroll along a bridge and hear “this death scene happened here”, stare up at wall and catch whispers of “this royal family member exclaimed this here” or stand at a balcony over looking stairs and see a tour group being explained that a character walked naked down the steps here. It was quiet an unusual experience hearing years of fictional history be preached in a city that has its own factual history.
Recognised for its remarkable medieval architecture and fortified old town, Dubrovnik has been an UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. However, the Dubrovnik of today is still under reconstruction 30 years after the severe shelling and bombardment that occurred during 1991 and 1992 when the Yugoslav Peoples Army had siege of the city.
So similar to our exploration of Split, N.D and I trotted the streets of Dubrovnik with our own, not television show inspired agenda in mind. Some of the highlights from Dubrovnik old town and our tour included:
Tvrฤava Minฤeta, Pile Gate, Church of St. Ignatius, The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Sponza Palace and Dominikanski samostan
Fort Bokar, West Harbour and Lovrjenac
Uvala Lapad Beach
DBC – Dubrovnik Beer Company brewery with views across the harbour and of Vidikovac Lozica
The next day we set off to ascend Mount Srฤ (778 metres) to Mala Petka Forest Park and descend Staza Prema Utvrdi Imperial. All provided amazing views over looking the old town, surrounding wall and Adriatic coastline.
But if we learnt anything from our time on the islands it’s that no day is complete without a beach lie and ice cream, so that’s exactly how we ended it at Plaลพa Danฤe (Dance Beach).
Our time in Croatia had come to an end… but not before highlighting the beauty of travelling that bit slower, reminding us to appreciate the bustling cities as well as the quaint towns and always to stop and pat a cat or two.
West Harbour of Dubrovnik
At the completion of an incredible, almost three weeks spent exploring this magical country we were back on a bus and headed across another country border.
After one long bus journey across the Italian, Slovenian and Croatian borders we found ourselves in the Croatian capital of Zagreb.
With hilly surroundings, stunning views and a noticeable reduction in the number of people everywhere it was quickly decided that Croatia was right for us.
I know this sounds like the pot calling the kettle black, but after the hoards of tourists we encountered in the past destinations arriving somewhere less populated was a much needed breath of fresh air.
Our stay in Zagreb was short and sweet; we explored the main city centre, visited the most famous sites, found parks to have snacks in and inevitably got lost trotting around. So the usual. ๐
The Park ลกuma Tuลกkanac, Strossmayer Promenade, Kamenita vrata, Cathedral of Zagreb, Trg bana Josipa Jelaฤiฤa, Oktogon, Lotrลกฤak Tower, King Tomislav sculpture and the National Theater are just a few of the places we visited.
And of course the most notable landmark of St. Mark’s Church… I say this only because it’s on all of their souvenirs and advertising posters.
During our stay we planned and booked our transport and accommodation for the exciting two weeks ahead… but more on that later. Next stop Plitvice National Park!
Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
Zagreb ๐ Plitvice Lakes
Plitvice Lakes, Croatia | October 9th – 12th
We decided to spend two full days in Plitvice National Park for the share fear that the weather would rain us out, literally.
While I can walk in the rain as well as anyone (maybe better after the TA hike) I didn’t fancy myself slipping on the boardwalks throughout the national park and ending up in the pristine, not for human use lakes and being kicked out. So we booked two nights for safety, unbeknownst that the weather would stay clear and sunny the entire time we hiked and we would end up being told off for another reason. ๐
Plitvice Lakes is Croatias oldest and largest national park. Spanning across almost 30,000 hectares, interconnecting waterfalls above and below ground have created the exceptional natural beauty that is the upper and lower lakes you can see today.
The lake system is the result of over a millennia of ongoing geological and biochemical processes called tufa formation; where by through calcium carbonate deposition natural dams are created, that when water flows near interacts with the surrounding living organisms, mainly mosses, algae and aquatic bacteria. This creates the aesthetically stunning phenomenon that is rhe UNESCO Heritage recognised Plitvice Lakes National Park.
With turquoise clear lakes, surrounding dense forest and numerous spectacular waterfalls we had an absolutely amazing day of trotting. The fact that we were visiting the national park during the shoulder season of autumn also meant that the bus loads of tourists weren’t present and I could enjoy this multi-coloured, stunning phenomenon in peace.
We trotted the K circuit of the national park which encompasses the entire park; all waterfalls, all bridges, all platforms and stations were visited. Park completed!
Unfortunately this meant that the next day we were at a bit of a lost with what to do. The wider Dinarides region has a few hiking trails that incorporate the lakes and are included in the park ticket; so with day bags packed of water and snacks we set off.
In actual fact the snacks and water we carried were a complete overkill, we completed the entire wider loop hiking trail before lunch and I never even took my fleece off. The initial hilly ascent entered the cloud layer of atmosphere which made hiking kind of spooky and with almost constant tree cover the air was actually chilly. Quite a contrast from our previous sweaty trots!
What wasn’t expected was that they were carrying out construction of the trail exit into the national park and had ‘closed’ the hiking trail… well by ‘closed’ I mean put bunting across the exit of the trail path (after we had already hiked the entirety of it) without any information or warnings at the entry. But we did manage to leave the trail, no one was injured and only got yelled at a little when we were eventually caught. Given the gentleman was yelling in Croatian it could have been words of encouragement for all I know. ๐
The national park stay concluded with pizza, fries and beer (as usual) at one of the town ski lodges before we packed up ready to venture to the coast.
Split, Croatia
Plitvice Lakes ๐ Split
Split, Croatia | October 12th – 14th
When I would first tell someone that I was going to Croatia chances are they’d mention Game of Thrones. Having never seen an episode of the television show I am definitely not the hardcore fan Croatia is trying to market when selling Split or Dubrovnik city tours. Nor am I going to get excited about arbitrary walls or stairs from various scenes in the show that they seemed so fond of advertising. For that reason I preface my tour of Split as quite different than that of the masses. But if this were about Friends, The O.C or Gossip Girl then it’d be a different story. ๐
However what I did enjoy seeing in Split included:
The Golden Gate, the Silver Gate, Vestibule and Diocletian’s Palace Ancient (a UNESCO monument)
Saint Domnius Bell Tower (my favourite site)
Gregory of Nin, the bell tower and the Chapel of the Holy Arnir
Venetian Tower, Karepic Palace
Riva, the Promenade and several beaches (the beginning of many beach visits to come)
Marjan Hill Stairs
The views across the city from Park ลกuma Marjan were great! The fried squid and beef goulash that we had for dinner even better. Unfortunately there is no photo of our meal as we had just walked up and down the hill and built up quite an appetite, so the food was engulfed before I thought of taking a picture. ๐ But here’s a snap of N.D eating a burger from the previous night. ๐
With one week in Croatia under our belts and my understanding of their language no better we hopped onto a ferry ready to start our voyage to new land… the Dalmatian Islands.
On the train from Zermatt to La Spezia we made two changes, one in Domodossola and the other in Milan and wow; our firsts glimpses of Italy were stunning. Strolling the cobbled streets of Domodossola with its mountainous surroundings, quant coffee shops and colourful buildings was a stark contrast to the multi-storey train station, sky rise monuments and hustle and bustle of Milan. Fortunately we had enough time to grab the essentials (a coffee in Domodossola and an icecream in Milan) before hopping back on the train for our first night in Italy.
Cue Vengaboys song “we’re going to Ibiza” – while I know that we are not in Spain and definitely not on the island of Ibiza this banging tune from 1999 stayed in my head and became a constant hum, foot tap or inevitable sing-along throughout N.D and mines time in La Spezia. It’s just too easy to not change the place name to La Spezia and have the song make perfect sense. ๐
"we're going to (La Spezia), back to the island, we're gonna have a party, in the Mediaterran Sea"
Our trip to La Spezia was to visit another famous, this time brightly coloured and coastal UNESCO World Heritage site. I promise we aren’t intentionally only visiting UNESCO sites they just happen to be what I’m most interested in exploring! ๐
Located at the eastern edge of the Italian Riviera is the home of five different fishing villages known collectively as Cinque Terre (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore). The preserved architecture, limited roads and network of mountain and costal trails connecting them romanticised the small communities and created a feeling of authenticity.
N.D and I spent two full days exploring the five villages through the two main trails; Alta Via delle Cinque Terre (red) and Sentiero Azzurro (blue).
Each of the Cinque Terreโs villages is associated with a sanctuary perched high atop the cliff. Reaching these ancient religious retreats once used to be part of a hefty penance but nowadays the trail passes through terraced vineyards with spectacular views.
After the 2011 floods much of the coastal blue trail was destroyed and has remained permanently closed. The trail from Monterosso to Vernazza and Vernazza to Corniglia remains open while to reach the other villages by foot one must trot the high top tracks.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time trotting the various trails, marvelling at the incredible views and exploring the cosy villages.
The bright colours, abundant greenery and costal breeze made both days unforgettable. ๐ Unfortunately despite my best attempts at summoning a swim (I wore togs both days in hopes of a dip in the ocean) the swell and wind were a constant damper.
With bellies full of focaccia, gelato and seafood pasta we bid arrivederci to our first stop in Italy and were en route to another with a bit more of a lean. ๐
Pisa, Italy
La Spezia ๐ Pisa
Pisa, Italy | September 29th – 2nd.
We travelled to Pisa!
When the decision was made a week or so ago to travel to Italy Pisa was the first place we discussed visiting. If you asked me what’s the tourist symbol for Italy I would say the Leaning Tower of Pisa… while many people would probably disagree and name the most visited site in the world (the Colosseum) I would still argue the tower. It’s just iconic to me! So that’s what we did; we visited Pisa to see the tower, take numerous pictures posing with the tower and explore what else Pisa has that isn’t the tower.
From hugging the tower to hugging our tums after a lot of pizza and gelato, trotting the cobbled streets to trotting out to Port Pisa and marvelling at the marina, and finally making our own authentic Italian meal complete with box wine, box pasta and box tomato sauce; we had an absolute blast! Though authentic might be a bit of an overstatement. ๐
During our time in Pisa I had come to accept something. After months of adventures, time spent with friends and constant movement local and afar I was still searching. Searching for a plan, a purpose, a reason to do something. Searching for something that will likely never come.
Throughout these months I have come to accept that while a solid plan for my life doesn’t exist, acceptance in doing things that bring me happiness is as good of a plan as any. And if in the future something no longer pleases me it’s also totally fine to change tune and do something different. People change, situations change, life changes. While it’s not the enlightenment I had initially sought when I left work and started walking a country it’s maybe a semblance of something… so I’ll take what I can get. ๐
“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”
Omar Khayyam
But aside from the ‘Eat Pray Love’ moment I was having, we did also visit some very iconic and cool sights:
Leaning Tower of Pisa, Fontana dei Putti, Piazza del Duomo and Cattedrale di Pisa
Angelo Caduto, Lion’s Gate and Porta Santa Maria Pisa
Church of Saint Michael ‘in Borgo’ and Piazza dei Cavalieri
Palazzo Gambacorti and Logge dei Banchi
Ponte di Mezzo, “Tuttomondoโ (Keith Haring) and Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina
Rome, Italy
Pisa ๐ Rome
Rome, Italy | October 2nd – 5th.
Arriving in Rome was overwhelming. The temperature was rising, the crowds were queuing and the streets were packed; with mopeds zipping left and right, restaurant seats spilling over pavement and all matter of vehicles parked on curbs, the city was a lot to take in on arrival!
But if our arrival into the Italian capital was anything to go by then the next three days we spent here were going to be jam packed.
To spare you the nitty, gritty details of everything we saw I will instead list some of the many, many sights we visited in order and discuss some of our (really my) favourites!
Castel Sant’Angelo, Passetto di Borgo, Column of the Immaculate Conception, Piazza di Spagna, Spanish Steps and Trinitร dei Monti
Via Margutta, Terrazza Viale del Belvedere, Villa Borghese, Piazza di Siena, Passeggiata del Pincio and Piazza del Popolo
Campo de Fiori, Palazzo Farnese, Arco degli Acetari, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Piazza Colonna, Trevi Fountain
Cordonata Capitolina, Piazza del Campidoglio, Trajan’s Column, Miliarium Aureum and Temple of Saturn
Roman Forum, Palatino, Piazza del Colosseo, Colosseo, Arch of Constantine, Via dei Fori Imperiali and Altar of the Fatherland
Vatican City Cittร del Vaticano, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter’s Basilica, Obelisk of St Peter’s Square and Apostolic Palace
Belvedere del Gianicolo, Basilica of Our Lady in Trastevere and the Trastevere quarters
Ponte Sisto, Chiesa di San Francesco a Ripa, Ponte Cestio and the Tiber Island
First I want to thank Rick Steves, while I do not personally know him he did help N.D and I save a lot of money of tours and provided essential structure to our city trot… without him we would probably still be wandering confused. If you haven’t heard of him then can I highly suggest you download his app for your next Europa adventure (you can thank me later).
The first full day in Rome involved an early wake up call and queuing for several hours… but it was well worth it! Viewing the Sistine Chapel is surely on many peoples bucket lists, mine included and so the early morning cue for guaranteed entry in the Vatican Museum was what we did. Now I am not an art enthusiast, overly religious or that knowledgable about architecture but I can definitely appreciate a man who spent years painting a ceiling let alone the masterpiece that is Michelangelos. A project which ultimately changed the course of Western art and is today still regarded as one of the major artistic accomplishments of human civilisation is that ceiling. Think of the neck strain alone!
If the ceiling doesn’t wow you enough then you only have to look down and marvel at his other masterpiece; The Last Judgment, incredible, completely worth our early morning!!!
After our full tour of the Vatican Museum we visited the remainder of the smallest state in the world and another of my bucket list items. St Peter’s Basilica constructed in the Renaissance style and completed 120 years after it was commissioned in 1626 is the largest church in the world by interior measure (which if you visit the church does boast about on the floor markings).
Famous as a place of pilgrimage and for its liturgical functions St Peter’s gains it name as the supposed burial sight of Saint Peter, the chief among Jesus’ apostles and also the first Bishop of Rome.
Oh and incase you’re keeping track, yes the entire of Vatican City and many of its tourist sights are protected under UNESCO World Heritage status (and the Pope for that matter).
A fountain I had been admiring for many years as my desktop screensaver I actually first saw in a highly acclaimed film… The Lizzie McGuire Movie (2003). Okay maybe it’s not that highly acclaimed but the soundtrack and location for filming was great!
Little did I know this was actually the largest Baroque fountain in Rome and one of the most famous fountains in the world. Trevi Fountain was just that fountain and the last sight to be seen on our first day exploring. With its grandeur presence, ornate design and glistening turquoise water it was very impressive, then the lights turned on and it got even better so I had to take a hundred photos all over again. ๐
The Pantheon today remains one of Romes best-preserved ancient buildings due in large part because it has been in continuous use throughout history.
What was formerly a Roman temple and since 609 AD a place of worship for the Catholic religion was N.D and mines most surprising visit in Rome, partly due to how long we spent just staring up!
With a cylindrical portico and eight large granite Corinthian columns; at almost two thousand years since it’s construction the Pantheon’s dome is still the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome. The height to the oculus and the diameter of the interior circle are the same measuring at 43 metres. You can now understand our staring. Just wow!
N.Ds most sought after experience not just in Rome or Italy but for our entire Europa trip was to explore the Colosseum.
When the time finally came to attend the most visited tourist site in the world I was pretty excited, N.D on the other hand… I’ve never seen him so elated! “Are you not entertained!” If you’ve been to Rome, viewed the Colosseum yourself or simply seen the film Gladiator (2000) then you’re probably very familiar with what it looks like and it’s magnitude. But to actually stand next to a structure that size, let alone walk around the largest amphitheater ever built, knowing the era it was constructed in 80 AD and what events went on is pretty astounding!
Whilst walking around the structure I had Rick Steves explaining various sights of interest in one ear and N.D quoting Gladiator in the other, quite a contrast. ๐
My name is Maximus Decimus Meridias, commander of the armies of the north, general of the Felix legions and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son. Husband to a murdered wife. I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.”
Maximus Meridias – Gladiator
As part of our Colosseum ticket it also included entry into the Roman Forum and atop the Palatino Hill which we explored on our way to the arena.
Venice, Italy
Rome ๐ Padua
Padua, Italy | October 5th – 7th
If you haven’t heard of Padua then you aren’t alone. Prior to booking our bus ride to this northwest city in Italy I too had never heard of it. But if you want to visit Venice and not pay an arm and a leg then this might be your closest city to stay in.
Our trip to Venice was short but jam packed! After busing from Padua we arrived in the city built on an island at 8am sharp, bright eyed and bushy tailed, only to return to the station 12 hours later exhausted and ready for bed.
From the central station we explored the streets of Venice, gazed at the once grand palaces that adorn the canals, crossed over famous bridges, meandered hidden back-street gems only occasionally getting lost and then returning to the tourist hubs, visited a golden church, packed squares and fishy markets, tasted Italian cuisine and relaxed in beautiful parks. It was an amazing day. ๐
Some of the many sights we explored and extra appreciated include:
Grand Canal and the many palaces that make up its edges
Campo Santo Stefano, Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute and Basilica S.Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
Torre dell’Orologio and Ca’ Pesaro International Gallery of Modern Art
Rialto, Campiello San Zulian and Accademia Bridge
St Marks Square with St Marks Basilica, Doges Palace, Carta Gate and the Bridge of Sighs
Promenade, Venetian Arsenal, Giardini della Biennale and Parco delle Rimembranze
Before we knew it we were saying ciao to the lovely gentleman who hosted the BnB in Padua and were on a bus to cross not one but two country borders.
We’re halfway in our Europa travels! Wow time flies. And what better time than travelling to a place I have dreamed about visiting for years; Switzerland.
Prior to embarking on our Europa trip I had one country, really one place that I desperately wanted to visit and whatever the cost try make a reality.
Visiting Grindelwald and the surrounding Interlaken region was extremely bittersweet.
Views across the valley of Grindelwald
A cherished friend of mine travelled to this region earlier this year and raved about how stunning the surroundings were. With snow covered peaked mountains, tiny villages and ringing cow bells she enthusiastically chatted about how much she was loving her time their and how I would when I visited later.
She encouraged and supported me not just in the decision to stop work and travel to Europe for four months but with many career, personal, really life decisions. She seized opportunities, new experiences and never let anything hold her back. She lived!
In going to Grindelwald I was met with excitement at a new country, in a beautiful region and the cogwheel train, numerous hiking trails and fluffy animals that she said I’d enjoy!
In going to Grindelwald I was met with excitement at a new country, in a beautiful region and the cogwheel train, numerous hiking trails and fluffy animals that she said I’d enjoy!
But also the constant reminder that she had been here, admired Mt Eiger like I, eaten the same breakfast as I (the hostel recommendation was hers) and maybe even trotted the same trail as me. She was all around and with me everyday without having to say a word. โค
While in Grindelwald (1034m) we hiked many trails and ascended many peaks. Day one saw us catch the cablecar to Eigergletscher (2333m) and then the cogwheel train (the highest railway in Europe) to the ‘Top of Europe’ Jungfraujoch (3454m); it was magical!
We caught glimpses of the Eismeer on our journey up, walked alongside the Aletsch Glacier (longest glacier in the Alps) to the highest manned hut in Switzerland, stood on the Jungfraujoch plateau underneath the Jungfrau (4158m), Munch (4107m) and Eiger (3970m) mountains, explored an ice palace below and enjoyed panoramic views out towards Germany, Italy and France.
The feeling of stepping outside and gazing up at the Jungfrau mountain all whilst the icy air swept across my face and snow crunched underfoot I will never forget; it became a different world! If you are ever in the region I highly, highly recommend you visit the UNESCO site of Jungfraujoch.
On our return we hiked the Jungfrau Eiger trail down to Grindelwald passing through the villages of Kleine Scheidegg (2061m), Alpigen (1615m), Brandegg (1332m) and Grund (943m). The beautiful scenery, chiming of cow bells and serene atmosphere made me feel like I was in a Disney movie whimsically skipping through an enchanted forest. It was unbelievably stunning.
On day two we headed up the other side of the valley via a gondola to First (2168m). Once on top we took a cliff edge walk around First as we gazed across the valley towards Mt Wetterhorn (3892m), Schrechhorn (4078m), Finsteraarhorn (4272m) and Fiescherhorner (4094m) and I took far too many pictures of Mt Eiger (not to dissimilar from the previous day to be honest ๐ ). Then we trotted along the Bachalpsee trail towards the lakes and then to the top to Mt Faulhorn (2681m). The panoramic views from here were incredible! You could see everything; the villages below, Klettersteig Schwarzhorn, Schynige Platte, even Interlaken and the two lakes that border it (Thunersee and Brienzersee). On our descent we followed a different trail down the mountain, through Feld and Bussalp (1792m) before arriving back at our hostel for another great sunset.
Lauterbrunnen (796m) was our destination for day three but not before trotting through Schwendi, Spatenalp, Leiterhorn and Wegen (1274m). After 30km, several snack break stops and one punishing descent involving multiple cut-backs we arrived at Lauterbrunnen.
Here we explored the town and surrounding waterfalls (Staubbach and Trummelbach) before making our way back to our hostel for the final night.
The few days spent around Grindelwald were magical and made all the more special knowing that I had achieved the trip and adventure recommended by my dear friend. โค
Before we caught the train from Interlaken N.D and I explored the township and nearby Marmot enclosures (very cute rodents or ‘ground squirrels’. They are actually the second largest rodent in Switzerland), then we set off to Zermatt via three other trains (got to get my train fix in while we are in Switzerland obviously!).
Zermatt, Switzerland
Grindelwald ๐ Zermatt
Zermatt, Switzerland | September 23rd – 26th.
Ahhh the mighty Matterhorn. If you aren’t familiar with where Zermatt is you might be more familiar with one of its infamous mountains: the Matterhorn. With a height of 4478m the Matterhorn had become the object of my obsession for the three days we stayed in Zermatt and inadvertently reminded me of an even bigger life lesson.
If you search Zermatt chances are a majority of the images will include the Matterhorn, if you read about activities in the region or trails to be hiked chances are they’ll describe the best spots you can visit to get views of the Matterhorn and if you mention to anyone that you’re going to Zermatt chances are… well you get it, the region likes this mountain. Leading up to our trip I became a little obsessed with the icon of Toblerone chocolate and really wanted as many experiences with this mountain as my backdrop.
The afternoon that we arrived in Zermatt provided just a couple hours of daylight to bask in the Matterhorn and all its glory before the coming days of rain, fog and eventual snow set upon us.
Once unpacking we quickly set off along the Arvenweg and Swiss Topwalk trails towards Riffelberg (2582m). Along the way I caught glimpses of the surrounding mountains before we cleared the tree line and the mighty mountain came into view. With the sun setting behind and casting a shadow over the valley below the Matterhorn appeared elegant but also daunting, with its jagged edges and share size; the views were well worth everyones hype.
Meandering our way back down the Mark Twain and Riffelalpweg trails I was excited for the coming days hikes and more spectacular views.
Unfortunately the weather had other ideas and day two and three saw us set out on various trails in rain and fog, only to be met with snow at some point along the way.
On day two we completed the Findeln and 5-Seenweg to Blauherd (2572m) and then Murmelweg. With trail map promises of Matterhorn views and amazing photograph opportunities you can imagine my disappointment when I couldn’t see more than two metres ahead let alone any mountainous lake reflections.
With a glum expression and negative attitude it was easy for N.D to become frustrated that I wasn’t enjoying the trot I so desperately wanted to do. After a lunch break, chat between us and self pep-talk I was reminded that whether or not I can see the mountain it’s still there and doesn’t change the trail I am trotting on today. I should be enjoying my experience for what it is, rain and all and not worrying about the pictures I can’t take. The pictures aren’t what I will remember about this hike but the feelings I have while doing it… and with that new mindset my discontentment and unhappiness shifted to appreciation. The gratitude I have for being able to physically and financially travel at this time, trot theses trails and experience Europe in all its beauty. That is what I chose to take from our days spent in Switzerland not the fact that I didn’t get a picture of a lake reflection. I can just Google image pictures of it later and maybe even crop the mountain into some of my own photos if I really want ๐ haha.
On our last full day in Zermatt we trotted the Matterhorn trail around the base of the mountain, through Furi and Zmutt villages, past the dam and arrived at Schwarzee (2583m). Whilst lunching it started to snow and the clouds above turned angrier and greyer by the minute. With hastily bites we finished up and then boosted our way back down the Larchenweg trail towards town.
Our time spent in Switzerland was unbelievable and really felt like a turning point in our travels, a reminder to appreciate what we have because people, places and experiences might not be there forever.
We’re back in Germany! For a good reason to but I’ll get to that later in the blog post.
The train ride from Luxembourg to Cologne passed along the Moselle and Rhine rivers and wow what amazing scenery. If you’re wondering why we chose to visit Cologne of all places in Deutschland it was for this and the subsequent days train ride so I’m glad we enjoyed it!
Sights along the Rhine River
Sadly though when we disembarked the train we were met with a grey, windy and wet Cologne which quickly snatched our good moods.
At this point in our Europa travels we have ventured to amazing places, with incredible sights, diverse cultures and tasty cuisine. Unfortunately we have also been moving across the north half of the continent from east to west and met with ever increasing prices. It’s hard to justify buying a container of peanut butter that costs the equivalent of nine NZD when it’s not even crunchy peanut butter, let alone going out to have a drink, nice meal or partake in a tourist excursion. ๐ฆ The lack of variable food was what was really getting us down. While neither of us would be considered foodies and our taste buds definitely do not require fancy meals, eating different foods is part of experiencing a new culture when travelling and provides a social aspect of seeing locals and spending time in their environment.
When you take that away it can start to feel isolating, you don’t understand the language, you only visit supermarkets and are constantly consuming cold cuisine (if you can call hummus and capsicum atop of rice crackers even that).
Up until this point in the Europa blog posts I have focused on only the positives. While I definitely understand that life is a mixture of good days, neutral days and days you’d rather forget I intentionally chose to only write about good times so when I look back I have fond memories and not those of getting unwell or terrible transits. A highlight reel of travel to put it succinctly.
However I also know that without reflecting of the ‘less good times’ it can be hard to move forward and you may become victim to these happening again. These times can in the long run make you more grateful for the good times you’ve had and the possibility for the better times ahead!
So…. after a long winded word scramble of emotion just now and a serious chat between N.D and I at the time, we made the effort to go out and be social for our sanity’s sake; despite the cost! Cue a lovely meet up with one of N.Ds old university friends and his partner. Thanks Reece we had a blast and the free beer didn’t hurt either. ๐
Oh and amongst the downpour we did trot around and see the many sights of Cologne such as the:
Kรถlner Dom (Cologne Cathedral), Romans’ Northern Gate, Heinzelmรคnnchenbrunnen and Rรถmischer Abwasserkanal
Hahnentor, Edith-Stein-Denkmal, Malakoffturm and view atop the Schokoladenmuseum Kรถln (Cologne Chocolate Museum)
Vorgebirgspark, Volksgarten Kรถln and Friedenspark
Severinsbrรผcke, Deutz Suspension Bridge and Hohenzollernbrรผcke
Basilica of St. Severin St. Severin, Antoniterkirche and Basilica of St. Cunibert Kath. Kirche St. Kunibert
Heidelberg, Germany
Cologne ๐ Heidelberg
Heidelberg, Germany | September 11th – 12th.
On leaving Cologne the morning sun was out and we were aboard another train, happy and headed down the Rhine river. The train ride was great; the views of castles, old towns and cathedrals along the Rhine beautiful and we had plenty of snacks. ๐
Whilst Heidelberg was only a quick overnight stop on the Europa tour it was fantastic. Staying overnight and exploring the surrounding old town was beautiful; with its cobbled streets, colourful buildings and rich history Heidelberg was truly magical. We trotted the Philosopher’s Way and back along the Neckar river, across various bridges (Old Bridge Heidelberg and Theodor Heuss Bridge) and through various parks (Bismarckplatz Park, Karlsplatz, Scheffelterrasse, and Herkulesbrunnen) before making our way to the Heidelberg Palace for sunset. It might be my favourite evening in Europe!
Freiburg, Germany
Heidelberg ๐ Freiburg
Freiburg, Germany | September 12th – September 15th.
The next morning we set off early for another bus ride to another German city; Freiburg. Freiburg is famous for various reasons… it’s numerous hiking trails in the surrounding Schwarzwald/Black Forest, home of the Grimm Brother fairytales, rich dark chocolate and for having the oldest hotel in Germany and Europe; the Zum Roten Bรคren with its foundations dating back to 1120.
While the decision to visit Freiburg was for hiking we couldn’t go to a new place without exploring their old town first (the excitement and novelty of every European settlement that we visit having an old town still hasn’t left me) and so off we went. The sights we marvelled at most include:
Freiburger Mรผnster, Europaplatz and Bertoldsbrunnen
Schwabentor and Martin’s Gate
Colombipark, Stadtgarten and Stรผhlinger Kirchplatz
The next days saw us trot various trails in the Schwarzwald. We climbed to peaks of mountains and man made structures (Kanonenplatz, Ludwigshรถhe, Aussichtsturm Schlossberg and Friedrichsturm) relaxed on grassy mounds and enormous benches, saw various wildlife from lizards to squirrels and I even had my first ever snake sighting!
It was great and a tastier of what is to come in our future travels. Though N.D and I did find the trails more like highways with their constant signage and well formed tracks… not really the NZ back country we have grown to love. Plus I didn’t see a single orange triangle. ๐
After the fresh air and wide open spaces of Freiburg we were headed to the city centre and tourist hoards of Munich… for one festival in particular.
Munich, Germany
Freiburg ๐ Munich
Munich, Germany | September 15th – 19th.
Unfortunately N.D and I seemed to attract the rain to Munich as well; after hopping off the bus and walking the hour to our accommodation we were thoroughly soaked. With four more days of torrential rain we never had a chance to dry but that didn’t stop us venturing out and exploring the sights of Munich.
Some of these included:
Frauenkirche, Marienplatz, Old Town Hall, Victuals Market and Turm “Alter Peter”
Nymphenburg Palace (my favourite building and surrounding grounds in Munich)
Odeonsplatz, Hofbrรคuhaus Mรผnchen, Eisbachwelle, Monopteros im Englischen Garten and Siegestor
Friedensengel, St. Lukas, Sendlinger Tor, Olympiaberg and Bavaria Statue
Once the pleasantries of sightseeing had concluded and we had eaten our body weight in currywurst the weekend began; time for Oktoberfest!
I’ll spare you all the details of us trying to find traditional attire of a dirndl for me and a lederhosen for N.D. In the end the two days we were going to be at Oktoberfest and the struggle of then carrying the outfits around in our carry on afterwards didn’t seem worth the enormous cost of them! Plus the money saved on costumes could instead be spent on appreciating the various breweries at the festival right. ๐
The 187th year of the worlds largest and most popular ‘folk festival’ shouldn’t be discussed without a little history first. For the wedding of Prince Regent Ludwig of Bavaria, the later King Ludwig I and his fiancรฉ Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen civil officer Andreas Michael DallโArmi had an idea; why not commemorate the special day with a horse race! And so on the 17th of October 1810 five days after the wedding a huge festival began in the grounds of Theresienwiese which lasted two full weeks. While no beer tents or fairground rides were present back then the celebration was marvellous and the Bavarians wanted more, so each year the celebration continued growing larger and larger with time. Now in 2022 after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic Oktoberfest was back on and N.D and I were excited!
On the first Saturday of the festival we arrived for the opening parade and just wow! Seriously wow! With over 27 tents representing each of the different breweries scattered amongst the festival the sight on entering was astounding. Once the parade started I was in awe; each brewery upon entering the venue had their own (usually multiple) float pulled by horses, with family and historical guests dressed in traditional attire adorning them and all led by marching bands and singers. The parade was magical. ๐
Every year approximately six million people flock to Munich to join in the celebrations. With N.D and I crammed into a beer tent, the mayor tapped the first keg, we yelled “o’zapft is!” and the festivities begin.
Instead of explaining how N.D and I visited all 27 tents during our opening weekend visit, tasted several of the breweries specialities, made friends with people from Germany, Norway, Denmark, India, America, even Australia (didn’t see that coming haha) and I found a group of kiwis to sing with! I will instead let the photographs and video show you the highlights of our time and you can imagine the rest.
Imagine Oktoberfest brass tunes! ๐
While the celebrations of Oktoberfest continued we bid our farewells to Munich and were on our way to the next country… with more hiking in mind!
While still in The Netherlands and after the high that was Amsterdam, it seemed a shame to leave this beautiful country… so we ventured south to the city of Rotterdam.
In contrast to the capital, Rotterdams architecture is very modern predominantly due to the Rotterdam Blitz. During the Battle of the Netherlands in WWII, German soldiers were victorious in seizing control of Rotterdam in May of 1950, very sadly this came at the expense of many innocent lives and the entire historic city centre.
Now having rebuilt the city is able to portray unity, cultural diversity and acceptance of all within their structures. ๐ I still prefer the old town historic buildings and gothic era though… it’s just so pretty!
During our time in Rotterdam it coincided with the Maritiem Wereld Haven Dagen which was great fun. ๐ Along side the Nieuwe Waterweg everyday they offered free tours of maritime ships, navy vessels and provided displays of the airforce helicopters (that was my favourite part). At night there were live performances, a myriad of food stalls and even a fireworks display.
โค โค โค
This festival has been held annually since 1978 (barring pandemic years obviously) and has become the largest of its kind in the Netherlands, so if your a boating, helicopter or navy enthusiast and happen to be in Rotterdam when it’s on I definitely recommend you check it out.
Some of the many sights we explored while in Rotterdam include the:
Euromast, nearby Het and Historische Tuin Schoonoord
de Boeg, the Low Light of the Hook Of Holland, Markthal building, Nieuwe Delftse Poort, Erasmus monument and Kijk-Kubus (Cube Houses)
we tried The Netherlands famous tiny pancakes; poffertjes. Delicious! ๐
Maastunnel and surrounding beautiful bridges (Koninginnebrug, De Hef and Erasmusbrug)
Brussels, Belgium
Rotterdam ๐ Brussels
Brussels, Belgium | September 5th – 7th.
From The Netherlands we continued further south but this time to the home of fries and strong beer… to Brussels of course.
As the capital of Belgium and having previously been ruled by the ‘builder king’ Brussels is a gem for architecture! Many, many buildings and monuments were commissioned during Leopold the II’s reign for his vision of Brussels to become a ‘Little Paris’. While funding for the majority of the cities development came at the exploitation of Congos people and native resources (Universal Exhibition of 1897 being a prime, awful example of this) today when you wander around the old city centre it is pretty incredible. The Royal Museum for Central Africa, Cinquantenaire, Royal Greenhouse of Laeken and Avenue Louise are some of his more notable builds that you can also explore while in Brussels.
During our trots around the old town and nearby attractions we saw:
Grand-Place square with many, many famous old town buildings.
Church of Our Lady of Victories at the Sablon Notre-Dame, St Michael and St Gudula Cathedral.
Trappist brewhouses – beer that is brewed by Trappist monks. There are thirteen monasteries that brew beer in the world and six of them are located in Belgium.
Porte de Hal, Palais de Justice, Koningsplein, Mont des Arts and Stadsmuur en Villerstoren.
Parc du Cinquantenaire and Royal Palace of Brussels.
Similar to many other religious orders, monks started breweries to help feed their community in a time of self-sufficiency. Nowadays, Trappist breweries also brew beer to fund their works and charitable causes, though unfortunately many of the Trappist monasteries and breweries were destroyed during the French Revolution and World Wars.
A common misnomer that I feel should be corrected during this blog is that of fries. For years nations have fought over who invented them, the French, the Dutch, even the British have rallied to contest since first serving them with battered fish. But really who’s claim to fame is it that we have these delicious crispy morsels of potatoe goodness; I will set the record straight now! Well I’ll give you my opinion and you can take it with a pinch of salt (great fries pun there ๐ ).
The year was 1680, the town of Namur in francophone Belgium was experiencing a particularly cold winter resulting in the River Meuse freezing over. The locals unable to collect fish ostensibly fried potatoes instead and thus fries were born.
Later when the Americans visited Belgium during WWI they saw that the potatoes were cut length ways which was unique to them and resembled a thin French person, hence ‘french fries’. By the end of our time in Brussels I felt like a true coinisor of fries. Gosh had I eaten a lot of them but by know means am I complaining about it! ๐
Our last day saw us head further out of the city centre. In the morning we went for a run around the surrounding suburbs, exercised in near by parks (had to work off all the potatoes consumed haha) and the afternoon saw us head in the opposite direction towards Osseghem Park and see the Atomium and Royal Greenhouse of Laeken.
Oh and how can anyone go to Belgium without commenting on their icon… a naked little boy urinating into a fountain basin obviously. While the Manneken Pis might not exactly be an icon, he is the most famous landmark in Belgium and does feature on all their souvenirs and store fronts. He has a wardrobe of over one-hundred outfits and even an Instagram account! ๐
Supposedly the earliest mention of his existence can be found in official documentation from 1451โ52 discussing the water lines supplying the city of Brussels and the fountains essential role in the distribution of safe drinking water. The original fountain was replaced in 1619 for a bronze version and as history would see it damaged and stolen repeatedly over the years. The current statue atop the fountain is a replica from 1965 with the remains of the original safely housed in a museum.
Next we visited the Jeanneke-Pis (it’s only fair if we visit the boy peeing that we see the girl version too – gender equality and all).
And before we knew it we were back on a bus and headed to Luxembourg.
Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Brussels ๐ Luxembourg
Luxembourg, Luxembourg | September 7th – 9th.
For those of you scratching your head trying to work out geographically where Luxembourg is… don’t worry, you’re not alone. N.D and I decided on visiting Luxembourg on a whim, intrigued to know what was their, why is the country so small and without knowing anyone else who had been.
Officially named the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, landlocked on all sides and measuring a mere 82km in length and 57km across; Luxembourg is the small empire of Western Europe. The country holds one of four institutional seats of the European Union, the seat of several EU agencies and more notably the Court of Justice position which has the highest judicial authority. When travelling around Luxembourg you can hear the locals speaking German, French and even Luxembourgish (initially we thought this was a made up word). In 1994 the city of Luxembourg was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to the exceptional preservation of the vast fortifications and historic quarters.
With this in mind you can imagine how easy it was for us to trot around this beautiful city several times!!!
A few of the many monuments we marvelled at were the ร Dicks et Lentz, Monument of Remembrance, Grand Duchess Charlotte Bridge, Entrence Aquatunnel, Cathรฉdrale Notre-Dame, Palais Grand-Ducal and Pont du chรขteau.
Some of the sights we explored included the Pont Adolphe, Tours Vauban, Rham-Plateau, neimรซnster, Chemin de la Corniche, Garden of Luxembourg, Fort Rumigny and Fort Thรผngen.
Luxembourg may have also had the prettiest view I have seen during our time in Europe… so far.
Now aboard a train, N.D and I are heading to a different city in a country we have already visited… ๐
Yay new country! Yay I don’t feel unwell after this bus and train trip! Yay for still travelling Europe!
If you couldn’t tell I was pretty excited when we arrived in Prague. ๐
First stop; hostel. Next stop; exploring Prague and if you know anything about N.D and I by now it’s that we both love a park. I don’t know whether it’s the greenery, ample space for activities (personally I like reading but inevitably I always fall asleep) or possible animal sightings; but they’re great! Stลeleckรฝ Island was no exception.
Located between the old and new town, surrounded by the Vitava River and accessible via Most Legii (Legion Bridge); Stลeleckรฝ Island was one of our favourite parks in Prague and offered a new animal encounter for the two of us.
Nutria also known as coypu, are herbivorous, semi-aquatic rodents and incredibly cute. While in Prague we visited them at this island everyday… but sadly only N.D was successful at feeding them.
During the evening we wandered from Novo Mesto and Vyลกehrad, over the famous Karlลฏv most (Charles Bridge) to Stare Mesto (Old Town) and Josefov suburbs. With ice creams in hand of course. ๐
The following day saw us visit a few of the more recognisable landmarks and monuments of Prague, while trying to trot through as many parks and cross as many bridges as possible. ๐
These started with:
Tanฤรญcรญ dลฏm (Dancing House)
Farmรกลskรฉ trลพiลกtฤ Nรกplavka
Botanical Garden of Charles University
Vyลกehrad (fortress) and the surrounding gardens, Leopold Gate, cemetery, Tรกborskรก brรกna and Starรฉ Purkrabstvรญ
Across the Vyลกehradskรฝ ลพelezniฤnรญ most (Railway Bridge) to:
Smรญchovskรก nรกplavka
Santoลกka (park)
Kinskรฉho zahrada (park)
Vyhlรญdka Strahov (park)
Petลรญnskรก rozhledna (Petrin Tower); 378m tall
Strahov Monastery
And back around some of the sights we saw the evening before, but this time not in darkness:
Lennon Wall
Pomnรญk obฤtem komunismu (Memorial to the Victims of Communism)
Across Karlลฏv most (Charles Bridge) again
Praลพskรฝ orloj (Prague Astronomical Clock)
Staromฤstskรฉ nรกmฤstรญ (Old Town Square)
Praลกnรก brรกna (The Powder Tower)
Frantiลกkรกnskรก zahrada (Franciscan Gardens)
As the historical capital of Bohemia, Prague is a city rich in historical, medieval and architectural charm. But to me it was just a really pretty city. Every step down a cobbled street, glance at a 17th-century neo-gothic church or 10th-century Roman inspired town square had me in awe. As the day went on N.D and I fell more and more in love with Prague.
The next day we took our exploration further and ventured to some the outer suburbs that we had seen from the Petลรญn Tower.
Starting with another trip across Karlลฏv most (Charles Bridge) we visited the Praลพskรฝ hrad (Prague Castle). With its vast array of gothic and romain style buildings, beautifully manicured gardens and never-ending pathways it was gorgeous to wander around. Especially in the early morning before the hoards of tourists arrived.
We continued our frolicking through Letenskรก plรกล (Letna Park), past ฤechลฏv most (ฤech Bridge), across ล tefรกnikลฏv most (ล tefanik Bridge) and towards our next destination.
Of all towers I’ve seen on my travels this has got to be the most peculiar decorative piece I’ve seen… crawling babies. Yet that is what ลฝiลพkovskรก televiznรญ vฤลพ (ลฝiลพkov Television Tower) was decorated with.
Our meander back to our hostel saw us pass a few more sights; Nรกrodnรญ pamรกtnรญk na Vรญtkovฤ (National Memorial on Vรญtkov Hill), Nejsvฤtฤjลกรญho Srdce Pรกnฤ (The Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord Kostel), Vinohradskรก vodรกrenskรก vฤลพ (Vinohrady Water Tower), Havlรญฤkovy sady Grรฉbovka (Havlรญฤkovy Grotto) and Nรกrodnรญ muzeum (museum)
That evening we tried a variety of traditional Czechia food including ฤesneฤka (garlic soup), knedlรญky (dumplings) and vepลo knedlo zelo (roasted pork) before ending the night admiring the illuminated city skyline while floating on a barge. ๐
Berlin, Germany
Prague ๐ Berlin
Berlin, Germany | August 29th – 30th.
Our trip into Germany was quick but not final. En route to our next chosen country we needed to go through another… While visiting Germany is definitely on the list of destinations this Europa trip, Berlin wasn’t, yet that is where we spent the next (almost) two days.
Travelling from Prague to Amsterdam is a long bus ride, so when you decide to break it up into two smaller trips you might find yourself in Berlin like we did.
While trotting around the city centre of Berlin can be busy with people, trams, trains, buses, bicycles and cars; it is also a super easy way to see lots of the city. With lots of parks might I add!
Some sights we saw include:
Alexanderplatz containing St. Marienkirche (St. Mary’s Church), Neptunbrunnen (fountain), Berliner Fernsehturm; 368m tall and the Weltzeituhr (World Time Clock and of course I found New Zealand on it) ๐
Pergamonmuseum
Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) and Altes Museum both found in the Lustgarten
Humboldt-Universitรคt zu Berlin
Bรคrenbrunnen
Gendarmenmarkt
Checkpoint Charlie and the Berliner Mauer (Berlin Wall)
Topographie des Terrors (Topography of Terror) and Denkmal fรผr die ermordeten Juden Europas (Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe)
Brandenburger Tor (Brandenburg Gate)
Reichstagsgebรคude (Reichstag Building)
From a once humble settlement to a city shrouded in darkness, from Nazi and Communist ruling to a fallen wall and the lively city we know today; Berlin has gone through it all! The city N.D and I trotted around although only for a short time felt trendy with its various local cuisines, parks and night life, on every street there were examples of cultural diversity and an inclusivity that history once tried to remove. The buildings were magnificent, some restored 18-century icons, with gods, goddesses and gold plating. Others post-war rebuilds that have taken on a modern flare. Monuments acknowledging the atrocities that occurred while others commemorating those who helped cease it. All reminders of the fragility of life and many beautiful in there own way.
Despite Berlin technically only being a stopover we had a great time, explored to our hearts content and ended the trip back on an overnight bus with tums full of bratwurst and bier.
While the stay was only short and sweet, the number of ‘Buddy Bears’ or painted, life-size fibreglass bear sculptures (for those not in the know) that I saw while trotting around the city was insane! Berlin you certainly have a mascot; everywhere. ๐
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Berlin ๐ Amsterdam
Amsterdam, The Netherlands | August 30th – September 2nd.
Arriving at the bus station in the early morning we were met by an overwhelming but soon to be very common sight; bicycles! So so so many bicycles.
You might have thought you’ve seen a lot of bicycles before, on the street, in races, parked in racks… but if you haven’t been to Amsterdam then you’ve seen nothing in comparison! :O
There were bicycles everywhere and what made it even more impressive was the infrastructure the city had to accommodate all these cyclists. Sure you can have the chicken and the egg argument as to did they create all the cycle lanes for the all these cyclists or did the lanes encourage more people to cycle; who knows, probably a bit of both. What I want to point out is how amazing it is! There were bike lanes on both sides of the roads for each direction of traffic, racks everywhere to store your bike and they have there own traffic light system for ease of use. Incredible!!!
But moving on from the bicycles (for now), our first day at in Amsterdam was spent similar to previous city arrivals: through trotting exploration. ๐
It seems wrong to comment on all the sights we saw without first acknowledging the amazing canal system that surrounds them. Back during the Dutch Golden Age (17th-century) the city of Amsterdam was flourishing with wealth and people, quickly they realised they needed a housing solution to accommodate all these people (and their wealth of course) and so the canal system was created.
The first three canals Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht were built to form a belt around the city (known as Grachtengordel). With later additions of interconnecting canals between them and wider/deeper canals to allow shipping, this belt quickly became a fan shape and the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site that it is today.
But the canals aren’t alone in what’s to marvel at in Amsterdam. Adorning the edges are gorgeous 17th-century canal homes, old merchant houses and charming bridges. Interwoven with new architectural masterpieces it’s easy to see how Amsterdam once the epicentre of wealth in Europe has continued to flourish in todays modern age.
Exploration sights included:
VOC (replica) ship outside of the Maritime Museum and NEMO Science Museum
De Gooyer and Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam
The Oude Church, Montelbaanstoren, Zuiderkerk, Rembrandt House Museum, The New Church, Royal Palace Amsterdam, Westerkerk, and Munttoren
Pythonbrug and Veemkade
Skinny Bridge, Drieharingenbrug (Brug 320) and many many other gorgeous bridges
Rijksmuseum (my favourite building in Amsterdam)
De Wallen Red Light District
Once we had explored the city by foot we took it by sea… well canal really and hopped on a canal tour the following morning to marvel at it all again.
Our final day in Amsterdam was spent the way you’d expect any local too… eating stroopwafels, well yes but also on bicycles of course! This time though we left the city centre and ventured to the outer suburbs of Amsterdam Nieuw-West, Amstelveen, Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, Duivendrecht and Diemen- Noord. I love seeing a new place this way, getting out of the tourist bubble and exploring what the city feels like everyday for most people. Not only did the beautiful canals extend into suburbia but there were lots of parks and a beach! ๐
From castles to canals, bridges to beaches and parks to promenades this past week in three different countries has been incredible… and we still have three months to go.
Now on the bus with our home-made muesli-yoghurt containers (actually made in the hostel not home but you get the gist) and forks (we only have a reusable knife and fork combo, sadly no spoon) we are headed to our next Europa stop. Not crossing a country border this time though!
GC Chronicles 