Bath - it's old school!

It aint warm over on this side of the channel.

It's kind of weird to have gone from, two or so weeks ago, temperatures in their high twenties, to now overnight lows of below zero.  It's not necessarily a bad thing - there's something beautiful about a crisp autumn day;  Big piles of leaves to kick, clear watery light coming in through the empty branches of the trees, and mulled wine.

Oh, and flooding.

We headed up to Bath to catch up with a friend and to have a look at the city.  Even coming in by train, the water was everywhere, like riding a train over a huge lake, rather than a river.

The Abbey sits over the Christmas Market

Nonetheless, Bath is a truly beautiful city.  We arrived in the middle of their Christmas Market, so we drank mulled wine and ate British pies (What, I hear you ask are British pies?  Simple, they're pies made in Britain.  Duh.) and did some shopping.

As you can see from the picture, it was an absolutely beautiful crisp autumn day.

Our lovely host made us a roast pork dinner that evening, which was lovely!


Day two we made a late start to the day and headed to the Roman Baths.  Bath is a city that was built around service to these baths, so is a very old place.  Unlike other Ancient Roman cities we've visited however, the whole city was essentially built over the top of the older city, so it's a mix of ancient and other times.

How the Romans did it!

Still, the Baths are amazing.  Naturally hot, steaming water in these Roman Ruins, plus the story of where all the water comes and goes.  The ruins are quite well preserved and well researched, so you get a real idea of what the place used to be like.

After that, we had a walk through the Victorian Part of the city - Victoria Park and the Royal Crescent.  Quite beautiful.

The last day we decided to head out of the city and, rather than be overly touristy and go see Stonehenge, we went and saw a henge that was made of stones.  BAM!

Avebury is quite interesting - you get there by driving through this old English country side - thatched houses, cute brickwork stores, bricked in paddocks.  Then you arrive at the stones themselves - huge circles of stone in large circles.  Very interesting, and not as touristy and Stonehenge (apparently).  Well worth the morning out of the city.

Nick and Corry get Stoned!  Hah!

So yes, if you need a break from the Big City, I'd highly recommend a weekend away to Bath.  Take a car, because touring around the countryside is also very interesting and cute as well.

Last Day in London

Our last day in London was one of those, "What haven't we seen, what's still be done?" days.

So we started off with a visit to Tate London (Or Tate 1.0 as I like to call it).  Really not overly fascinating - it's free so that's all good, but if you only have time for one of the Tates, make it the modern.  Perhaps by this time we were slightly over museums - it's a possibility.

More walking ensued - lunch followed by a visit to Hyde Park and a walk along the Serpentine.  Then quickly swung by Royal Albert Hall and more wandering through Knightsbridge.  Then off to the Saachi gallery to look around.  This was much more interesting than the Tate.  These I imagine are exhibitions which change on a regular basis.  Slightly disturbing, but well worth it.

As always, the best part of any city is meeting up with locals and trying their recommendations - especially when it comes to food.  So we had dinner with a couple of expat kiwis and had dinner at a really cool hamburger restaurant - if you go to London, I'd highly recommend Meat Liquour.  Delicious things made of meat.


So, for all intents and purposes, that's London done and dusted for the time-being.  We'll come back for a day or two soon, but for now we're complete.  

London is an amazing city.  I was expecting something dark and enclosed and bland.  Instead, this is a city which mixes the old and the new - its history meets its modern role as a capital of Europe.  I found the city to be colourful and vibrant - its bars and restaurants were great, its travel networks are efficient and easy to use.  Like any big city, it can take a bit to get used to and figure out where you are, but that is something that comes with experience.

We'll definitely be back! 

Buh-Bye!

A weekend in London

Dragon-ey Goodness at the Tower

So Friday, after a late start to the day, we decided to go and look around the Tower of London.  We had turned up the previous day an hour before closing, and the entry person suggested we perhaps wanted to give ourselves more time. 

So glad we did!  We spent about three hours looking around the whole facility.  An absolutely fascinating piece of British history.  If you do decide to go, I’d highly recommend taking one of the Yeomen tours – for a start, you’re able to get into the Chapel which you wouldn’t otherwise be able to, also they provide some great stories and entertainment to go along with the visit, and there’s no additional cost.

Then, after catching up with a friend for a (very) late lunch, we took a stroll through Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Leister square etc.  I’d also highly recommend a quick tour around the National Portrait Gallery – some very interesting takes on ‘portraits’, as well as some great photography and painting.

Gay’d it up with dinner and drinks in Soho to finish off the day – thoroughly enjoyable, very vibrant and fun community.

Then ‘twas a weekend of markets.

We started off on Saturday morning by heading to the Barnes Market, this amazing little Farmers Market that had a lot of delicious gourmet food.  And a duck pond. 

After that, we caught a bus into town and headed to Notting Hill markets.  This is a... well, to be honest, a market for all sorts.  We ordered ham and cheese crepes, wandered down the packed streets peering into antique stores, food markets, clothing booths... You name it, you could get it!  Plus the Notting Hill Buzz is something else altogether.

Then we took our first double decker bus ride!!!  We went from Notting Hill to Knightsbridge and hit up Harrods.  This is an AMAZING store - we only hit the food halls and the gift shop, but even this is enough to make you drool.

After Harrods, we made our way up to the Victoria and Albert Museum and viewed the costume exhibit - this was sooo much fun!  The Tim Burton Catwoman costume, the Batman outfit, the Ruby Slippers (Take two), just a really interesting insight into Hollywood.  Very cool.

Brick Lane Markets

Sunday started off with a visit to Brick Lane Market.  Once you get past all the curry houses closest to the Subway, this is a fantastic way to kill some time on a Sunday afternoon.  Very kitcsh, very cool, very alternative.  We also found this old factory style building that had different food stalls with food   from all around the world, so we enjoyed the most delicious Chinese dumplings on noodles.  Absolutely fantastic.

Making our way back into town, we stopped for a quick coffee in SoHo and then made our way to the Natural History Museum (for those of you who are interested, you might want to have a quick look at maps to see how far this means we walked...).  Nothing like dinosaurs to finish a day off. 

Two more days left in London - my, we have packed in an awful lot of goodness over the last few days!

London, Part II

So, after a day of settling in and getting used to English again after three months on the Continent, we decided to start off with the tourist hot spots, so off to Westminster.

So when one arrives in the city and comes out of Waterloo Station and heads towards the river, the first impressive sight you really notice is the London Eye.  Towering over it's surroundings, it looks exceptionally touristy and out of place... but we'll come back to that.

Next, we've crossed the Westminster Bridge and came up to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.  All that's going through my head is the first two bars of "Rule Brittania!"  Once again, one of those buildings that you've seen so many times in movies and TV, but there it is - in front of you for the first time.

Following that, we quickly headed up to Buckingham Palace to watch the Changing of the Guards.  While a little late, we were a little surprised to see them playing "Live and Let Die" and the Austin Powers Theme!  Good to see them having a sense of humour - I half expected the Queen to come onto the Balcony and say, "We are not amused!"

The Palace itself is not super interesting -  a large grey building, really, but the Changing of the Guard was a lot of fun.  The bright costumes, the fun music, the pomp and ceremony of it all, the police on horse back, would love to go see it again at some point.  By the time we got there we didn't have a great viewpoint, so will definitely get there early next time (trip for other travellers!)

Then a wander down Pall Mall, past Trafalgar Square and down to the London Eye again.  This time we took it for a spin (hah!  Dad Joke!).

From atop the Eye

Yes, it's expensive and touristy, but it's also a great way to get some perspective on the city which can prove difficult initially.  And the views are great, with the touch screen providing interesting history behind the different buildings.

From the Eye we made our way along South Bank where they were setting up for the Christmas Market.  We passed the Globe Theatre and walked up the Thames up to the Tower Bridge.  Stunning.  Then, after a quick visit to the Tower (we didn't go in this time), we walked back along the river to the Tate Modern.

Tower Bridge!

Tate Modern is an interesting buiding.  A converted power plant made into a modern art gallery, it has some stunning spaces.  We managed to catch a very interesting temporary exhibition on William Klein.  Absolutely fascinating.

So another busy day, and then back to the suburbs for the night. 

Plenty more London to come!

Paris, Part Deux

It was Nick's birthday wish to be in Paris for his birthday.  And of course, who am I to possibly object?

So we arrived in Paris on Saturday evening and, after settling ourselves settled in and having a good night's sleep, we decided on Sunday to tourist the crap of out this city.

We started off with a walk from the Louvre, down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées.  On the way, we stopped off on the way to visit the Musee d'Orangerie (which had a rather lovely impressionist exhibition), the Grand Palais (currently exhibiting two very intriguing exhibitions - Boheme about the development of the French Bohemiem culture out of its gypsy roots, and also an extensive exhibition of Hopper's work, including the famous Nighthawks), and saw the end of the Armistice Day Parade (Sunday being 11/11).  

At the end we arrived at the Arc du Triomphe.  I think it's still going to be a while before one gets over the fact that one is in the prescence of these objects of cultural, political and popular history.  Still, rather magnifcent and great just to be there.

So, afterwards we headed away down towards the Eiffel Tower (It's still there, you'll all be pleased to know).  There was an exhibition of the Berlin Bears (2.5m tall painted bears - there was one to represent all the nations of the world), which was lovely.  And of course, it being Nick's birthday, we celebrated by having a picnic in the surrounding gardens.  Nick ate cake under the tower itself.

So, after our picnic lunch, we headed up to Montmartre to explore the area.  This is (apart from the EXTREME red light district) a very interesting part of the city (Yes, we saw the Moulin Rouge) - in between the flat and the Cathedral there are some lovely squares and interesting little side streets with great little boutique stores, cafes, bars.

So a busy day!

Day two and three - well, this has been a pretty long post in itself, I'll post the other two shortly.

Luxembourg

We decided to add another country under our belt, so have left France for a couple of days and crossed the border into Luxembourg.  We didn't spend particularly long in this country - we based ourselves in Luxembourg.

Pretty canyons

 Quite a small country - about 1% the size of New Zealand land wise, and about 10% of the population.  Yet it is incredibly wealthy - it is one of the banking capitals of the world, and thousands of Europeans come in every day to work in the city from France, Germany and Belgium.  And being wealthy it is very expensive - it was cheaper for us to drive to Germany and have dinner there one night (in a lovely little town called Trier where we went to a Schnizel restaurant:  Nick had Schnizel, I had goose for the first time!  Delish, served with roasted chestnuts, potato dumplings and red cabbage!)

Nick's dinner - old school schnizel

And mine - roast goose!

Anyway, back to Luxembourg.  It's a city that is built around a set of canyons which provide natural defences for the city, which its human inhabitants have then made excellent use of, digging into the stone work.  Unfortunately with the weather now getting colder, these were closed to the public, but still the cliffs provide amazing views, and it's great to walk through the canyons with the bridges above you and the canyon walls running up.

Probably worth a couple of days exploring - at this time of year, like lots of places we've visited, it's stunning with the Autumn leaf colouring, but you do have to be careful, it can be rather cold and gray.  Although we were lucky.

Back into France again next!

Nice and Monaco

Last days of warm weather...

So, following on from my previous blog post, we arrived safe and sound in the French Riviera after a rather lovely train ride from the Basque Region.  

Nice is nice.  I know it's cliche, but there's really no other word to describe it. The sun was shining, the beaches were beautiful, the people were super friendly and the streets were clean and fresh.

The old town district of the City is buzzing and alive with locals and tourists mixing together amongst beautiful architecture, and the newer areas of town are open and clear.  Set in between the beach and the mountains, it was a great way to just relax - there's very little to do apart from just chill out and enjoy the weather.   It's October, and we're still getting days with highs in their 20's - this kind of good luck can't carry on forever, so we'll enjoy it while it lasts!

However while there we decided to head off to Monaco one day just to have a look around.  This little principality is absolutely amazing!

Super yacht much?

We started off by having a look around the Royal Palace which was fantastic, sitting up on the hill above the harbour.  After lunch up on the hill and a wander around the Royal Gardens, we made our way down to the Harbour - so very many super yachts!

Then we decided to indulge our rich Nick and Corry fantasies, and headed into Monte Carlo.  The Casino is fantastic - such incredible wealth!  Just seeing all the Maseratis, Lamborghinis and Porches!  Fantastic.  And the casino itself, wow!  So much money has been invested in this area, it's overwhelming.

Me with the Monte Carlo casino in the background

Then back to Nice.  We had a quick thunder storm, but then wonderful weather again.  We're heading North now, so imagine that it won't last. 

Next stop - Lyon. 

San Sebastian, Night One

Sigh.

I suppose it had to happen sooner or later.  When one is travelling in the shoulder season, one should not expect perfect conditions all of the time.  And it is getting later and later, and we are travelling further northward.

Still, did it have to happen here of all places?

San Sebastian is a beach town in the North East of Spain, almost on the French Border.  It is renowned as a beautiful beach resort style city.  And it would have been an absolutely beautiful place to chill out, relax and enjoy some wonderful beach style atmosphere... if the skies hadn't opened up on our arrival.

REALLY? 

We've been looking to destress from all this travel stuff, sit on a beach, drink cocktails for weeks now.  That was why we chose this place.  Instead we've had to wrap ourselves up in jerseys and waterproof pants and carry umbrellas with us.  Do you know how much fun it is to carry 15kg packs over two kilometers in the rain?  I wasn't laughing, I can tell you.

Sigh.  Part of me knows I shouldn't be complaining.  For goodness sake, we're having the adventure of a life time, doing things we've been planning to do for months now.  Still - definite frowny face moment.

Hopefully it'll improve before we leave and we'll be able to share some lovely experiences with you all.

I wouldn't count on it though.

Bilbao

Guggenheim Bilbao

Bilbao is located in the Northern end of Spain in an area called Basque.  It considers itself almost autonomous from the rest of the country - up until Franco it had its own language, which he tried to kill off.

Originally an area defined by its industrial and mining background, it had a resurgence from the early 90's after it was allowed its own language back.   This also culminated in the building of Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum.  It's now a thriving cultural mecca, with a strong artistic bent.

The Guggenheim was definitely the highlight of the city.  It is an almost magical building - from the way it looks both internally and externally, to the flow through the galleries themselves, the way the titanium coating changes colour given the conditions around it - and this is before you even get to the artwork!  And this in itself is pretty spectacular.  Even the pieces outside the museum are worthy of their own gallery.  

Otherwise, Bilbao is a beautiful city.  The architecture is probably some of the most stunning you'll see anywhere in Europe.  The use of the river is an example unto itself.  Each of the bridges that cross the river are slightly different, and give great examples of design from the periods that they relate to - the modern bridges up the Western end of the city areavant garde and interesting without being cliche or garish, while others reflect a much older design aesthetic.

Also along the river you can take in a sculpture walk which allows you to revel in the exterior art work of the city.  We also took the cable car to the lookout over the city - well worth it to accustom yourself to the layout.

The food was pretty fantastic as well - we ate pintxos (a Basque version of tapas) and a delicious meal out in Old Town (which is well worth a couple of hours wandering around, especially if you like shopping!).  

However as we head further north, we're finding the weather to be turning a little.  The first day was in the 20's, the other two were getting a little cooler.

So now off to San Sebastian.  We hear good things!

Hold on - a modern museum PLUS a giant fingerprint??? Hrmmm, where have I heard of this before...?

Barcelona I

Sagrada Familia

Barcelona is completely nothing like I expected.  This is a thoroughly modern city.  Here I was expecting a dirty, brown and drab city stuck in the past.  Instead this is a city that, while it respects and appreciates its past, it is fresh, clean, open and colourful.  I was amazed at the amount of green space, the wide streets, the care taken with the city.  There are parks everywhere you turn, with a mix of modern, contemporary architecture with the older.

We arrived on ferry last night in the Port, and made our way into town.  We are lucky to be staying in a cute li’l apartment right in the middle of the city.  Down la Ramblas, there is such a buzz on the streets!

So after a good night’s sleep, we decided to dedicate today to Gaudi.  Starting off with Sagrada Familia.  This is an absolutely fantastic modernist chapel, and probably one of the absolute highlights of Barcelona.  Starting with the exterior of the building which only about half finished (after so long, it’s still only due to be completed by 2020).  It feels... organic, almost as if it could have risen out of the ground.  The inside feels fresh and clean, and is flooded with light.  I’d like to come back when it’s complete to see what they’ve done with the place.

Then from there we moved up to Parc Guell.  This is a park that Gaudi designed to be a suburb that never eventuated.  I think the best description of the space is like something out of a Dr Seuss book – not a straight line in sight!  Even pillars are off-centre.

Nick at Parc Guell

Then from there we went and had a look at Casa Battlo, a residential building that Gaudi built.  Full of curves and nautical themes, the house is almost like being inside a giant sea monster.

Then finishing the day with sangria and tapas. 

So yes, I am loving Barcelona.  I am looking forward to exploring more of this amazing city over the next few days.

Rome and Final Chapter on Italy

This post is being written on an overnight ferry between Civitavecchia and Barcelona.  Yes, for those of you more observant, I’m on a boat.

I'm on a boat!

It’s been a wonderful few weeks in Italy.  We have experienced a lot of what makes this peninsula country wonderful – the history, the cuisine, the people, and the climate.  And spending the last few days in Rome was a fitting way and thoroughly enjoyable way to end the trip. 

My advice to travellers to this amazing city would be to give yourself plenty of time to explore.  There has been plenty to see in the Eternal City, and it would have been a shame had we rushed it.  Plus we also took, as strange as it may sound, a ‘day off’ (yes, I realise that neither Nick or myself have had a job since August, but still travelling takes it out of you – I’d highly recommend on long journeys to plan occasional ‘days off’ where you can stay in, do some planning, catch up on laundry etc...).

Anyway, back to Rome.  I won’t give you the whole story, but will cover the highlights.

Corry the Gladiator

We arrived last Sunday, and spent the first day exploring the ancient part of the city, that which most people associate with Rome.  After a visit to the Circus Maximus (which, while interesting, is these days essentially just a field with a few rocks) and a glance at the old Bath houses, you make your way along what appears to be an unassuming street. 

Because it’s hidden behind trees, you don’t notice the Coliseum until you’re essentially right there, with the only indication being the hawkers selling their wares on the streets).  But when you’re there, it truly takes your breath away.  You can imagine how it would have looked in days gone by.  But there’s something amazing in its ruinous state, it’s gained something in its old age – a sense of history that goes with something that age.  Plus with its bare bones, you can also get a bit of a ‘behind the scenes’ feel, being able to see under where the stage would have been, peering into the underground storage area, wandering in and out of the pillars.  An absolute must-see.

Also worth having a look at are the archaeological sites for the old Forum and Palatine Hill right next door to the Coliseum.  Because these are in a much worse state than their oval neighbour one’s imagination must work a bit harder, but they can really give you a sense of what Rome might have been like 2000 years ago.

The views down towards the Form from Capitoline Hill

Everywhere you go here, you are reminded of the City’s history.  With a history as long as Rome’s, there’s always plenty on display, but of course its ruins (which are almost everywhere) are absolutely fascinating.

The following day, we decided to take in Vatican City (another country to add to my list!).  It’s quite a pretty walk getting there along the Tiber with its tree lined streets and wonderful selection of bridges.  Anyway, first stop the Vatican Museum.  By now I’m getting slightly art-weary (how many busts is it possible to really appreciate?), but there is a good selection of pieces, both ancient and modern.  If nothing else, the museum is worthy of a visit for the Cistine Chapel.  Yes, it’s a tourist trap, and it can be a bit much being there when the Chapel is packed full of tourists, but nonetheless well worth it to see one of the most recognisable pieces of artwork in the Western canon.

Then off to St Peter’s Basilica.  I’m pretty sure that this is the largest church in the World.  I could be wrong on that count, but the de facto home of Catholicism is a stunning place, to be sure.  We of course climbed the Dome and there are some great views out over Rome from up there.

The Vatican - St Peters Square

Does this bag go with my stockings?

Other things we’ve visited in our time in Rome have included the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain (Yup, threw in the coin, made the wish), Piazza Navona, headed up to the Medici Villa (worth it purely for the views), Capitoline Museum and Hill (with the statue Romulus, Remus and the Wolf) and Mussolini’s Typewriter.  Yup, been a busy week!

I’m going to admit, much to my chagrin, that Rome hasn’t been my favourite place to visit.  Yes, it’s very interesting and you’d be stupid to miss it, but to me it didn’t have the same vibe as other places in Italy I’ve visited.  Maybe it’s just too big, too busy for my liking.  I preferred the slightly smaller cities and towns in Italy over Rome.

Okay, so Italy’s all over and done with, on the way to Espanola next.  Judgement calls for the time here:

• Eating:  Hrmm, tough call, I’m going to call it for Milan on this one.  We had some lovely meals here, including a wonderful rabbit pasta which was very flavoursome.  Although right throughout the whole country you can find fantastic food.  Try and avoid the most heavily touristed places to get the best meals
• Views:  Rome, although only just.  Because of its size, you get lots of different options on how to view.
• Art:  Florence.  Hands down.
• Beauty:  Toss-up between Venice and the Cinque Terre.  Both amazing in their own right
• Architecture:  Florence.  I really enjoyed the Renaissance feel of the city
• History:  Rome.  Easily.
• Shopping:  Strangely enough, Venice.  Because of the cruise ships and tourists, they do cater to a surprisingly large budget mix.  Plus apparently the food markets are good, though we didn’t get a chance to try them

 One final thought on Italy - DO NOT forget bug spray.  The mozzies are vicious over here, and the repellent is very expensive.

Right, get set Spain, Nick and I are on our way!