The Ultimate Weekend Dash

Barcelona

A city whose name conjures up idyllic preconceived ideas of everything great about Spain and the Spanish culture.

We headed there recently for one last mad city break long weekend from London. We were meeting up with Bella's parents who had been there all week. We flew out on Friday morning and needed to get up at 4am. We were home again around 1am on Sunday night/Monday morning. Fun. The effort was rewarded a few hours after the 4am start when we were waiting for the bus from the airport to Barcelona and we got ourselves a short, dark coffee and a pastry. The little things that make Europe great.

We spent 3 days in this city where you could easily spend a lifetime. I had chorizo three times in the first 12 hours of being there. The city bumps and jives. There are performers on every corner, from musos, to dancers to circus acts. The buildings drip with character and individuality. Something that often lacks in European cities. The city is busy but feels comfortable, apart from the continuous stream of tour groups that are toting around everywhere, blindly following someone with a sign.

Sure it has more gothic churches than you can poke a stick at, but they also embrace new buildings.

Somewhere along the line, someone decided that tile mosaics where cool. Barcelona have taken this and run a long way. Below is a picture of the Palau de Musica Catalan. I stole this one due to forgetting my camera. We watched a Spanish Guitarist do his thing on stage here one evening. The music was great but the building was something else. The whole ceiling was covered in tile mosaic and then the have this massive glass ceiling droplet. Statues poking out in places and then blending in with a mosaic. Beyond words and beyond photos.

The city has a different feel in architecture due to the Modernista movement and a guy named Gaudi. Taking it on a simpleton's level, he just made stuff look good and different. Including everything from a park (well a road through it)

to a apartment block

to a catherdral. The Sagrada Familia. He died during it's construction which is still very much in progress.

Both inside and out.

Barcelona. A very cool city that I would love to spend a year exploring, but 3 days will have to do at this stage.

The title of this entry is so named due to the fact that it is our last weekend getaway. We have two and a bit weeks of work left and we are then on a permanent weekend again. We are throwing in the working towel and taking up the backpack again. We have 3 months planned in Africa (Kenya, Tanzania and Egypt) and then will come back to Europe to buy a car and do some travel through the continent. With all going well we should travel through the Summer and look to be heading back to Australia around August 2011.

So who knows when the next entry will be....

More photos

Barcelona

2 & 2 is 4

Autumn has arrived and we are getting spells of a looming chilly Winter and the occasional burst of a Summer gone by. To speed up our remaining time in London we have had the help of some more visitors. Bella's parents arrived on the 27th September. We spent the first week showing them around our home turf in London. They then headed off in a rental car with us joining them for the weekends to tour around the UK countryside.

The first weekend we spent in the South-East corner of Wales and the West Midlands of England. This is castle country. Each village has a pile of rocks that use to be, or still is, a castle or an old abbey. Wales did not disappoint with the weather and once again we were greeted with rain, low cloud, fog and other weather components. As soon as we crossed back into England the sun came out. Below is Chepstow castle.

We stumbled around the castle for a while and found these doors that date from around the 11th century. The oldest in Europe apparently.

We stumbled across some slightly confused Morris dancers. Normally an English tradition, but they were in Wales. Reminded me of a cross between A Clockwork Orange and the Beverley Hillbillies. I'm pretty sure the head Morris was speaking in English but I hardly understood a word he said. We were definitely in the countryside.

We stayed in a B&B that was an old corn mill. There was a choice of two pubs in the village. We chose the one located next to the driveway of our B&B. A cosy little gem with a chatty barman and locals, and served some decent pub food.

The next day we headed over to England to the town of Ludlow. Another castle and a big cathedral. But also home to an amazing bakery full of slices and most notably a creme brulee, that cost all of 1.30 and was delicious. It also has some amazingly old pubs. The one above is The Feathers from around 15th century.

The next weekend we headed to Northern Ireland and specifically to the Causeway Coast. This is the coast running from Belfast up North around to Derry. It is noted for being quite a scenic place and it did not disappoint.

We awoke on Saturday to bright sunshine and clear skies. Ireland delivers again when Wales had failed us last week.

We spent the day exploring the coast by car and by foot. The Giants Causeway was great. A great example of the strange geology in the area. Also a great legend with the giant Finn McCool fighting his enemy from Scotland here. See the album below for a photo of Finn.

Just a bunch of really strange shaped rocks.

We slowly made our way back to Belfast via the country lanes right on the edge of the coast. A great view and a great drive.

Would also be good if you were a sheep. Apart from the Winters.

Right. I'm off to bed as I have to get up way too early one last time for a weekend away in Barcelona.

Photos here.

Octobre

4 Pack

With the European Summer quickly coming to an end, it was time to step it up and pack 4 destinations in 4 consecutive weekends. Scotland, Norway, Belgium and The Netherlands.

SCOTLAND

This is the second time we've been to Edinburgh, but this time was purely for the festival. I say the festival because during August, the city has about 5 different festivals running at the same time for a number of weeks. The result is a buzzing city, with limitless options on entertainment and a sea of people to watch it all go down.

So with this being so popular, flights were insane, so we looked at other options. We were particularly keen on the train, due to the fact the train travel is just so comfy. But it was not cheap either. So we balanced it out by doing an overnight bus mission on the way up, and the train on the way back. We boarded the bus just before midnight in London and landed in Edinburgh at 7:30am. It was a clear, crisp morning and the streets were quiet. Just enough sunlight that that late drinkers have now passed out somewhere and the rest are still tucked in bed.

We headed straight for our favourite coffee shop, but were even too early for it. Eventually it opened and we got out fix and made us forget about the bus. Next, was to plan what to see and do. We headed to the half-price hut that has a ridiculous amount of tickets for the day at cheap prices. To give you an idea, there would have have been at least 100 shows listed for that day. Shows start around midday and end after midnight. Prices range from 3 pounds to 15. More popular shows sell-out beforehand and don't even make it to the half-price hut. This goes on everyday in Edinburgh for about 3 weeks. A ridiculous amount of entertainment. So we bought tickets to a musical based on 1920's London and an afternoon cabaret show. We had pre-bought tickets to a circus type show called Soap for the evening. Think 8 bathtubs on stage and people moving around on them. A bit abstract but a cool show. The rest of the day was filled in wandering the streets that are filled with people and performers doing their show in whatever space they can find. A very cool atmosphere.

The next day it was repeat with the coffee. However, we focused more on the comedy and street scene for our entertainment. Saw an amazing Canadian guy do a show on the street. Lots of juggling and contorting, but I think his stand out was showmanship. Something that is so obviously lacking in other acts.

We saw some good comedy and some bad stuff too. The good stuff was pretty much a sketch show that ran for about 50 minutes with 4 people. Just a small room, in the bottom of a pub, with about 30 people in the audience. No fee, just give what you feel it was worth at the end. This seems how the fringe started out and was great. We went and saw some comedians who were just starting in their career. About 6 comedians with a 10 minute slot each. Some struggled to last the distance. We also spent some more time on the streets, trying to watch full shows, rather than getting a glimpse as you walk past.

The sketch comedy.

Around 6pm we boarded a train and were back in London by 11pm.

NORWAY

I had been looking forward to this one. A long weekend in a country full of amazing natural beauty and lots of space and not many people. We landed in Norway around 10am on Saturday, jumped in the hire car and started driving. The first hour or so was a bit boring driving up a highway, but then you turn off and it begins.

Lots of water. Water everywhere. If Norway has a drought, the rest of the world will be a barren wasteland. Lakes and waterfalls at every turn.

We pretty much headed from Oslo in the East (near Sweden) to the fjord land in the West of the country. Lots of small villages and red barns. Strange shaped buildings that we eventually worked out were saunas. Nearly every home has one. But the fjords is what we came to see.

Whilst it is famous for the fjords, this has necessitated a ridiculous amount of tunnels. They could build a scenic road for driving around the fjord, but no, lets go straight through this chuck of rock. So along with waterfalls and lakes, Norway has a ridiculous number of tunnels. One was 27 km long. Doing 60kph thanks to the truck in front of you, means instead of a nice scenic drive you have half an hour of following the lights in front of you in a dark dingy tunnel. Not exactly the Norway I came to see or what I needed after a ridiculously early start and 5 hours behind the wheel. Anyway, we found the light at the end of the tunnel and found a campsite. Right up there with some of the most scenic ones we've stayed at.

Pretty impressive.

Rather than heading up the fjord on one of the big, noisy boats, we opted for a kayak. We were a bit unimpressed when they showed up half an hour late when we were only renting the kayak for the day and had to have it back by 6pm. But we soon found out why. A laid back Kiwi guy, who should us where they hide the key, and said bring it back when your done. Just don't steal anything. Great. Awesome. Off we headed into the big blue. The fjords are part of the ocean, but this fjord is so narrow it was calm pretty much the whole time. No wind or tide to blow us around.

We paddled for a couple of hours. Stopped for lunch, then turned around and headed home. Stopping whenever our arms got tired or we just wanted to appreciate the place. It was great to have such freedom and felt like you had it to yourself. Except for the odd other kayaker and a couple of cruise ships. We didn't any wildlife apart from a seal a few metres away for about half a second.

This shot is not recommended if you are protective of your camera. Limited flexibilty whilst stuck in a kayak with a skirt, water everywhere including on you after paddling. Worth it though.

The final day we headed back to Oslo. But this time we took the high road through the mountain plateau. A great scenic drive in the Summer. You can tell how much snow this place gets in Winter by the guide posts on the side of the road at about 3 metres tall. It was cool alpine scenery. Lots of villages and ski towns. And one big glacier that we saw from a couple of angles.

We headed back to the airport. Thought we had heaps of time but ended up doing 130 kph down the highway and still only made it to the airport 40 minutes before we were due to depart with our friends Ryanair. Luckily for tiny airports. Norway was great and as I expected. Expensive, lots of big open spaces and amazing scenery.

BELGIUM

We headed back to Belgium for a second time. But this time we headed to Brugge, a smaller city to the North. We used our free Eurostar trip we earned for getting stuck on the train for 3 hours at night, in the middle of Kent, back in February.

A great European city. Old, lots of canals, lots of cafes, lots of tourists. Cyclists everywhere. We had no real plans and were keen on a relaxed weekend after Norway. Agenda consisted of eating, drinking and walking.

Eating was waffles, chocolate and frites (fries with mayonaisse).

Drinking was the beers that are oh so delicious.

And walking, to work up an appetite for either of the above.

Brugge is in the Flemish part of Belgium. A little more like the Dutch to the East rather than the French to the West. Well, they had windmills.

Brugge also houses one of the few Michelangelo statues outside Italy. I wonder if he did anything non-religious.

A friend of mine recently said that Belgium chocolate wasn't as good as Swiss. I say she is thinking to hard. It's all good, I just wish I brought a bigger box-full home.

THE NETHERLANDS

The final part of the 4-pack was Amsterdam. A quick over-night trip. Quite possibly one of the busiest tourist cities we've seen.

The trip didn't start off great. We were wandering around the city centre. Lots of people, same old stores and lots of annoying noisy machines. Not really sure how to describe them. They may have been entertaining in the 30s but now they are not. Like a pianola, but with an electric engine and drums banging and some ugly puppet like things that don't move. And not just one, but one every 20 metres. This wasn't what I was looking for.

So we did what any Dutchie would do, hire some bicycles and head to the suburbs. Amsterdam is a cycling city if there every was one. The closest thing to a hill is the arch bridge over the canal. The canals are endless. Just ride.

We got lost in the suburbs and it was great. People just slowly going about their weekend. A market here, a band playing there. It was great. Not sure why all the tourists were hanging around the city centre.

A great afternoon, doing not a lot. Just enjoying.

Lots of slanty buildings.

Not really captured by the photo. But lots of the skinny buildings are slanted on one side. Not really sure how this happens when they are built up next to each other.

One of the major tourist draw-cards is the red-light district. Obviously for the young males but it was more funny watching the grey nomads being led around in big groups with a tour guide explaining there may be some girls dancing in the window.

The next day, the weather was not so conducive to cycling so we got cultured in the Van Gogh museum. Quite a story. Decided he would become an artist when he was around 30. Only did it for 10 years and then went insane and killed himself. Only really became famous after he died.

Back to the airport. Another delayed Easyjet flight. Home by midnight. 4-pack finished. Can't wait for this weekend when we have nothing to do.

Photos Galore.

4-pack

Polo, Pretzels, Punting and a four legged house guest

The summer roles on.

On a mild overcast Summer's day (quite typical), we boarded a bus at Earl's Court and headed out to Windsor for a spot of Polo. The Cartier International Polo actually. Pack your picnic hamper, your booze and head out for a day of eating, drinking and an introduction to polo. There was a preliminary game and then the main event, England vs NZ. NZ came close at the end but England ended up coming away with the win.

We were really there for the divot plugging.

The next weekend we headed to Berlin. We met up with Bella's school friend, Michelle, and proceeded to wander around. After dumping our bags at the hostel, the first priority was food. Jadwurst. A massive sausage, a small piece of bread and a lot of mustard. At 1.70 euro it was awesome. Michelle had the currywurst, where they cut the sausage on a plate, cover it in mustard powder and then kill it in ketchup.

We walked and walked and walked. We also learnt and learnt. Lots on the murder of Jews, the rise of the Nazi party, the gestapo, the extent of the power throughout Europe and also the GDR and Berlin Wall story. A violent and turbulent modern history, that is a world away from the modern, clean, architectural city of Berlin. Not that Berlin doesn't have its share of modern day problems, it's just confronting wandering around a city that 20 years ago had a massive wall diving it in two.

We had some awesome weather in Berlin. Pretzels and beer at a beach bar they create on the edge of the river. More photos in the album below.

Oxford (for a second time) was next on the list. But this time with a clear mission. I wanted to go punting. And so we did.

For 2 hours, gliding around the canals surrounding the various campuses. We also made it out to the Thames before we literally were out of our depth (the pole didn't touch the bottom). A relaxing and peaceful escape from London, where I am noticing the constant noise pollution more and more. A great dinner in a local greek restaurant and a few pints in the pub. Oxford is a great escape from London.

Our four legged house guest. Floyd.

This is the fourth cat we have fostered from Battersea Cats and Dogs home since we have been here. We had him for just over 3 weeks. Young and curious is how I would describe him. Explored every nook and cranny of our apartment. He had a strange curiosity of water. Often in the bathroom drinking from a dripping tap or from water in the bottom of the bath tub.

Pictures, pictures, pictures

Polo, Pretzels and Punting