1st July 2010 - 3rd August 2010 - Sardinia & Spain

Sun & Bite Sized Fun!

Where were we? That’s right… lying on a beach in Sardinia.

We ended up in Sardinia as we just couldn’t face the hoards of tourists and queues that were inevitably going to greet us in mainland destinations such as Rome and Florence yet we were so desperate to get a taste of Italy in more ways than one.

We’d heard the coast line of Sardinia was something to behold and combined with our existing affection of the white wines from the region we decided the Italian island would be our next destination after the UK.

A quick flight and a wonder in the dark later.. We were at our hotel in Alghero on the west side of the island. Our plan was to somehow get to the other side of the island the next day to a small coastal town called Cala Gonone. Cala Gonone is very much a locals holiday destination, so it was nice to experience Italian families in full force with their big umbrellas and picnic hampers laid out on the beach. We can’t say we did much besides catch boats to a magnificent beach and then drank Sardinian wine and ate at one of the 2 restaurants adjacent to our hotel (we weren‘t in the mood for moving much). Our week was very relaxing and good fun… I’m not one for spending all day lying on a beach, but here I made an exception, the relaxation was divine.

Cala Luna Beach - Sardinia

Enjoying the bars at Cala Ganone

Alghero - Sardinia

Now onto Spain… somehow we ended up spending nearly a month here without having any previous intentions of it. We ended up spending so much time here to escape the crowds and heat of Italy… that’s right the heat… Spain was a good choice for escaping the heat… an average well of 30 degrees every day is cool right?? Anyway this place has been such an amazing experience culinary wise that we would have had a great time if it had been 35 degrees or minus 35 degrees!

A few days in Madrid (where we stayed with Andrew Moody who we randomly discovered is living there) was highlighted by the fact the world cup final was perfectly timed for our stay in the capital. Thousands of people converged on the main squares of Madrid to watch a particularly dire football game salvaged by the late Spanish goal sending the crowd mad. The long awaited world cup win for Spain was a particularly uniting event for a country that we have since learned is relatively divided regionally. Spain has many different languages, dialects, and general cultures, and the people seem to identify themselves by their region much more than by their country. The people in Catalonia aren’t Spanish, they are Catalan, and they speak Catalan (which is very similar to Spanish), and the people in the Basque country are certainly not Spanish and their language is completely different which would explain the pro independence movements that are still very present in that region. So the world cup provided a certain unity amongst regions (except for the Basque people) and for a few hours everyone was cheering the same team.

Crowds in Madrid, World Cup Final

The fallen angel in Madrid

Granada followed Madrid with the mandatory visit to La Alhambra which was very beautiful and worthy of it’s praise. Granada was especially awesome though due to the fact that it is one of the few remaining places in Spain that offer free tapas with every drink! A particularly good tapas bar filled with many a Spaniard and served by old men in a form of organised chaos gave free servings of Paella that were big enough for an entire lunch and if that wasn’t enough to fill your stomach, you could spend all of about 2 Euros and get two servings of smoked salmon with caviar, cheese and avocado on bread. It was here that our love of Spanish food began to grow.

La Alhambra

Salmon tapas (notice the almost finished paella)

Granada from our window

Our life over the last year

A short stop in Valencia which should have been longer was followed by a fantastic week in our new favourite city… Barcelona. Our time is Barcelona was spent either eating or admiring the wonderfully bizarre architecture of Gaudi hence the decision to stay in the region of L’Eixample opposed to the touristy old area known as the Bari Gothic certainly paid off. For those who haven’t been to Barcelona or know much about Gaudi, he was an architect in the late 19th and early 20th century and his unique designs ranging from lamp posts to massive churches define the city. One structure the Sagrada Familia is still yet to be completed more than 80 years since the death of Gaudi and is not expected to be finished for probably another 30 years. The Sagrada Familia was truly one of the greatest creations we have seen by man kind, and this is saying something considering we literally visited a construction site.

Is it Paris? No it's Barcelona from our window

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia

The tapas in Barcelona was definitely of a higher standard to what we ate in Granada, however it was also of a much higher price but we didn’t care. We came probably as close as we’ll ever get to eating at El Bulli by dining three times at Tapas 24 run by one of the El Bulli chefs hehe. It was of course fantastic and I could spend a long time harping on about that Patatas Bravas, the Peppers de Padron and each and every dish but that might get boring. So we were thinking, this is as good as food gets… how could it get better right?? That was until our next leg in what we now think is the gastronomy capital of the world… San Sebastian.

Tapas 24

It's a mountain man! At Montserat near Barcelona

Gaudi's landscaped Park Guell

Gaudi's signature cross

Hanging out in Barcelona

San Sebastian in the Basque country is known for two things, a beautiful old town sandwiched between 2 idyllic beaches, and pinxtos. The town was pretty (although noisy, you couldn’t sleep before 3am) and the beaches were very nice, however it was the pinxtos (pronounced pinchos) that kept us in the San Sebastian for seven sleepless nights. Pinxtos is a form of tapas where the portions are even smaller and are generally more delicate and creative in terms of flavour and ingredients. Gastronomy is the major past time in the Basque country and they take it very seriously, that’s why we toured many a different pinxtos bar over the course of a week experiencing a myriad of different flavours and textures. Everything from small portions of foie gras ravioli, to tender veal cheek, to mussels, to a bar that specialised purely in pinxtos made from white anchovies! The size and price of these dishes allowed us to sample an average of 8 different dishes at any one sitting… our stomachs were permanently smiling.

San Sebastian from our window

San Sebastian

The fact that San Sebastian has more Michelan Starred restaurants than Paris has to say something, and it also meant that we couldn’t leave without eating in one of them. Of course the food gave Tetsuya a good run for his money and burnt a hole in our wallets, but it was worth it… see for yourself.

So we left Europe and headed for South America with full stomachs and few extra kilos under our belts. It is now time to go on a diet (Sth America is a good place as the food is fairly rubbish) and go do some hiking in the mountains before coming back home fit and healthy!

Time to go look for a job.

Adios!

P.S. A big congrats to Dave and Carolyn on their engagement!!

THE MEAL

Kokotxa Restaurant

San Sebastian

The damage

20th May 2010 - 30th June 2010 - Amsterdam, Belgium, France, UK

Consumption…

Looking at the dates above I realise I haven’t posted in a long time and after receiving so many requests to reignite this travel blog from our long list of devoted fans (Chris, Clare and Janette) it’s time to write another chapter of this epic journey of wonder!

Landing in Amsterdam the first thing we felt was short… The Dutch are giants! Besides feeling like a smurf due to our vertical inadequacies, we also felt happy and content (not unlike a smurf) as it wasn’t long before we emerged from our extremely comfortable hotel room and were gobbling cones of frite coated in globs of traditional mayonnaise, wandering the streets of idyllic Amsterdam (of course Sheena googled “best frite in Amsterdam”). Throw in a Heineken or two after a visit to my favourite café the Dampkring and we were well adjusted to the relaxed lifestyle that seems to accompany one of my favourite cities.

Canals & Bikes

Amsterdam isn’t all drugs and sex, and although a short visit wouldn’t be the same without a quick wander through the red light district where drunken hoards of English men on stag dos dare each other to go for it with the goods on display, the real beauty of Amsterdam comes from the amazingly green parks and the canals that ring the city, and the amazing galleries that have ignited a new found interest and respect for art that neither of knew existed within us (that Rembrant fella was quite handy with a brush). Add to the fact that literally everyone cycles everywhere, the place has a sense of vitality and a relaxed vibe that made it such a nice place to visit after spending months in Asia.

Giggling in Vondel Park

We only spent a few nights in Amsterdam and we could have easily spent more if it weren’t for the massive price hikes that occur over the weekend, so instead we jumped on a train to Belgium and decided to spend a few nights in Ghent of all places…

Ghent is kind of like a slightly less beautiful version of Bruges but was still worth a visit for once again it’s pretty canals and old medieval buildings (even though all the medieval buildings weren’t built during medieval times, they were built much later when everyone thought medieval buildings were cool). Ghent also had the best tasting waffles on the planet…

We had arranged to stay in a hostel located on a house boat in Ghent… or so we thought… the owners stuffed up and when we arrived late at night there wasn’t a room for us! So instead we were greeted by their neighbour and were taken aboard his house boat which we got all to ourselves! It had a funky retro designed interior with a big music system and great CD collection and the trusting neighbour left us to our own devices! It’s cool when things like that happen on your travels.

This photo makes us happy... and sad

“If I grew up on a farm, and was retarded, Bruges might impress me but I didn’t, so it doesn’t…” - So Bruges wasn’t to the taste of Colin Farrells character in the film “In Bruges” but it did actually impress us. It really is like a magical fairy land! Made even more magical by 13% Alc Belgian beers that make your head spin. Oh and chocolate… lots of chocolate!

Bruges - Like a magical fairytale

13.5%

After our Belgian experience, we spent 2 weeks in France. 1 week driving around the country side almost killing each other due to navigational differences, eating cheese and drinking wine in Normandy and the Loire Valley. The enormity of the D-day beaches was incredible and you could really picture what it must have been like during WWII.

D-Day Beaches

Mont St Michel

We stayed in a bit of style whilst we had the car, whether it was our stylish cabin in a pretty campsite or our extravagant châteaux (vineyard included) in the Loire valley. Having a car made all the difference to the trip, it wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

Carefree in our cabin

Robot dancing at Chataeu D'Amboise

This is the sort of accommodation we

stay in whilst "backpacking"

Our own château with vineyard

Unexpectedly painless, we drove into Paris, ditched the car and started researching where we should eat during our week in the gluttonous capital of the world. And eat is pretty much all we did really, coffee and croissants every morning from the local brasserie or boulangerie, baguettes and a glass of rose for lunch, then more rose in the afternoon, then a hearty French dish and some more rose in the evening! That pretty much sums Paris up besides watching the French protest as they tend to do and an outing to the fantastic Pompidou Centre where we saw Picasso’s, Kandinsky’s and films of crazy naked women from the sixties cutting heads off chickens in the name of feminist art! (sorry if that offends).

We both really enjoyed our time in Paris, wandering around the different arrondisments such as the Marais and the Latin Quarter, however there is quite a dirty side that doesn’t allow me to buy into the romanticised city of love it claims to be. The financial divide between black people and white people is so stark, it is clear there is a big social gap and there doesn’t appear to be any integration between people of different coloured skin. The closest interaction we would see is when the white person standing behind the bar in a brasserie would tell the black or Indian chef what to cook. It is also not possible to walk 300m down the street without coming across a poor beggar usually from Eastern Europe, and that is not an exaggeration. Besides that negative aspect, France was a lot of fun, I especially enjoyed not having to communicate with anyone and watching Sheena really earn our pastry goods from the boulanger who probably could speak perfect English but just didn’t want to… typical French :p

Crepes, Rose & Buskers in the Marais

The view from our room in Paris

More robot dancing...

Some random structure

Sheena looking French

London was like London always is, and our time was spent catching up with friends and family and watching a lot of football, drinking a lot of cider. It was really nice to spend some time with my sister Katherine and my Uncle David whom we met in Oxford. A special thanks to Geoff and Amanda for keeping us in their house for what was I’m sure a lot longer than what they expected!

Geoff reconsidering his idea of watching

Australia play Germany in a German Pub...

I just like this photo for some reason - East London

Glastonbury was surprisingly stinking hot, but at least the rain stayed away for the entire 5 days! Unheard of! Of course we had a great time, with the Flaming Lips being my highlight… mind blowing! However Glastonbury tends to throw up some more crazy stuff, such as, I dunno… flaming towers crawling with contortionists surrounded by men with lazer whips and dudes with electric tesla sparks coming out of their heads… you know, the usual..

Late night fun at Glastonbury!

So now we’re in Sardinia lying on the beach… I’ll save that for another blog, but that will pretty much be it anyway…

Hope it hasn’t been too long!

Ciao!

Simon and Sheena

30th April 2010 - 19th May 2010 - Turkey

What do you want for dinner? Kebab?

So we’ve been in Turkey for just under 3 weeks now and are about to fly to Amsterdam tomorrow morning. Turkey really has felt like a transitional country due to the fact that the food and people would appear to be Asian, but the scenery, lifestyle and cost is much more European! This cross continental mix really adds to the charm of Turkey which is already filled to the brim with attractions such as beautiful Mediterranean beaches, magnificent ruins and architecture and an ancient and modern history that would rival that of any other country in the world. (I have clearly been reading the Lonely Planet a lot, as that spiel sounded like something from a guide book.)

Since writing that first paragraph we are now in Bruge having been to Amsterdam and Gent… I guess I just got lazy… anywhoo back to Turkey…

There’s no real need to go into too much detail about our trip through Turkey, mainly because it all went so smoothly and if you want to read anything historical about the place just use google or visit your local library.

Olympos (not Olympus)

Backgammon - what we did in Turkey

We’ll give a brief run down of our itinerary though. We started in Antalya on the south coast of Turkey on the Mediterranean and made our way along the coast stopping off at various towns along the way. Generally we just spent our time swimming in the sea, drinking tea, eating kebabs, playing backgammon, and eating more kebabs. Olympos was a stand out for me, as it was just a place to not do much at all except relax and swim, however I believe the place would be a nightmare in the summer when hoards and hoards of British pack backers swamp the place. All we had to deal with was the remnants of a large New Zealand Anzac day tour for one night.

Sheena (and sunburnt Brits) on a boat

to Kekova Island

Kekova Island

The Gozleme Boat!

So other than the Mediterranean (where I jumped off lots of boats), we also visited ancient Epheseus with it’s amazing ruins and undertook the mandatory solemn pilgrimage to Gallipoli, (we skipped Troy as from all accounts there is nothing there!).

Sunset in Selcuk - Notice the stone temple above

Sheena's head? That's the last remaining column from

the Artemis Temple, one of the original 7 Wonders of the world.

Epheseus

Anzac Cove, Gallipoli

We stayed in the trendy new area of Istanbul, Beyoglu, rather than the old town where all the sights and the majority of accommodation are. This was not only due to the dirt cheap yet fantastic new hostel we found but also because we were nearer all the night life and restaurants. This worked well for us as we thoroughly explored many restaurants and cafes at night having spent the day a short tram ride away visiting all of Istanbul’s fantastic historic sights such as the Blue Mosque and the amazing Aya Sofia with it‘s stunning mosaics.

Sheena's Baklava photo, Istanbul - possibly the best

photo taken on our trip!

Blue Mosque, Istanbul

Mosaics in the Aya Sofia, Istanbul

The Aya Sofia, Istanbul

So we finished our Asian portion of the trip in Istanbul where the prices are very European. We would definitely like to go back to Turkey as we feel there’s more exploring to be done, especially in the eastern portion of the country where the scenery and outdoor activities are meant to be awesome. We also have a bit of regret having not made the effort to go to Cappadoccia or Gaziantep (180 baklava shops in one town!). Oh well, we can’t do everything…

So now we’re in Europe where we feel like big dags wearing our rumpled clothes with holes in them… Time for a beer.

Cya!

The Blue Mosque as seen from

the Bosphorus