Tuesday 30 July 2013

A night in Venice

Our first stop in Italy was to be an over night stop in the iconic (and extremely expensive) Venice. After finding our parking spot in Piazzale Roma we then set off carrying our bags through the bustling streets to a little bed and breakfast in San Marco, not too far from the famous square. After a little picnic lunch looking over a quite section of a canal with the occasional gondola going by, we started wandering through the streets.
Making our way to the piazza San Marco we enjoyed the (very) occasional quite spot and admired the rustic buildings. However, arriving in the piazza we quickly remembered that we were travelling in Europe in summer as there were hundreds, if not, thousands of tourists crammed into the piazza. Not to mention the hundreds of dirty pidgons, that sent me ducking and weaving everytime they flew near me. Quickly diving off the main drag to escape the poeple and dirty birds we wandered the shops hoping the tour groups would leave and were rewarded by return to a short queue to see the Basilica di San Marco with it beautiful mosaics and marble work. We the moved onto enjoy the atmosphere of grand canal and found a little spot to dangle our legs over the water while watching the boats go by.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon walking out of the main areas to find some of the beautiful quite spots and enjoy capturing a few photos. We then headed to a little bar, Al Squero, over looking the gondola repair shop which was recommended by our friends Tara and Aaron. The bar had a small selection of wines ranging from 'rustic' (served in a water glass) to a few Ryan was keen to try after reading his trusty wine book (served in a proper wine glass). But perhaps the best bit was the tasty 1€ nibbles such as Gorgonzola, honey and walnut, mortadella and artichoke or olive, caper and capsicum, a perfect way to sit back and enjoy the evening in Venice. Finally, again on recommendation (after the first one was a raving success) we set off to find the 'amazing' fondente or dark chocolate ice cream, after scouring the gelato shops I admitted defeat and decided to walk into the next place we saw which to my delights had won prizes for their fondente ice cream. Worth the search, fondente ice cream is now my favourite flavor, possible only surpasses by finding extra fondente in Orvieto, but more on that later.
The next morning we had a little sleep in and were woken by a knock on the door, which was our breakfast arriving on a tray - our first actual breakfast in bed for the whole trip - pastries, juice, yogurt and a cappuccino (espresso for Ryan).
- Louise -

Sunday 28 July 2013

Discovering Slovenia

Having a little time to spare before heading to Italy to meet some friends, we decided a detour through Slovenia was a good way to pass the time. Not knowing much about the country or anyone who had been there to ask for advice, we did some quick research and decided on Bled to begin with before getting some sun and sea in Piran. So after passing through the Austrian alps, and I mean literally there was so many tunnels, we crossed the border and arrived at the little unknown town of Bled. Ok so it may not be that unknown as it was on Getaway (a little more on that later) but to us it was uncharted land and much less touristy than most other places visited so far. Whilst the town has a population of 5500 resident town, its the numerous sites that make it a great to visit.
Situated in the centre of a picture-postcard emerald green lake is a small island where the Church of the Assumption sits. To reach it can be done by local gondolas or hiring your own boat, which we opted for because its not every day you get to row your own wooden swan boat. Whilst the distance wasn't far my lack of upper body strength left me feelng a little tired. Lucky for me though we were only going to the island for sight seeing, as apparently those who get married on the island tradition has it that the groom must carry the bride up the 98 steps to the chapel to prove his worthness and according to some of the locals its a pretty strenuous tradition.
Another beautiful sight is the Bled Castle. Overlooking the crystal clear lake perched a top of a towering cliff this medieval castle creates a stunning backdrop down by the lake edge as well providing great views from above. The lake and surrounding lands were originally bequeathed to the Bishops of Brixton in 1004 where they then built this small and modest castle. Now days it is host to a museum which showcases some of the artifacts found in the surrounding area, as well as a cafe and a few hands on attractions. One such attraction, which we were keen to try, was to bottle your very own wine. Whilst the wine itself wasn't much to write home about the experience was a bit of fun and run by a very friendly "monk". Upon arrival to the castle cellars we were greeted with some ye'old warm tidings and posed with the question "why are all Australian women poor?". Seeing the confused look on our face the monk laughed and followed up with "when Jennifer Hawkins was here she couldn't even afford a full set of clothes". After the jokes we got down to business of bottling wine the old fashion way, first filling the bottle from the keg, the hand pressing the cork into the bottle and finally sealing it with bees wax and adding a parchment paper label with stamped wax. It was all a bit of fun and we got to add another bottle to our bar on wheels.
Going a little out of the town, approximately 4.5km north west is the Vintgar Gorge. During the summer months when the snow caps melt the gorge is a hive of activity with fast flowing crystal clear water rushing over glistening river rocks and plummeting over small drop offs. With most forthe harsh sunlight flittered by the clouds and dense trees above it made for some impressive photographs. The walk through the gorge is also quite pleasant, as you follow the water down stream via a series of boardwalks and bridges.
After spending 2 full days in Bled, soaking up the scenary we then headed off to Piran for entirely different side of Solivia. As it was such a long drive, almost 2 hours away, we though it would be best to split the trip up and see some other sights. Being quite fond of all things medieval, after my crossbow experience in Prague, we found a cave castle half way along the drive and popped in. Unfortunately for me there was no weaponry available to try out but the castle and grounds itself were still in great condition, so well in fact that they even have a jousting arena for their regular medieval festivals. Predjama castle is one of a handful of cave castle left in the world and a truly impressive sight to see. Whilst the castle itself is only quite small, its strategic position located at the mouth of a cave proved very useful for the previous owners. Back in the 15th century Knight Erazem Lueger, who was know as a bit of a scally wag, was held under siege in his castle for a year and one day by the Austrian emperor Fredrick III. During the siege Erazem was known for spitting cherry seeds at the attacking army to taunt them about his continuing survival. Unbeknownst to them the cave, in which the castle was build, actually tunneled through the mountain to a neighboring village, where Erazem could regularly escape and stock up his cherry supplies. However the knight finally got his own, when one of his own servants sold him out to the enemy at the gate. As most people know after eating numerous amounts of cherries one will soon need to relieve themselves and unfortunately for Erazem his castles loo was the weak point. So as nature called for young Erazem, so to did the servant to the enemy and with one properly placed canon ball the knight was caught with his pants down.
After leaving the castle we continued the drive to our final destination in Slovina, picturesque Piran. Arriving at the small little port town, we persisted in driving down the narrow streets in search of some suitable accommodation. As it had been raining most of the morning we decided camping was off the cards and went in search of something a little more rain resistant. After being turned away by most of the Lonely Planet recommendations due to availability we finally decided on a small hand painted 'Apartments' sign down a very narrow back street. First impressions had us feeling that we drove into someone's empty backyard and not wanting to be arrested for trespassing we started to make our way back to the car. However from out of no where a little old Slovinan lady popped out from behind a bush and after some very effective hand signals (we spoke no Slovenian and she no English) we were showed to a very reasonably priced apartment. The next day, with the weather clearing up, we made the small 2km trek into old town to check out the sights. The town itself is a maze of winding narrow streets which work their way through the Venetian Gothic style buildings. Being right on the Mediteranian seafood was in abundance as too were the countless Europeans baking themselves (some seemed to have forgotten their swimmers) on the rocks far below the city walls. So having spent so much time of late amongst the busy tourist hotspots it was nice to escape the crowds and have a bit of a holiday.
- Ryan -

Friday 26 July 2013

Czech Republic - a quick stop in Prague

As we were keen to catch up with Ryan's sister Erin in Frankfurt, we decided to cross back to Germany from Poland. With two nights to spare we planned to stop in Prague and have a full day wandering the city and visiting the sights.
Thanks to a little searching on line we managed to find a great deal on a hotel a little out of the city - easily as cheap as a hostel, but a real hotel! After checking in on our first evening we did a quick bit of research for a decent restaurant and headed out for a meal. Of course we got a little (a lot) lost and when we finally arrived we had gotten our daily exercise and were very hungry. A quick perusal of the menu revealed that they served ribs, which Ryan quickly ordered while I settle on a local style gnocchi pasta. Again trip advisor had proven itself useful as the food was incredible and extremely reasonable priced, so much so we returned the following night to taste there goulash served in bread and pork knuckle.
As we had make a split decision to head to Prague we didn't have much time to research what we would do when we arrived, so when we got up in the morning we decided to just walk directly to the castle. After a beautiful walk along the river we crossed the bridge and looked back over the castle and the city with the Manes and Charles bridge. We enjoyed the local gourmet stores and the medieval themed restaurants that suited the style of the city. On our way to the castle we stopped at the Memorial to the victims of Communism - at the base of Petřín hill. As we arrived at the castle we were lucky enough to be on time to see the changing of the guards, before admiring the castle's armory, the towers (which housed prsons / torture chambers) and getting to see the castle and royal apartments. We then had time to explore the, medieval street fashions similar how it once looked and Ryan even sneaked in a go with a cross bow - which from how much he talked about it, it must have been must a highlight of the trip!
Soon after visiting the castle we happily wandered the Mala strana (little quarter) enjoying the little souvenir shops and gourmet local shops selling interesting sweets and deli items. After a little research we stopped in at a bohemian bar for a Czech beer for Ryan and a mulled wine for me. We then walked across Manes bridge with its little markets to Stare mesto, where Ryan bought me a beautiful Czech Garnet ring - a small splurge and then onto the main square to see famous clock and wander through the surrounding ally ways. After our long day we were very tired and both had pretty sore feet but very thankful that we had a proper hotel room awaiting us...
- Louise -




Monday 15 July 2013

Germany - food

Quite a long time ago we were sitting in a little bar in Rio de Janeiro called Bar Brazil, which we had wandered into to find some local food. We were a very surprised to find that there was in fact no Brazilian food but a menu consisting only of German delights. Ryan excitedly ordered the smoked pork chops for two and we were extremely impressed with the quality of the food, so much so that we have both agreed this meal was potentially the best we have had on our trip.

Therefore, three months later, we were both really excited to get to Germany and try a few resturants to see if we could find a meal to compare. While most meals have started with a tasting of local German beers we have then enjoyed baked, broiled, pickled pork, knuckles, trotters and chops all served with mountains of potatoes (our favourite was the potato dumplings) and pickles! We also enjoyed an apertiser of raw pork minced served with various seasonings, asparagus rolled in Black Forest ham and a traditional huntsman schnitzel. To be honest we never found a meal quite as good as the one in Rio, but we did love all the German food and look forward to making it when we get home.
- Louise -

Sunday 14 July 2013

Camping in style

To keep costs down we a have been living out of our car and camping. However, just because we can't afford to stay somewhere fancy we certainly don't want to be eating something plain and boring. Ryan has well and truely mastered the camp dirty martini, which in this instant he made for me while I cooked cheese kranksy in sauerkraut and onions. All wash washed down with a litre of excellent Austrian beer!
- Louise -

Friday 12 July 2013

Black Forest

After leaving the comforts of Erin's hotel room we headed south for entirely different German experience. Driving along its winding roads, with a dense leafy canopy over head you truly understood how the Black Forest got its name. Having no true plan to follow we passed from town to town soaking up the different cultural styles and the simple country living. Amoungst the cuckoo clocks, lederhosens and numerous bottles of schnapps one could easily loose themself and fall deep into the German country life.
One of the only sites we researched before heading through the Black Forest was the Schwarzwälder Freilichtmuseum Vogtsbauernhof or open air museum. Basically it is an extensive display of the original housing in the Black Forest over time, complete with historical machinery, gardens and numerous farm animals. Inside each house were rooms decorated with the current styling of the era, dating from 16th century to modern day and information about day to day life. Another beautiful stop on Black Forest tour was lake Titisee, a beautiful (and extremely touristy) glacier lake. Happy to only be visiting for a couple of hours we enjoyed our coffee by the water and picked up a piece of the famous Black Forest ham for a picnic lunch.
Having enjoyed our drive through the forest so much we decided to base ourselves for a couple of nights in Triberg, located in the middle of the Black Forest park. Initally unbeknownst to us, this little town has a famous cafe, Schafer, known for its Black Forest cake which is made off the original recipe passed down from generations. As it was cherry season we were quick to hurry down to the cafe for a taste, which was delicious with an extremely strong alcoholic edge! Another beautiful feature of Triberg was the roaring waterfalls that were a short walk from town centre. So being so close we took a short stroll up the main street where we spent a relaxing afternoon wandering the park and unsucessfully looking for squirrels. Unseccessful as we had purchased a bag of peanuts at the gate hoping to entice them, but with no luck.

- Ryan & Louise -

Friday 5 July 2013

Catching up with my sis

One of the perks of having my sister work for one of the major airlines is being able to catch up with her somewhere along our travels. So when she told us she had a flight into Europe we decided to slightly change our itinerary and turned the Peugeot back west to meet up with her in Frankfurt. As it had been almost 6 months since we sent her off on her great adventure, with us only leaving 3 days after for ours, we had a lot to catch up on. After the customary hi's and hugs we set off for a short stroll into the city centre to experience some of the Frankfurt culture. Along the way we were able to catch up on each others travels and compare all the interesting places we have both visited. After perusing the modern art gallery we continued the stroll through the old town, taking the obligatory touristy photos along the way. Pretty soon our stomachs were grumbling, so of course being in Bavaria we hit up a traditional Bavarian pub to order some good quality German grub. With our bellies full until our eyes started to bulge we somehow managed to fit in a small spaghetti ice, as Erin had not yet tried it. Feeling more than content we rolled ourselves back to the hotel where Erin let us crash with her and even let us take all the free hotel products. It was a great visit made even better to catch up with my little sister and see how well she is doing.
- Ryan -