Europe
-
Pepe’s
We heard about Giuseppe’s place from Michael, a traveller we met in Zadar. He raved about his stay with Giuseppe’s (Pepe) family, in particular about the pool in the back yard and the amazing Italian food he had there. Pepe operates a B&B in Pompeii and Michael’s experience there convinced us to give it a try. I first booked for only two nights, but once we were there, we liked it so much we decided to stay for another three and use it as our base for exploring the Amalfi Coast, Naples, and of course the Pompeii ruins. The B&B has several types of rooms, including hostel like dorm rooms…
-
Cave dancing
Deep Club in Makarska is a club inside a cave. A bunch of us from the boat head there around 11pm for our first night of partying as part of the cruise. It gets packed quickly, full of Aussies and it is hot a sticky. Carter and I sit by the cave mouth at one point to cool down and spot a group of what we thought were Canadians. They have red and white bandanas on and maple leaves drawn on their arms…I’m excited! “Are you guys from Canada?” I ask. No, they are actually Aussies, but have caught the spirit and ate celebrating Canada day. Doh…i feel a bit…
-
The birth place of Pizza
Napoli is the birthplace of pizza, one of the most international foods in the world. And much like the diversity in the world, there is also a lot of variations of pizza and adaptations to suit different cuisines and cultures. I’ve come to Naples to taste the original, and have chosen Da Michele as my pizzeria. It was made famous by the book Eat, Pray, Love and also featured in the movie. As expected, the line at the restaurant is long but moves quickly and we get a table fairly soon. I’m relieved that it’s not JUST tourists, there are Italians dining here as well –always a good sign. There…
-
Vesuvius
Yesterday I climbed my first volcano. We caught an army green coloured bus from Pompeii Scavi station to the base of mount Vesuvius, the infamous volcano which erupted in AD 79 and destroyed the city of Pompeii, freezing it in time by covering it with volcanic ash. The last time Vesuvius was active was in 1944. At the base, we switched vehicles and boarded another army coloured truck — this one looked like a monster truck with giant wheels. Dropped off about 600 metres from the summit, we trekked up this last bit on foot and reached the massive crater at the top. The views over the entire region were…
-
Buongiorno Italia!
The Jadrolinja ferry from Dubrovnik, Croatia to Bari, Italy, is full of Italians. Even the announcements over the PA system is done in Italian and English only. It’s an eight hour journey and Carter and I have only purchased deck seats, meaning we have to hang out at the common area for the entire journey. Where’s a deck of cards when you need one? The last time I was in Italy was about 6 1/2 years ago when I was living in Milan as an exchange student. Time really does fly, though it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. I’m so happy to be back in this amazing country…
-
Sunset over Dubrovnik
Climbing up steep stone steps to Kate’s Guesthouse, located high up on the hills of Gruz/Nuncijata overlooking the port of Dubrovnik is tough in 29 degree heat, but is even harder when you’re still slightly drunk from the night before and carrying 13kg of stuff on your back. I was really struggling and pathetically had to sit down and pause after every 10 steps. Carter was not impressed. Last night we went out with the cruise gang as a last hurrah. The evening kicked off at Skybar (not quite glamorous like it sounds) followed by the much anticipated Sail-Croatia live concert at Lazareti, an old fortress used in the past…
-
A boatload of Aussies
Booked for an island hopping cruise for a week, we get on our boat to find it chock full of Aussies. Carter and I are the only non-Aussies, apart from the crew. I first heard about this cruise from a friend who was in Croatia last year. Initially I thought a whole week on a cruise would be a bit much, but then came around to the idea, but when I see the boat is full of 22 year old, mainly female Aussies, I start to regret my decision. I think I’m about to live in a sorority house(boat) for a week. Cruises like this are always a gamble; you…
-
Parle Anglais?
Pierre and Charlotte, a pair of French friends are a riot. They are tres French. Charlotte speaks the better English of the two and ends up translating for Pierre often. We run into them at the market in the morning as we are picking up ingredients for lunch and dinner. Back at the hostel, making brunch, they are 5 minutes behind us. I watch with great curiosity to see what these two are eating. Cucumber, tomato, cheese, and canned tuna with tomato sauce…interesting. Carter is equally amused by this pair and is happy to hear their French accents and practice un petite peu de Francais. After wandering the city in…
-
Zadar
“Excuse me, but can I just burrow yous map for a minute? I just need to get me barings again”, he says. I can hear Scotland in his voice, but I ask anyway, “sure no problem, we are here right now”, I point to a spot on the map. “Where are you from?” “Scotland, Glasgow” he replies. Michael, as it turns out, is exploring Zadar and didn’t have a map with him so approached us as we were walking along into the walled old centre of the city. Twenty minutes later, as we are checking out the sea organ and the sun plate by the waterfront, we spot Michael again.…
-
Impossibly Blue
Yesterday we spent the day at Plitvice National Park, a UNESCO protected area full of gorgeous turquoise lakes and beautiful waterfalls. Most of the lakes are rather shallow and cascade one into the other. The colour of the water is magnificent – blue, sapphire, turquoise, green; words don’t do it justice. The waterfalls flow through limestone and mist. The park is well touristy though, and we encounter hordes of people along the main paths. Sample of photos below.
