July 21st-22nd–Homeward Bound

I’m going to lump two days into one for the first time because really, I haven’t done anything of note! Yesterday morning we had a lazy check out time of 12pm… we headed down to breakfast at 10am and then went straight back to our room to watch Forrest Gump. Not exactly the most adventurous travellers! Both Andy and I have both been in Bangkok before though and we didn’t feel like we had anywhere pressing we wanted to go. Plus, Andy was feeling unwell.

It was for this reason that after checkout at 12pm we went straight to the lounge room and chilled there for another two hours (Andy slept, I continued to plod through my epic book). Eventually Andy started feeling a little better and we decided we better at least see some of Bangkok. So we walked around the neighbourhood for an hour, past a few temples and through a nice little park. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m not really a fan of big Asian cities and I don’t exactly love this one. I much preferred Chang Mai in northern Thailand and the smaller towns in Laos. Ah well, at least we saw a bit of Asia on our trip!!

   

Around 3.30pm we grabbed a taxi to the airport – getting to our gate was easy, hardly any lines at all. And then began our long haul back to Sydney. I must say it was nice to see the Qantas plane, to hear Sarah Blasko music playing and to hear the Aussie accents of the air hostesses. I’ve been to many fabulous places the last four weeks but a part of me is definitely happy to be homeward bound, to see friends and family again, to dive into Grease and a whole bunch of new kiddies at work and to just have those familiar comforts back!

Anyway, the trip was relatively uneventful and I got about three to four hours sleep. Soon enough we were in Sydney – and all the lines there. Wow Sydney, you are rivalling LAX here. So silly. Eventually, another plane, this one back to Adelaide!

And then, we were home. The house feels strange after four weeks away and the weather is ridiculously cold, as expected. And here the blogging ends! Thanks to everyone who has followed along, as always I am astounded by how many people have read this thing.

Until next time x

July 20th–Pattaya to Bangkok

This morning we had planned to get up and actually use the resort pool – and then we woke up at 11am. Oops. No time for a swim and completely missed breakfast! Checkout was at 12pm so we cleared the room, dropped off our bags and waited next to the pool before our 1.45pm transfer. That is, until the torrential downpour started – the weather has not been to kind to us in Thailand so far!

We huddled under shelter until our transfer came – off to the Nong Nooch gardens for us. I’m not exactly sure how to describe these gardens. They are basically large gardens full of random animals statues – ants, mammoths, giraffes, flamingos. There is also a petting zoo, aviaries, a fish feeding pond, elephant rides and more.

   

When we got there it was still pouring with rain – we attempted walking around before deciding this was not much fun, enough so to go sit and endure the ‘Thailand Cultural Show’ on offer (inside). Andy and I have seen our fair share of these and girls walking around twirling their hands has very limited entertainment value after you’ve seen it once. There was some staged boxing and sword fighting however – this made the performance a little more bearable. And we were dry.

Afterwards, on to the elephant show – this reminded me of Kelly’s excitement seeing elephants last time we were in Asia (two years ago). Again, Andy and I have both seen this before but still the elephants doing their painting, bowling, bike riding etc. were still very cute and entertaining. Even if there is that niggling feeling that the elephants aren’t enjoying it at all.

   

Before we left we had a little time to wander again (now that the rain had stopped). Perhaps the most notable part of the gardens here are the ‘tame’ tigers tied to chains on rocks that you can pay to have your photo with. They are very popular but I couldn’t help but feel so sorry for them – there was one tiger trying to pace with his chain, getting no more than some criss crossing side to side leg motions. There was a monkey in a similar condition. Sad.

Back to the hostel in time for another Thai dinner and then our two hour transfer to Bangkok. Our hotel here is lovely – a little wooden Thai house in a random back alley. We dumped our bags and headed for a quick stroll down Khao Sahn Road. Last time I was here there was an alcohol ban (day before an election). Certainly not this time – hello big buckets of alcohol everywhere. And lots of Australians, here is where they have all been hiding lately. Our walk down the road was relatively quick (again, feeling a little uncool here)… past the fried scorpions, the market sellers, the street Pad Thai, the massage parlours, the homeless people. This city is exactly as I remember it.

Back to the hostel by 11pm – this holiday has not exactly been drunken and rowdy! But really, I am perfectly content with early nights in air conditioned rooms right now.

July 19th–Pattaya

As my blogs come close to an end they do seem to be getting less exciting! Life is crazy again the minute we get back in Adelaide so today we took the opportunity to relax. Breakfast was at 10am and very good – fried rice, fried vegetables, chicken satays, hash browns, fruit and yoghurt for me!

After breakfast we went back to the room for a bit to read… and we stayed there until 5pm. Seven hours in our room doing not much. Oops.

In the evening we did venture out into central Pattaya, via the shared, pick up truck style taxis they have here. These are fun, with the wind in your hair you get to experience the smells and sights of the streets as you drive We arrived at 6.30pm – for a lady boy show at Alcazar! (more on that later).

   

After the show we wandered around the town to find an ATM and some dinner. I’m not exactly sure that I like it in the city here – I have never really been a fan of big Asian cities like Bangkok and Hanoi and here is really a mini version. It does have a beach of course, but the overcast, windy weather the past two days have not really given us the opportunity to enjoy this.

Anyway, we wandered down the streets, past the random smells and food stalls, past lots of people trying to sell us suits and lots of middle aged white men with Asian women. Pattaya is apparently famous for its sex industry and ease finding a hooker and it is not hard to see why. They are everywhere! 

   

Dinner was traditional Thai and a non-traditional Singapore Sling cocktail! Then on to our next show…. another lady boy show at Tiffany’s. I figured I might as well talk about these two shows together as they were very similar. As well as hookers, Pattaya is also famous for its transvestite shows. In the first we were seated at the back, in the second we somehow scored front row middle seats. Perfect for scrutinizing the lip synching and the ‘ladyness’ of each performer (there were big varieties in both areas). Some of the ‘girls’ were incredibly convincing. And others, despite their breast implants, were clearly men. Overall, both shows were entertaining, with very glitzy costumes and sets and had a mix of Thai, Russian, Indian and English songs. Pretty unique really.

After that, we took a couple of taxis back to the hotel – back by 11.30pm for some more blogging and reading!

(P.S. Andy took much better show photos that I did, so check them out top right… when he uploads them)

July 18th–Bangkok to Pattaya

Today is a mini blog – time zone differences made a chunk of today go away! Our flight from Zurich to Bangkok was again relatively uneventful – we walked wistfully past the comfy business class seats this time. I can’t say I slept anywhere near as well in our economy seats! I watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, read a bit of A Clash of Kings but mostly I just tried to sleep for the 10.5 hours.

We arrived in Bangkok around 3pm and found our transfer – a chartered car all the way to Pattaya. This trip took just over an hour and staying awake was a mighty struggle. Eventually we arrived at the ‘Rabbit Resort’. It sounds perhaps a little dodgy but it’s lovely and tropical, with two pools and a big spacious room with a kitchen and two double beds. It also takes its ‘rabbit theme’ seriously – there are rabbits on the towels, a tiled rabbit at the bottom of the pool, hedges shaped like rabbits…and we were given a small pink stuffed rabbit upon check in!

    

Andy and I very much enjoyed our showers and just chilling in our room for a long time. Eventually we meandered along the beach to find some dinner – we found a lovely restaurant with a nice atmosphere. Time for our first Thai food for the trip (plus a Pina Colada for me!). And back to the hotel by 8.30pm! The prospect of just relaxing for a couple of nights is very appealing indeed!

July 17th–Leaving Amsterdam

This morning was our last one in Europe! How crazy. This trip has been a whirlwind so far and I’m definitely going to need reread these blogs and remind myself of everything we have done. Disneyland seems an age ago!

After another undisturbed sleep we were up, breakfasted and checked out by the required 10.30am For our last morning here we decided to rent a bike – it is a very Amsterdam thing to do! This experience was very interesting – as I have mentioned before I am not a very confident rider and the bikes given to us were without gears, helmets or a brake system I was used to. I had a ball riding through the parks and along the deserted pretty streets. I may have had some mini meltdowns attempting to ride in the chaos of the city, amongst trams, pedestrians, cars, the local rides… Andy did lots and lots of waiting for me, and I managed to scrape my right leg up a bit. I’m clearly as sporty as ever.

As mentioned, we did cycle to Vondelpark and the Museums Quarter, both very lovely spots – we stopped to read our books on the lawn both places, coupled with locally bought lunch at the second (cream puffs and wine, mmm) I had planned to go see the Van Gogh museums (whilst Andy chilled on the lawn). Unfortunately there was a huge line outside that was moving very slowly indeed so I decided to give it a miss. A pity, as Van Gogh was one of the first artists I had learnt about and I had a poster of his in my bedroom for years – I contented myself with looking at the postcard souvenirs and oil painting replicas being sold outside instead!

   

We got back to hostel around 4pm and decided we might as well head off to the airport. I have enjoyed this city – it is very unique and has a lovely balance of places to party places to relax and enjoy the beauty of the streets.

As expected we got to the airport rather early – time for sitting, reading and blogging. The flight to Zurich was uneventful, taking about an hour… and then some more waiting before our flight to Bangkok left at 11pm!

July 16th–Amsterdam

Against all of our expectations of this place, last nights sleep was comfortable and relatively undisturbed! We were up at a lazy 9.30am and all breakfasted in time to grab the Sandeman’s Tour of Amsterdam. Which, as usual, means a rather unexciting blog! We mainly just wandered around the canals, past all the houses with their unique Amsterdam character, learning little stories here and there. It was a nice and entertaining little intro to the city, as always. There are perhaps not so many impressive building to see here, the best way to enjoy Amsterdam seems to be wander around and soak up the relaxed atmosphere.

   

After that my blog gets a bit uninteresting! We headed back to the hostel, getting there about 2.30pm and then relaxing with books and internet (plus a bit of sleep) until at least 5pm. We grabbed two hostel pizzas for dinner, plus some wine and beer. From there we spent the evening wandering aimlessly around the street of Amsterdam! We had initially planned to go on a pub crawl and walked past the first pub – the people spruiking the crawl gave everyone around us flyers but were apparently not interested in us. So we decided we weren’t interested in them. Instead we wandered - we ate lots of random things, from ‘Holland’s Best Fries’, to waffles, to these random Febo snack out of a wall things they have here. We got lost a few times but eventually found our way home or a much needed sleep.

(It is funny that we do seem a little out of place here. Not the usual young drunken tourists apparently. Particularly in our hostel, we are very tame indeed!)

July 15th–Berlin to Amsterdam

Today we weren’t exactly sure what to do – we’d researched a few options the night before but in the end just decided to ‘wander’, as we do. This meant a lazy sleep in and an easy check out around 10.30am, followed by a chilled breakfast in the hostel courtyard.

And then we headed back into the city to basically do a backwards version of our tour yesterday. We started at Alexander Platz, with half a mind to go up the TV tower before we saw the long line for tickets. We wandered back past the museums and sat outside on on the grass, reading our books for a bit. This was lovely. Next back past a famous chocolate shop which we popped into. Here I wanted to eat everything, including their giant sculptures made of chocolate and their exquisite looking cakes. Instead we just bought a sample pack of nougat chocolates, which we nibbled at across the course of the day.

   

Back then to Checkpoint Charlie where we ate a kebab at the ‘pop up beach’ there. Strange. And then on to the wall to see the exhibition there and pop into the ‘terror’ museum – lots more reading that we didn’t feel up to but we wandered around briefly and looked at the pictures. Then back to the hostel via the Brandenburger Tor once more.

Soon we had grabbed our bags and were off to the airport, via the subway, train and then lots of walking. I can’t say I was particularly sad to leave Berlin. It does not strike me as a very pretty city, full of construction and modern city buildings. Yes, it does have some impressive old architecture (mostly rebuilt after the war) but there are not too many squares that really drew me to sit down and just enjoy. The appeal in this city lies in its history and in its modern, progressive culture. The first I feel we got more than enough of and the second I think we saw too little. My favourite memory of Berlin is still that first night seeing all the random modern bars and perhaps to have truly fallen in love with the city we needed to do a pub crawl or an ‘alternative Berlin’ underground scene tour. We had looked at both but neither ended up happening – perhaps our experience here was poorer for it.

Anyway! The flight to Amsterdam was relatively uneventful, as was our transfer to our hostel. Already Amsterdam seems very clean, organised and efficient. We arrive at our hostel ‘The Flying Pig’ around 9pm, to find that the reception is pretty much a bar – which probably sets the scene for our stay here nicely. Our room is full of 8 double bed bunks and we have a bottom one in the corner, kind of like sleeping in a cave.

   

After settling in we head out for a little walk. I have been here before in 2005, during the day and with an 8 and 10 year old for company. As such I have never really experienced what Amsterdam is famous for. And it certainly is interesting! Of course, lots of coffee shops, a persistent smell of weed and lots of pastries on display (no doubt to tempt those drunk and high later in the evening). The Red Light District is something else, windows upon windows of women standing and beckoning, wearing not very much at all. And then of course the ads for sex shows, live porn etc. Fun times.

Tonight we were back in the hostel around midnight, deciding to make a proper go off the nightlife here tomorrow night. We will see what happens! 

July 14th–Berlin

Last night’s sleep was interesting – we are indeed in a party district, which means outside our window was not exactly quiet. At one point someone was playing the Austin Powers theme song? This city continues to be unexpected. The summer sun meant I was awake before 5am – still it was 9am again before we were up and about. Today was out first completely overcast day for a while – perhaps somewhat fitting the sombre history of this city?

This morning we were off to go on the Sandeman’s New Europe tour – my fourth of this kind (after Prague, Paris and Madrid) but our first on this trip so far! We gathered at the Brandenburg Gate, were assigned to a very engaging, funny English guide and off we went. These tours never make hugely exciting blogs – they are full of random anecdotes and interesting facts and I can never remember any of them! We saw the balcony Michael Jackson dangled his baby off of, the Holocaust memorial (a very interesting art installation full of engulfing grey towers), the wall, Checkpoint Charlie, the Museum Island, the Cathedral, the Concert Hall, many places!

   

The tour finished at 2.30ish and we headed off the to the German History Museum. This museum is actually very good, lots of information and relics spanning across the different eras. We ended up staying there for 3 hours – to be fair Andy spent 3 hours looking at things and I spent more time sitting on benches – me failing a little at museums again, oh well!

After that Andy was keen to see a bit of West Berlin so we caught a short train – can’t say that West Berlin looked any different but the Tiergarten was pretty! Then back to the hostel for a little rest before dinner. We were keen to go somewhere close tonight and this meant… Lebanese! A perfectly logical meal in Berlin yes? (actually the restaurants around here and very multicultural). I ordered a plate of 10 ‘specialities’, resulting in many random things! I actually don’t know what some of the things I ate were – very different!

Then back to the hostel to drink wine and mess around on the internet – Andy decided to watch a two hour black and white Third Reich documentary he found on YouTube! We are still undecided on tomorrow’s plans, we will see what happens! 

July 13th–Travelling to Berlin

Short blog today! Our lovely roomates leaving early meant we made the most of our sleep in, not checking out until 11am. Our journey to the train station wasn’t as smooth as we had hoped due to our tram not arriving at all – however with another random tram and some walking we arrived in plenty of time to catch our 12.30pm train.

Time for another long train ride – I actually really enjoy travelling by train. They are nice and easy to board (no customs, security, baggage collection), you get to look at interesting scenery and I am completely hooked on my book right now so boredom is not an issue. And the Czech/German scenery was indeed very pretty,

   

The most eventful part of our journey came when the train driver announced a delay due to an accident ahead with person on the trainline – the police were carrying out investigations? This delay was long and we eventually arrived in Berlin at 7.45pm… two and a half hours later than planned! 

The transfer to our hostel was quick, even if it was made confusing by a very complicated ticket machine at the subway station. This hostel is a little quirky – our bed is the middle of the room, touching no walls, and it has giant pillows.

For dinner we wandered to a recommended place – very hearty German food here for a very small price…. Andy could not stop raving (and drinking beer). I had my first Schnitzel and apple strudel of the trip (it had to happen sometime). I also enjoyed having some normal tasting wine again after the experimental stuff in the Czech Republic!

   

Back in the hostel before midnight! My initial impressions of this city are very interesting. It started with the very shiny, industrially designed railway station. Very modern. And the streets around here are so unique – they are full of relatively unassuming buildings covered with graffiti and then suddenly out of nowhere you stumble upon a very trendy, swanky restaurant or bar. This area is full of them, randomly spaced around and always full of young, energetic people. I certainly see where this city has its ‘trendy, alternative’ reputation from – tomorrow we dive into the historical side of things!!

July 12th–Prague

I cannot rave enough about my hostel bed – so very comfy, the perfect pillow and mattress. A pity a cannot rave about our room mates, one of which decided to throw up out the window at 2am, lie moaning in bed and then start snoring. Lovely. Ah, well we had a sleep in anyway, bought some pastries across the street and were all ready at 11am for….another Segway tour!!

We hadn’t expected to do this again this trip but the hostel offered a 50% discount and how could we refuse? We proceeded to have the best time. The tour was advertised as 3 hours but ended up going for 4 – and we went everywhere. Up to the castle, through the park, down to the Old Town Square. This also included a lunch break on a hill with a view of the city – time for a hot dog, Czech ‘coke’ (an oddly herby drink) and of course, fried cheese (this was actually ridiculously good). Our guide was both lovely and informative and it really was the perfect way to see the city. We are definitely Segway converts.

   

We have been lucky with the weather too, it was forecast to rain but the morning had plenty of patches of sun. Just perfect to enjoy the stunning architecture of this city – this place continues to make me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Back to the hostel around 3pm for a few great hours just relaxing on our beds (so rare!).This went on a little longer than planned and we weren’t out in the city until after 6pm. Never mind, we still had three hours to kill before our next plans so wandered around the shops, along the river and stopped for a riverside drink (with the sun setting = perfection).

   

And then we went on a ghost tour! This was quaint, our guide was a little nerdy but very lovely and it was good fun walking around hearing a story or two. Then back to the hostel, past all of the stunning uplit architecture and the castle in the distance.

We were back at the hostel around 11pm – the others were already asleep but I can’t say we put in too much effort to be quiet. Andy had previously found it entertaining to buy a mini bottle of Czech Absinthe and we tried some with tonic water. I managed a mini sip, Andy endured the whole glass with lots of grimaces and moaning. It was entertaining to watch.

Moving on again tomorrow!

July 11th– On to Prague

Today has been mainly a travel day! After our impressive hostel breakfast we checked out and jumped in the car – Franz Josef had kindly agreed to drive us to Linz, where we could catch our next train. It has been so great to be back in Austria so soon – hopefully it is not too long before we are back again!

And then we caught a train, a bus, two more trains and a tram. The bus was unexpected – maintenance on the train line we think – but it was a lovely drive through some quaint villages and meadows. The train rides were long but having a good book to read makes really long trips something to look forward to. I almost get sad when I arrive places and have to put the book down, oops.

We arrived in Prague just before 7pm and promptly got confused as to which tram to catch and where. The weather looks like it might be grey for most of our time here, the outskirts of the city are quite run down and there were some ‘interesting’ people at the train station – I was getting confused because my memories of this city were so positive.

And then we were in the Old Town and I fell in love with Prague again! This started with the our hostel – one of the very best I have stayed in. On arrival we were offered tea or coffee whilst the girl told us about all the discounts and services they offer – free tours, free wifi, free water, an ATM, a transport ticket machine, a full tourist info office, just… everything. And the rooms themselves have so much character and we are right next to the Charles Bridge!

   

We have a full busy day in Prague tomorrow so tonight we just walked briefly over the bridge and then went to find dinner at a local restaurant. Andy had some Czech beer, I had some weird wine, we ate chicken for main and then ‘czech wafers’ for dessert. Back to the hostel after to book some tours and have a lazy night. I can’t wait to see more of the city again tomorrow!

July 10th- Knittelfeld to Salzburg

This morning we were up at a sprightly 7.30am, in time for a traditional Austrian breakfast of ham, cheese and bread and a quick walk to show Andy some of the scenery around the house. Still as pretty as ever!

We left around 9am, driving with Franz Josef to Salzburg, via some pretty stops along the way. First was Wolfangsee, a stunning lake in front of impressive mountains and of course bright green meadows filled with little flowers. Here we sat and had a coffee, enjoying the perfect weather and perfect scenery.

   

From here, on to Hallstadt (my fourth time in this place!) – we enjoyed wandering around and Andy continued taking many many photos (his camera certainly is getting a workout in this country). This town is very touristy but very pretty indeed – so much so that the Chinese recently build their own replica!

We arrived in Salzburg around 3pm in the afternoon, booked into our hostel, met up with Franziska and then headed out into the city for a drink – an Aperol Spritzer for me! After this we went our separate ways and I showed Andy around the town. We went up to the castle on top of the hill…inside the castle it is perhaps not so impressive but the view is beautiful.We wandered around the streets, past the old shops signs and Mozart’s birth house. We stopped off in a supermarket and bought Leberkaese Semmeln, which Andy loved. And finally we wandered through the lovely Mirabell Gardens where they shot a lot of the Do Re Mi sequence in the Sound of Music. All in stunning weather

   

After our exploring we headed back to meet the Dorns for dinner – our dinner spot was perfect, in an old Stiegl brewery with a sunset view of the cathedral. We ate and drank typical Austrian specialities (for me dumplings and sauerkraut) whilst watching the sun disappear. And then on to another bar for a few more drinks.

Back to our hostel before midnight!!

July 9th–Venice to Knittelfeld

This morning we were downstairs around 9am for our included breakfast – a custard filled croissant and a cup of lemon tea, yum! We took a while to leave, making the most of our 10.30am checkout before dropping our bags and heading out into the city.

And then – we wandered. It seems to be the thing to do in Venice. And I don’t have an awful lot to write about wandering! My favourite parts of Venice are the less touristy places, away from San Marco square and the bridge, without the throngs of people and the more authentic shops. In particular I love the old masks shops, the stores with the covered walls – actual theatrical masks used for Carnivale and not the mass produced touristy ones.

   

We grabbed yet another pizza on a random square before headed back to grab our bags. The amount of time we have spent here has been perfect really. With a little bit more planning and a little bit more willingness to spend $150 we could have gone on a gondala but… next time???

Then over to the bus station to catch our ride to Austria. We were eager for things not to go wrong, which meant us getting there a good hour early. Ah well, time for some relaxing and blog writing.

Our bus ticket had allocated seating – we lucked out somehow, getting seats right at the front of a double decker bus… a perfect view the whole journey! The bus ride was lovely, driving through the Alps and eventually arriving in Villach, Austria. Next on to a train and on to Knittelfeld to meet Franz Josef just after 9pm.

We spent the evening chatting with Franz Josef and Ultike outside on the terrace – I am lucky that Andy is very willing to chat a lot to new people! Andy was very impressed with the countryside and with the Dorns’ house – it was the loveliest thing to share my little part of Austria with somebody else!

July 8th- Sorrento to Pompeii to Venice

Today we had the opportunity for a sleep in so we took it, lazily checking out at 11am. We had another crazy travelling day ahead of us – so much more waiting to get through.

We started with a wait for train to Pompeii, arriving there around 12.30pm. We had about an hour and a half here which was perhaps a little squishy. We decided the best way to do this was to take a guided tour – hmmm, not so sure about this now. Our guide was a very quirky Italian who was fascinated with the little nuisances of the greek and latin language, preferring to focus on this instead of the broad history of the city. He also enjoyed wandering around touching everybody and saying ‘thank you very much’ after every tid bit he talked about.

We stuck with this guy for about an hour before needing to leave, taking a quick tour through the brothel which Andy remembered from last time he was here (this was amusing, lots of wall paintings of different sex positions – a menu as such) and of course a look at the famous mummified human bodies, frozen in their dying positions.

Overall Pompeii is very big indeed and typical of Roman Ruins that I have seen before. I think what makes these places interesting are the stories attached the ruins, rather than the ruins themselves so perhaps our slightly dodgy guide meant I was a little underwhelmed by the place – a good guide could have made it fantastic. I think I need to do some background reading to appreciate it more!

   

By now the weather had turned from sunny to thunder storm, in the space of about five minutes. I don’t think there is such thing as a ‘light shower’ here, the raindrops are big and heavy. And the thunder was loud – this was actually a little bit of a thrill, it could have almost been a volcano erupting.

For lunch we grabbed yet another pizza before catching a train and then a bus to the airport. We were just happy to be sitting relaxing somewhere dry. There was a bit of a funny moment checking in – the man behind the counter asked if we had any bombs and then proceeded to joke about how we shouldn’t be travelling to Venice without one. A bit strange to hear airport staff joking about that kind of thing!

And then a plane trip and then another bus. This bus had a short 15 minute wait, updated ETA times and airconditioned comfy seats! Luxury! And then finding our hotel was easy, the guy was super friendly and our room is not at all the dodgy room we expected. It was just the end to the trip we needed, after a crazy day of waiting around so much.

   

We dumped our bags and headed out into the streets (I should mention now that we have both been here before). Somehow, despite arriving around 9pm we still had some daylight left! We walked over the Rialto Bride, to St Mark’s Square and then back to a recommended place for dinner – more pasta for us! It was a lovely evening, much more than our exhausted selves earlier in the day could hope for. This is certainly a very touristy city and I feel that our short, less than 24 hours stay here will be enough… however it certainly has a beautiful charm, the famous canals, the gondolas, the masks everywhere. I am very glad we decided on a quick stopover!

We meandered back to our hotel, finding many pretty squares and restaurants that we wished we’d eaten in – oh well, no more nights here!  We grabbed a gelato on the way instead, back around 11pm for a relatively early night!

On the move again tomorrow!

July 7th–Travelling the Amalfi Coast

Today we had decided would be a nice relaxed day – which is not the first time we have been wrong! Our alarm went off at 8am and the snooze button was pressed many times… it was not until 10.30am that we rocked up to catch the bus to Amalfi. Of course, when we arrived we were greeted by a long line, definitely not the last of the day. Luckily we had our Kindles so we both knocked off a few chapters before boarding 40 minutes and two buses later.

The trip to Amalfi was very windy and took about two hours – the book was abandoned quickly when nausea appeared. I spent more time sleeping on Andy’s shoulder than looking at the view, oops. When we finally arrived it was time for margarita pizza number three on this trip, sitting in the very pretty square and being serenaded by random musicians. After this we just wandered around, up a few different paths and hills, taking in the views and atmosphere.

    

Eventually, we stood in another line to get on a ferry to Positano – just as it started to rain! (apparently I attract bad weather on my holidays, Andy has never had an overcast day here). I enjoyed the ferry ride, getting to see the coast from the ocean – particularly all of the crazy houses built on such a steep incline. It all looks very dramatic and beautiful and it is clear why the Amalfi coast is so famous.

When we arrived in Positano it was still overcast and we decided a quick walk through was enough before heading back. We walked all the way up the hill, past all of the quaint Italian shops and finally reach the bus stop at the top (at this point, I was actually quite glad the hot sun wasn’t beating down). And what did we find but another line!  This line was a bit more desperate as buses were getting fewer and full busloads from Amalfi meant only a few were getting on at once. We managed to get on the second bus after another 40 minute or so wait, just after a crazy windstorm started up out of nowhere, blowing dirt and leaves on to everyone.

The drive back was long – we were standing for most of it and we hit a nasty traffic jam… it was an hour and a half before we were back in Sorrento. Time to buy some Limoncello, fruit, Limoncello Slushees and gelato! And then back to the hostel for a much needed shower.

   

For dinner we headed back to the Ristorante Bagni Delfino, which really is a special place. The weather wasn’t as good as last night but we still enjoyed sitting there watching the lights twinkle at the bottom of Mt Vesuvius and enjoying the wine. I ordered a beautiful Spaghetti Bolognaise whilst Andy decided to splash out and get the lobster! Strawberry cake was consumed for dessert – and then Limoncello of course!

Back to the hostel for an early night at 11pm, tomorrow we move on again! 

July 6th- Capri to Sorrento

This morning was another lazy morning, as check out as at 11am and we weren’t in any rush. We meandered down for our Italian breakfast just before 10am (cheese, salami, ham, yoghurt and a selection of croissant) and we were out the door an hour later, off to grab the chairlift up the moment.  This was very cool if not just a little bit disconcerting – up we went in our little chairs, up the steep incline with fabulous views behind us.

   

Up the top was something special, with sweeping views of the whole island. We grabbed a few drinks, including a crushed lemon icy thing, and sat at a table, reading and enjoying the view. Eventually, back down again for a quick walk around Anacapri before heading back down to port. With our free hotel transfer and luck with boat times this only took 15 minutes – so much better than our epic journey yesterday!

The boat ride over to Sorrento was quick and after a short walk we were in our ‘deluxe hostel’ (= basically a hotel). Air conditioned and quiet, I will happily spend two nights here! After a quick freshening up we went for a wander – I like this town with its poky streets, lemon products everywhere (Limoncello came from here) and its impressive cliffs and ocean views. The typical Italian rows of beach chairs are also fun to look at and make the coastline very colourful!

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When Andy last stayed here he ate at his ‘favourite restaurant ever’ so we had previously attempted to make a booking. Unfortunately  the hotel told us the place was ‘closed for a wedding’ – this made Andy sad. We decided in the end to just walk down and see what we could find – what we found was Andy’s restaurant nice and empty and accepting people! A miscommunication must have happened somewhere!

What followed was about four hours of sitting, eating, drinking and enjoying the view. I can certainly see why Andy likes this place so much – I had ham & melon, followed by super soft gnocchi and then the best chocolatey gooey profiteroles I’ve ever had. Plus a lot of wine. A lot of wine. AND limoncello – Andy doesn’t like this so much, but I certainly do…. more for me!! Over the night we went from day to dusk to sunset to night – with perfect twinkling lights from Naples across the bay. I had a another slightly tipsy happy moment… I can’t wait to do this again tomorrow!

Back to the hostel by 11.30ish – tomorrow we explore the Amalfi coast!