But better late than never hey?
So we’ve lived in London for the last couple of years and have travelled a lot through Europe, popped down to Africa for a wee jaunt in Morocco and even across to Canada (Vancouver) and briefly to the States (Seattle).
Our visas are up and we’re leaving in a few weeks to go back to little old NZ but not before spending five weeks travelling through Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Seeing as this is likely to be the most challenging/interesting/intrepid trip to date, we’re going to blog about it. But first, some highlights from our travels thus far:
Prague, Czech Republic - This was our first trip outside the UK and still one of the faves. An informal walking tour was a highlight and there are some very vague recollections of a pub crawl. Cheap, good beer, fascinating history and you can still smoke inside!
Salzburg, Austria - We went to Salzburg for a few days after Oktoberfest in Munich. We met a local who offered to show us around and it was hands down one of the best days we’ve ever had - a personalised walking tour, a bike ride through the hills, dinner overlooking Salzburg as the sun set, drinking and having a jam in some in caves with some old Austrian dudes. It just goes to show, no pretentions and a willingness to attempt conversation with whomever you encounter can bring you experiences money can’t buy. Amaze!
Atlas Mountains, Morocco - This was one of the longer trips we did with a few of our friends to escape the English winter! In retrospect, this trip deserves a blog or at least a post of its own. It was amazing. We spent most of our time in Marrakech (intense!) and Essaouira, but also managed a trip to the Atlas Mountains which was well worth it for some insight into rural life. We drank enough orange juice to never get scurvy and almost ate enough tagines to last a life time.
Bordeaux, France - We spent two weeks in France last summer, starting and ending in Paris, catching a train to Bordeaux, hiring a car and driving to Perpignan, then following the coast to Nice. Two whole weeks off work and no agenda aside from our departure time from Paris made for a spontaneous and unforgettable time. Oh the wine! Oh the cheese!
Berlin, Germany - Berlin makes our top three, for sure. The highlights for us were discovering an awesome kiwi coffee shop, the vintage markets in Mauer Park and of course, Bear Pit Karaoke. A great way to get your bearings and brush up on some of its history is a Fat Tire Bike tour when you first arrive. The city’s dark recent history is captivating, but is outshone by the diverse and hospitable people, and the fact that freaking good beer is cheaper than water from the corner store!
Budapest, Hungary - We went to Budapest for New Years Eve 2011/12 and will definitely be remembered for a few reasons: it’s where we got engaged and it’s where we were locked in a housing estate after mistaking it for a ruin pub. If the sleeping Hungarian man we had to wake up to let us out ever reads this, sorry dude. Good times.
Rome, Italy - We really didn’t have any expectations for Rome and assumed it would be a bit like Paris - overrated. How wrong we were! We timed it well avoiding the peak season - there were still loads of people but the queues were shorter, which generally makes for a happier time! Ruins around every corner, incredible food, incredible wine…
Vancouver, Canada - We were never in too much of a hurry to get to Canada or the States but when one of your best friends marries a Canadian and moves to Vancouver permanently…why not? Stunningly beautiful and a very liveable city - and where else in the world can you be at one of the local ski fields and then on the beach within 30 minutes?
Bruges, Belgium - It was a shame we only got to spend a day here, but it was a good one. After a good walk around, a visit to the bell tower (“You’s are fookin elephants”) we got straight into sampling Belgium’s finest and found ourselves several hours later in quite a state trying to get back to the train station. Goooooood times.
So you get the gist. The trips we’ve summarised above doesn’t really scratch the surface - Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Amsterdam (a few times), Spa (for the F1), Seattle, Brussels, Munich, Edinburgh, Paris (again)…next stop: Bangkok!