Andy's Traveling Tales of Adventure

So after (mostly) recovering from my zombie flu, Tams and I made our way down to glorious Wellington for another hard earned holiday. All systems were go when we landed in Wellington airport on Thursday morning. Despite predictions to the contrary, the weather stayed beautiful throughout the whole trip, and it was only a little windy on Saturday night.
( But wait, there's more... )

Well I know I haven't come close to updating for a while, but I thought I would post a few photos from Prague while I could. Prague is just an amazing city, and a place where I could see myself being very happy one day. I don't have enough time to do a big, detailed explanation (but I will one day) so I thought I would let you guys just view them yourselves and see what you make of them.

( Prague is simply awesome )

Well I am on a bit of a roll, so I thought I would write about the ferry to Greece. Check out the post below about Rome and Naples, if you haven't already.

Anyway, after we left Naples we had to travel to Bari to get the ferry to Greece. The train ride itself was long, if uneventful, and we arrived at Bari with about five hours to spare. Ahh Bari. I can't say I every want to go back there, mainly because it seemed to be populated entirely by nasty, '80s throwbacks and some kind of subhuman Italian race. Probably the rudest Italians I have met (and that is saying something) make this city their home. Maybe I am exaggerating, but it wasn't a fun place. Since Tamara wasn't feeling well and needed to watch our packs, I spent almost four and a half hours walking around this place looking for shops, all which seemed to be shut. Oh, and I got laughed at. Yay.

( More? Oh God yes.. )

Ok, so it appears all the internet cafes in Romania (in fact, all the computer I have seen) run Windows '98, which means there is no way I can use my USB drive to update my Livejournal with photos. I'm still hoping to, so hang tight. I'm not going to bother posting until I can, so hopefully I will be able to soon, and catch you up to where we are.

In brief, we have now left Bucharest and are in Brasov, which is in the heart of Translyvania. Romania is pretty cool, and Brasov is really nice. Hopefully tomorrow we are off to look at some castles. Hopefully soon I will have some pictures to so you.

Well it has been ages since I've written, and I'm working on the backlog, but just thought I would quickly write that we are in Romania, and that we're doing OK. Bulgaria and Romania are so totally different from anything we have experienced before, that it has taken a little getting use to. But we are still having a great time, if starting to feel a little homsick at time (and tired, always tired).

Anyway, I've got Bucharest to explore, so will write again (and hopefully update soon). If I get some time I might post again soon...

Man I am getting slack at keeping this updated. It is surprisingly difficult at times. I've finally found a computer in Romania that uses something other than Windows 98 and have uploaded some photos. Anyway, I'm trying to make the effort to catch up, so time to write about Rome and Naples.

After Florence we headed on the train down to Rome and the heart of Italy. Rome is an amazing city with history all around it. The heart of the Roman Empire and the Catholic world; it simply is massive and grand on a scale unmatched anywhere else. However, it is also surprisingly filthy and sometimes a bit of a grind as there are people everywhere, including both locals and tourists, trying to get in your face.

( Read more? Of course you want to )

Yes OK. I admit it. It has been ages since I last posted, and I am waaay behind, but I going to do my best to catch up now. I am now in Greece and the internet is much easier to use here (if weirdly more expensive). I am in a bit of a downer at the moment, since I missed my good friend Calum's wedding, so I will cheer myself with updating and beer.

Where did I leave off? Oh right Venice. So after we left Venice, we took a train down to Florence in the region of Tuscany. I was quite looking forward to Florence as it was a major centre of the Renaissance and it has some fantastic buildings, museums and galleries.

[NOW WITH PHOTOS ADDED AND ADDITIONAL MUSING. MISS AT YOUR PERIL!]

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I am beaming this to you all from a dodgy internet cafe in Rome, so this may be a little brief and unedited. Tams and I have spent the last week or so in Italy soaking up the sights, smells and sounds of this strange, marvelous country. To say Italy is not hard work would be a filthy, filthy lie. But the rewards are amazing if you can overlook some of the negatives.

Anyway, we left from Nice early in the morning and hopped on a train bound first for Milan and then on to Venice. The whole process was expected to take about seven or so hours, so not really a fun day for us.

There are some things one ought to know about Italian trains. The first is that someone else will always be sitting in your seat, and that Italian men can really be arseholes. This we learned from our first stretch if the trip into Milan, so about five hours or so. We started to get concerned when we realised that there was no way the train was going to get into Milan on time to make our connecting train to Venice. So when we arrived at Milan central station, the place was a scene of panic with people trying to get on their train, or any train, where they could. Of course there was no explanation.

We finally managed to find someone in authority who just told us to jump on the next train to Venice, which was leaving in about four minutes, which we did, with EVERYONE else. People were jammed in the corridors, the stairwell, BETWEEN CARRIAGES, wherever. It was just nuts. But then again, that the Italian train system for you. Tams and I ended up with our bags in a space at the end of a carriage with several other people. Not a cool experience.

But enough griping. Though it was tough going, we got the Venice and were immediately rewarded. Venice is as beautiful, sublime and mysterious as they say. Even though it was the off season, there were still heaps of tourists, and the stupid that they bring. The main thoroughfares are full of locals selling rubbish, but if you duck down a side street, you can be standing all by yourself outside some local bar just inviting you in for a drink. We stayed in a pretty grotty dorm room with a surely owner whom I am convinced could pull a knife if anyone disagreed with him, but we were right in the heart of Venice, and that more than made up for it. Anyway, enjoy some photos:









Venice is made up of a series of islands, with canals and bridges running between them. You can get a feel for it here, with the different views. It really is quite amazing. The secret to Venice is to walk, which we did for the two days we were there. The museums in Venice are OK, but nothing compared to Florence, so we decided to skip those and just explore. Which you can do as your leisure, as it is quite safe. It is almost impossible to navigate, but that is part of the fun really.





Above is the famous St. Marks Square, which although looking rather grey in this photo, is breathtaking with some fantastic churches and architecture. The other photos is a mosaic from a church in the square.



I quite like this one above. I captured Tams looking in a shop window at night, as Venice is full of fantastic little shops and stores.

Sorry to cut this short, as there is so much more I could write about Venice, but I have to move on. Hopefully I will get to tell you all about it in person soon. Keep and eye out in the next few days for Part Two and our adventures in Florence.

I'm not sure if it is a common thing with travelers, but I'm starting to no longer recognise days of the week. It's either a 'traveling day' or a 'non-traveling day'. There will suddenly be heaps of people or children around, and we'll remember it's a weekend or something.

Anyway, after Paris, Tams and I thought it would be nice to shift down a gear, so we headed off to Nice in the south of France, on the Mediterranean coast. This was a good move, as Nice is pretty awesome. After a six hour train journey from Paris, we pulled into Nice and were immediately struck by the change of architecture and feel from Paris. We're pretty close to Italy here, and that shows through quite strongly. We made our way to our hostel and crashed out for the night.

( Would you like to know more? There are photos... )

Here are some of our pictures from Paris that I promised. Tams and I are now staying in a cool hostel in Nice, which has given us a little time to chill. I'll write more about that later, but for now it all about Paris.

I really fell for Paris, which is something I wasn't expecting. Sure, I've always respected the French achievement, but I have heard so many stories about the rude Parisians and the miserable time other visitors have had, that I prepared myself for the worse. But, for the record, the people were nice (yes, really), the weather was fantastic and we had a great time.

( Enough talk, make with the photos )

Paris. Wow. There is plenty I should say, but the strange French keyboards are giving me grief, that it may have to wait until Nice for me to fill you in more fully. Just being in the city is pretty awesome, and I have taken to it surprisingly well. I've even been using French for most things, and have only been laughed at once, so yay for small victories. We have been staying at a pretty cool hostel/hotel, and I really wanted to show you all our amazing view, but this computer is a little temperamental, so that may have to wait too.

We have only had four days here, but we could easily spend a lifetime. Tomorrow we change pace a little and head to Nice, which will be good as I'm looking forward to just chilling a bit. Will write more soon.

Seriously, it really is. After the frenetic tempo of London, coming to Cambridge is a welcomed break. Only two hours by bus from London, it really is like taking a step back in time, with all the colleges and ceremony. An old friend of ours, Jessica, is studying at St. John's College at Cambridge (with bike and all), and she proved a most welcoming host and guide. Taking time away from her important PhD study, she showed us around the town and all the different colleges with the knowledge only an insider can have.

( Read on McDuff )

My friend Mark directed me to this video about the London Underground, which is very cool. If you have ever traveled on the Underground, you'll recognise some of the places and stories. It gave me goose bumps just watching it.

Ghosts on the Underground

We have been here in London almost a week now, but with all the new experiences it feels much longer. After getting our first night's sleep on the other side of the world under our belts, we have launched ourselves into olde London town. The only downside is the plague I came down with almost the moment I stepped off the plane, which slowed me down for much of the week, although I have it pretty much beaten now. There has been a lot going on in this past week, so I'm going to try and not bore you too much with the ramblings of an excited tourist.

( Click here for the full story )

Well we made it. Mostly in one piece. Long haul travel is not something I would recommend to anyone who enjoys their sleep. The absurdity of it hit me fully when our plane was cruising at 31000 feet above Afghanistan of all places.

But being in London makes it all worth while. It was a God send to have Jim, my brother, there to meet us at the airport, as I was in no condition to do anything more than keep my body propelled in a vague forward motion. He helped settle us in, and after a big sleep, we woke up bright on Monday morning (UK time) to tackle the city.

And what a city. I like to consider myself a fairly jaded individual, but stepping out of Victoria tube station into the middle of the city really is something else. Tamara and I were both blown away by the place. There are plenty of superlatives to use, but being just being around so much history, and feeling the pulse of the city, is a little overwhelming.

We spent most of the day just walking around following our noses in our exploration of the city. We stumbled across Buckingham palace during the changing of the guard, which was pretty cool, as I am a sucker for a good bit of pomp. We also went to Westminster Abby and that really blew me away. We must of spent a clear two hours exploring and taking it all in. I'm still too tired to do it justice, but if you haven't been there, go, and if you have, I now understand.

I am still adjusting my body clock at the moment, so this will only be a quick post. I'll put some photos up soon. Tomorrow, more London and hopefully a catch up with my old friend Mark.

It has finally come down to the last week before we leave for Europe. The feeling really hasn't sunk in yet, as I am still on a high from leaving work on Friday, and having my parents up over the weekend.

Having mum and dad up was also really good, as it was nice to be able to show them a bit of what the last seven years up in Auckland have been like for me, and also for them to spend more time with Tamara's family. We took them on a ferry to Devonport on one day, and out to the Waitakere ranges on another. There are some beautiful pictures I will post later. I think it was also good for them, as it shakes them out of their routine. We also had a few friends around on Saturday night to say good bye, and it was nice for my parents to be able to meet them as well. It was a little sad to see them off this morning, but they are coming over to the U.K. themselves in March, so I'll see them there.

So now it is just the final few things that need to be done. Packing, last minute purchases, going to the bank, all the little stuff you forget about. It still seems a little weird to think that I'll be in London this time next week, but at the same time exciting.

It's also going to be cold. Damn cold. Like 2 degrees cold. Beats the humidity at the moment though I guess. Hope the snow stays at least.

...to my record of the crazy trip Tamara and I are taking to Europe. After quitting our jobs and saving money, we're only a week off our trip, starting off at old blighty. Because I am too lazy to send out e-mails, I'll be posting accounts and photos of our adventure in Europe as we try and manage our way through various countries and cultures. Please check regularly as I'll be trying to post as often as time and convenience allows.