Eek, we're a bit late with this one. We've been in Poland for a couple of days already.
We were in Hamburg for about a week and I should have documented as I went (Liv) because now that I'm trying to remember which day we did what, I'm struggling. So this will a bit of a mash. Chris will add his own to include his Hamburg & Wacken.
After nine hours of travel on maybe three or four trains (it's a blur) we arrived in Hamburg. Our Aussie friends were kind enough to pick us up and take us to our hotel. We dumped everything, changed, then headed out. We were staying in Saint Pauli, it's the hipster quarter (that's what I call it) and it includes the Reeperbahn, the single biggest Red Light District in the world (I think). It's quite big. It's also a tourist attraction so it's not as seedy as you might imagine.
We made a bee line for the Polish pub that has become somewhat a tradition with the Germany/Wacken regulars. It was my first taste of the Jagerschnitzel with bratkartoffeln. So. Damn. Good. Seriously.
We headed to a Wacken preparty and watched a heavily tattooed German man sing country songs in perfect english. It was bizarre but very entertaining. The long day had us exhausted so we bailed early to catch up on sleep & energy.
In the days that followed we wandered into the city so I could get familiar with the train systems and where to go for stuff to do. We discovered the town, strangely name coffee shops and the harbour/dock area. We headed out to give our clothes a much needed wash, and spent the time at a nearby pub having another jagerschnitzel.
The second night, the night before Chris left for Wacken, we headed to the Roatan (a Carribean bar) for happy hour with some friends. Half price cocktails! About 12:30/1 we headed towards home to have a wander through the Dom. A theme park similar to the Royal Show (but better) that's set up for three months of the year. Unfortunately it was a bit late and lots of places were closed or closing up but we did have time to buy some sweet treats.
The day that Chris left for Wacken, I spent most of the day in the hotel foyer using the wifi to write and upload photos. I did head to a nearby cafe (Gloe) for lunch though. Thankfully the waitress spoke english and was kind enough to provide me with "what ever she liked". I like to ask for waiter/ress recommendations rather than choosing. It stops me from ordering the same stuff. She gave me this delicious creamy penne pasta & I had a wine. 10 euro! So cheap! I was almost finished when I got attacked by a wasp so I headed back home.
While Chris was away I wandered the streets, caught a bus tour around the city (did you know Hamburg has more bridges than London & Venice put together!? and 4 million trees, that's two per person. I'm intrigued to know who actually counted all those trees...), I walked a lot, found a Russian submarine & walked through it. I stumbled onto a huge pride parade, made friends with a local girl & her friend (Xena & Catia), they were nice enough to let me tag along to a flea market, just one stop away from mine where I picked up some great little knick knacks.
I caught the wrong train to the wrong church, & jumped on the next train back to find the right St Nikolai Church. It's quite sad. There are 4 main spires in Hamburg city, this one is charred black from being bombed in the second world war. But it's just the spire that stands, the church isn't there. It's now a memorial surrounded by beautiful trees.
Being alone in a foreign city I know almost nothing about and the language barrier was pretty tough. Sitting alone at big breakfast tables in the main hall was not my idea of fun, but I made it out alive. There were a few evenings where I just curled up on the bed & watched the movies Chris had put on his laptop. Sanity saver!
One night I headed out for dinner at Gloe, the local soccer team were playing at the arena/stadium across the road from the hotel. I managed to catch the last half of the game. They won 3-1 and it was great to experience the buzz of all the fans. As the game ended I decided to take another wander through the Dom which was all open & full of happy soccer people. The full alleys & loud rides made for a lovely evening wander.
The morning Chris & Co returned from Wacken, I decided not to sit alone at the hotel for breakfast, but to head out instead. There are loads of restaurants and cafes on and near the Reeperbahn, but do you think any were open at 8:30 on a Sunday morning? No. There were a few pubs open, one even had patrons. Just as I decided to head back I found May, they were putting on a buffet breakfast for only 4.70euro. Cold meats, cheeses, cereals, fresh fruit, yoghurt, pastries & bread as well as a juice. Perfect.
Then I spent the rest of the morning waiting for that guy I like. It was SO good to have someone to talk to again. I think I chewed his ear off filling him in on the four days he was away. :) What are girlfriends for, right?
That night we headed out for dinner and drinks with the Wacken crew (about 13 of us). I think this was the night I discovered how much I like Caprioskas. It wasn't too late a night, and we were up, fed and ready to head for Poland the next morning.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Gruyères: Recap
It's been a short and sweet trip to Switzerland, but we took the long route and managed to see so much beautiful countryside.
Gruyères according to Chris:
- cheese
- cheese
- cows with bells
- as amazing as I remember (art, landscape, food)
- cheese
- train stations with very little information
- cleeean
- 600 years old (as new) 2000 Fr ONO
- postcard worthy photos
Gruyères according to Liv:
- smelly
- puppy dogs!!
- so colourful
- beautiful
- multilingual town
- families everywhere (with young kids)
- expensive
- history
- HR Giger
- fluffy bedding
Tomorrow we head to Hamburg for a week or so. We're not (Liv's not) looking forward to lugging baggage around, it seems to have gotten heavier. No idea why! But we are looking forward to seeing our EuroTrash friends soon! There are beers to be drunk, cocktails to be had and schnitzels to be eaten.
Au revoir!
Gruyères according to Chris:
- cheese
- cheese
- cows with bells
- as amazing as I remember (art, landscape, food)
- cheese
- train stations with very little information
- cleeean
- 600 years old (as new) 2000 Fr ONO
- postcard worthy photos
Gruyères according to Liv:
- smelly
- puppy dogs!!
- so colourful
- beautiful
- multilingual town
- families everywhere (with young kids)
- expensive
- history
- HR Giger
- fluffy bedding
Tomorrow we head to Hamburg for a week or so. We're not (Liv's not) looking forward to lugging baggage around, it seems to have gotten heavier. No idea why! But we are looking forward to seeing our EuroTrash friends soon! There are beers to be drunk, cocktails to be had and schnitzels to be eaten.
Au revoir!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Portovenere: Recap
It's our last day in Portovenere so I thought we'd post a short recap of our time here by way of a list.
Portovenere according to Chris
- the child on the bus announcing our arrival (this is something we'd have to share with you in person)
- the arrival, seeing the view and location
- getting corrected coffees before we'd even gotten to our apartment
- the lemon sorbet
- going to find a sunset through a castle entrance and discovering a whole other part of town
- cool doors, everywhere
- the day we spent in the Cinque Terre
- loads of people were here on the weekend, watching them all drive out (there's only one road in/out of town)
- the amount of people with skin conditions or pending skin conditions
- nannas in bikinis
- spritzers by the ocean
- risotto al mare (seafood risotto) that was delicious (not a seafood fan and wouldn't have it in a risotto if he had the choice, however this was perfect)
- the entire meal at Dorindo
- the photos, photo opportunities, views and scenery
- the sky is always amazing
- 3 ITA coverage!
- finding out we have wifi on our second last day but it's unusable
Portovenere according to Liv
- most of what he said
- making our own carbonara. Twice
- long walks
- recreating a memory: prosciutto, stracchino and rocket foccacia
- the best ice cream I've tasted
- and discovering my favourite ice cream is Amarena (black cherry)
- watching so much poker we bought a pack of cards (ist' the only thing on tv I understand)
- the view, boats, sky, vibe
- winding roads
- crazy driving
- nice gentlemen (I got a migrane and nausea while on trains and buses back to Portovenere. He gave me some tips and helped me out a bit)
- simplicity
- afternoon naps
- houses on sheer cliffs
- speaking the language and learning more
- the ocean
- it's a big small town
- the apartment and location
- the day cycle, wake at 8/9, leave the house for 10, come home, out for lunch at 2ish, home for a nap, out for a spritzer at 5ish, stay out for dinner around 8, sleep around 11 & do it over again. It's perfect
- for a week at the beach, I only got a little burn! Win!
First thing tomorrow: we head for Switzerland!
Portovenere according to Chris
- the child on the bus announcing our arrival (this is something we'd have to share with you in person)
- the arrival, seeing the view and location
- getting corrected coffees before we'd even gotten to our apartment
- the lemon sorbet
- going to find a sunset through a castle entrance and discovering a whole other part of town
- cool doors, everywhere
- the day we spent in the Cinque Terre
- loads of people were here on the weekend, watching them all drive out (there's only one road in/out of town)
- the amount of people with skin conditions or pending skin conditions
- nannas in bikinis
- spritzers by the ocean
- risotto al mare (seafood risotto) that was delicious (not a seafood fan and wouldn't have it in a risotto if he had the choice, however this was perfect)
- the entire meal at Dorindo
- the photos, photo opportunities, views and scenery
- the sky is always amazing
- 3 ITA coverage!
- finding out we have wifi on our second last day but it's unusable
Portovenere according to Liv
- most of what he said
- making our own carbonara. Twice
- long walks
- recreating a memory: prosciutto, stracchino and rocket foccacia
- the best ice cream I've tasted
- and discovering my favourite ice cream is Amarena (black cherry)
- watching so much poker we bought a pack of cards (ist' the only thing on tv I understand)
- the view, boats, sky, vibe
- winding roads
- crazy driving
- nice gentlemen (I got a migrane and nausea while on trains and buses back to Portovenere. He gave me some tips and helped me out a bit)
- simplicity
- afternoon naps
- houses on sheer cliffs
- speaking the language and learning more
- the ocean
- it's a big small town
- the apartment and location
- the day cycle, wake at 8/9, leave the house for 10, come home, out for lunch at 2ish, home for a nap, out for a spritzer at 5ish, stay out for dinner around 8, sleep around 11 & do it over again. It's perfect
- for a week at the beach, I only got a little burn! Win!
First thing tomorrow: we head for Switzerland!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Portovenere
Portovenere
We've now been here for three days and I have to admit, it's quite the find. It seems to be the place the Italians come to play! There are only a few foreigners which is kinda how I like it.
It was a 4 hr train ride from Rome then a 30 minute bus, then another 5-10 minute bus (that part is actually walkable). We head into the main town (it's not really that big) at least twice a day. The mornings are for caffe and paste/cornetti (croissants), the afternoons and evenings for a spritz & maybe dinner.
Yesterday we headed into La Spezia for the morning only to find out that the shops were all closed. It was a bit warm to hang around all day, so we headed back to the apartment.
I think we counted around 6 gelaterie in Portovenere alone, that's quite a few considering the size of this place. There's one that advertises it's artiginale (artisan) gelati and I have to say, it's the best of the trip.
Some interesting things: there's a huge old church on the point of the island and it makes for some great photos. It also had a wedding both the Saturday and Sunday.
A traditional carbonara has no cream! We made one last night and have a few tweaks to make, but we got it pretty close.
The beach, on the weekend was packed. It's like nothing you've ever seen before. And the people are SO dark, it's scary! I don't think they have the same concerns about skin health as they do in Aus. It's not just the young that are out though, men, women, teens, mums, dads, grandparents. And a lot of them wear what ever they want. Grandma wants to wear a bikini? Sure, why not! It's a bit odd, you wouldn't think Australia is conservative, but it is comparatively. I'm intrigued by it, choosing to see it as a celebration of the female form.
Oh, the seafood here is fantastic! It's so fresh and cooked so well. It's also the only thing on the menu unless you want spaghetti napoletana. I didn't really think that through... That being said, when I looked up places to eat here, I couldn't find anything. I'll have to make note of the names of places and sort that when we get back.
Anyway, I think I've rambled enough given it's 5 in the morning! I'll see if I can upload some more photos soon.
Liv xx
We've now been here for three days and I have to admit, it's quite the find. It seems to be the place the Italians come to play! There are only a few foreigners which is kinda how I like it.
It was a 4 hr train ride from Rome then a 30 minute bus, then another 5-10 minute bus (that part is actually walkable). We head into the main town (it's not really that big) at least twice a day. The mornings are for caffe and paste/cornetti (croissants), the afternoons and evenings for a spritz & maybe dinner.
Yesterday we headed into La Spezia for the morning only to find out that the shops were all closed. It was a bit warm to hang around all day, so we headed back to the apartment.
I think we counted around 6 gelaterie in Portovenere alone, that's quite a few considering the size of this place. There's one that advertises it's artiginale (artisan) gelati and I have to say, it's the best of the trip.
Some interesting things: there's a huge old church on the point of the island and it makes for some great photos. It also had a wedding both the Saturday and Sunday.
A traditional carbonara has no cream! We made one last night and have a few tweaks to make, but we got it pretty close.
The beach, on the weekend was packed. It's like nothing you've ever seen before. And the people are SO dark, it's scary! I don't think they have the same concerns about skin health as they do in Aus. It's not just the young that are out though, men, women, teens, mums, dads, grandparents. And a lot of them wear what ever they want. Grandma wants to wear a bikini? Sure, why not! It's a bit odd, you wouldn't think Australia is conservative, but it is comparatively. I'm intrigued by it, choosing to see it as a celebration of the female form.
Oh, the seafood here is fantastic! It's so fresh and cooked so well. It's also the only thing on the menu unless you want spaghetti napoletana. I didn't really think that through... That being said, when I looked up places to eat here, I couldn't find anything. I'll have to make note of the names of places and sort that when we get back.
Anyway, I think I've rambled enough given it's 5 in the morning! I'll see if I can upload some more photos soon.
Liv xx
Friday, July 22, 2011
Roma: Day 2
Today was our last day in Rome. We commiserated this by buying ice cream. Twice.
What? We're on holiday!!
We had dinner last night at a nearby restaurant. For the two of us it was 37.50eur. It started off really well, the antipasto we had was delicious, so was the ravioli! But they had somehow run out of pepperoni. Tell me, how does a Roman restaurant, in the middle of peak season, at dinner time, run out of pepperoni!? So we had to change our chicken dish to a simple roast chicken, it was ok, but dry. The red wine was good, but it tasted like it could have been sparkling? Weird.
By the end of the night, we had to ask the three different wait staff for the bill before one of them brought it to us and they had charged us 2eur each for bread which they had brought us, we didn't request it. A bit cheeky. However, we'd totally go back and simply have a dinner of antipasti. DELICIOUS!
Today we went wandering again. This morning we visited the Colosseo, then headed for the Camp Dei Fiori, a piazza known for it's morning stalls of fruit, vegetables and other goods. We bought a huge beefsteak tomato for about 2eur then spent another 6 on three different types of meats, kalamata olives and some bread. We took the long way home (my mama taught me well) and had a makeshift picnic on the bed.
Oh, while we were at Campo Dei Fiori we also bought these cool spice/herb/dried vegetable mixes to take with us to our next stop. You use them by rehydrating them and then frying them off in oil & proceeding as per usual. SO cool & a great way to get a flavourful pasta sauce or pizza base! I can't wait to try them. I'm hoping to get at least one or two food posts while in Europe. (over at www.colpanna.com if you didn't already know)
This afternoon we browsed for a bit but there were a few overattentive staff that drove me (Liv) bonkers, I like to be able to shop in peace and not have a person follow me around, or dress me. My mama also taught me how to dress myself and I can do it ALL ON MY OWN! (the capitals are supposed to be said in a kid's voice, not a yelling voice, jsyk)
Tonight we're heading to a different local restaurant for dinner (Sticking to the rule of "don't visit the same place twice", we'll ignore the fact this is my third time in Rome). It'll be great I'm sure!!
Also, I've loaded a bunch of photos up on Flickr for you to check out. You'll be glad I filtered through some, there were almost 500!! But of course, because Flickr is a douche, they're not in any specific order. Vunderbar!
What? We're on holiday!!
We had dinner last night at a nearby restaurant. For the two of us it was 37.50eur. It started off really well, the antipasto we had was delicious, so was the ravioli! But they had somehow run out of pepperoni. Tell me, how does a Roman restaurant, in the middle of peak season, at dinner time, run out of pepperoni!? So we had to change our chicken dish to a simple roast chicken, it was ok, but dry. The red wine was good, but it tasted like it could have been sparkling? Weird.
By the end of the night, we had to ask the three different wait staff for the bill before one of them brought it to us and they had charged us 2eur each for bread which they had brought us, we didn't request it. A bit cheeky. However, we'd totally go back and simply have a dinner of antipasti. DELICIOUS!
Today we went wandering again. This morning we visited the Colosseo, then headed for the Camp Dei Fiori, a piazza known for it's morning stalls of fruit, vegetables and other goods. We bought a huge beefsteak tomato for about 2eur then spent another 6 on three different types of meats, kalamata olives and some bread. We took the long way home (my mama taught me well) and had a makeshift picnic on the bed.
Oh, while we were at Campo Dei Fiori we also bought these cool spice/herb/dried vegetable mixes to take with us to our next stop. You use them by rehydrating them and then frying them off in oil & proceeding as per usual. SO cool & a great way to get a flavourful pasta sauce or pizza base! I can't wait to try them. I'm hoping to get at least one or two food posts while in Europe. (over at www.colpanna.com if you didn't already know)
This afternoon we browsed for a bit but there were a few overattentive staff that drove me (Liv) bonkers, I like to be able to shop in peace and not have a person follow me around, or dress me. My mama also taught me how to dress myself and I can do it ALL ON MY OWN! (the capitals are supposed to be said in a kid's voice, not a yelling voice, jsyk)
Tonight we're heading to a different local restaurant for dinner (Sticking to the rule of "don't visit the same place twice", we'll ignore the fact this is my third time in Rome). It'll be great I'm sure!!
Also, I've loaded a bunch of photos up on Flickr for you to check out. You'll be glad I filtered through some, there were almost 500!! But of course, because Flickr is a douche, they're not in any specific order. Vunderbar!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Roma
We managed to get here on an earlier flight, yay for an extra half day! Not so yay: 30 hours of flying.
Yesterday we visited the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Giolitti (the ice cream place). Funny how you can cram so much in when you're on holiday.
We drove past the Wedding Cake & Circo Massimo on the way in... That was enough for those ;)
Ice cream report: I had the limone, more (blackberry), a raspberry and I think that's all. It was a sorbet overload!! But delicious and refreshing.
Chris here! Despite Liv's protestations, I have to report that my icecream was by far superior. I sampled a sumptuous banana, delicious pistachio topped with a cool coconut and a dash of cream. Liv was WELL jealous. Oh yeah. Doin' the ice-cream-dance. Ahhhh.
Liv back! We've had some issues getting phone/internet access on our phones, but we've managed to at least get Italian phone numbers.
Chris: +39 3452383369
Liv: +39 3452385372
We've been taking lots of photos but haven't had much time to get them online. They're coming though, promise!
Ooh, this morning, because I couldn't sleep, I decided that Chris shouldn't either. So before 7 in the morning we headed down a very quiet Via Del Corso to check out the Trevi Fountain. It was amazing to take the whole thing in without it being overrun with people. The sound of the water flowing was thunderous, a really nice way to wake up.
The hotel comes with breakfast: win! So we filled up then headed to the Castle di San Angelo and St Peter's Basilica.
We then went in search of the Old Bridge Gelateria on the recommendation of Miss Amanada. However, no locals had any clue what we were talking about so we say she sent us on a WILD GOOSE CHASE!
We did, however, find the Mellenium Gelateria which was PERFECTLY timed to rescue us from sore feets and a blaring sun.
Liv had the: Zabaione (it tasted like booze, yum!), Rioccata a miele (I didn't particularly like this one), The Mellenium (sweet, creamy and delicioso) and the Meringue. Yes, a meringue ice cream. AWESOME. Pretty sure I won that round.
Chris here: "no comment"
Liv here: Chris had the mint (there were no chocolate chips!!) it was tasty but a little too.... minty?
This arvo we have been fighting jet lag and so are about to head off to get internets, monies, maybe some foods and then rest our piedi (feets) on the Spanish Steps.
Chris & Liv
Yesterday we visited the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and Giolitti (the ice cream place). Funny how you can cram so much in when you're on holiday.
We drove past the Wedding Cake & Circo Massimo on the way in... That was enough for those ;)
Ice cream report: I had the limone, more (blackberry), a raspberry and I think that's all. It was a sorbet overload!! But delicious and refreshing.
Chris here! Despite Liv's protestations, I have to report that my icecream was by far superior. I sampled a sumptuous banana, delicious pistachio topped with a cool coconut and a dash of cream. Liv was WELL jealous. Oh yeah. Doin' the ice-cream-dance. Ahhhh.
Liv back! We've had some issues getting phone/internet access on our phones, but we've managed to at least get Italian phone numbers.
Chris: +39 3452383369
Liv: +39 3452385372
We've been taking lots of photos but haven't had much time to get them online. They're coming though, promise!
Ooh, this morning, because I couldn't sleep, I decided that Chris shouldn't either. So before 7 in the morning we headed down a very quiet Via Del Corso to check out the Trevi Fountain. It was amazing to take the whole thing in without it being overrun with people. The sound of the water flowing was thunderous, a really nice way to wake up.
The hotel comes with breakfast: win! So we filled up then headed to the Castle di San Angelo and St Peter's Basilica.
We then went in search of the Old Bridge Gelateria on the recommendation of Miss Amanada. However, no locals had any clue what we were talking about so we say she sent us on a WILD GOOSE CHASE!
We did, however, find the Mellenium Gelateria which was PERFECTLY timed to rescue us from sore feets and a blaring sun.
Liv had the: Zabaione (it tasted like booze, yum!), Rioccata a miele (I didn't particularly like this one), The Mellenium (sweet, creamy and delicioso) and the Meringue. Yes, a meringue ice cream. AWESOME. Pretty sure I won that round.
Chris here: "no comment"
Liv here: Chris had the mint (there were no chocolate chips!!) it was tasty but a little too.... minty?
This arvo we have been fighting jet lag and so are about to head off to get internets, monies, maybe some foods and then rest our piedi (feets) on the Spanish Steps.
Chris & Liv
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Woohoo!
Hello,
Liv here, if you don't know me, then get off my blog. Not really, please, stick around. No, don't go. Stay. Please?
ANYWAY! My drop dead gorgeous boyfriend (Chris) and I are heading on an ice cream tour of Europe. Ok, that's not entirely true. We're going on a tour of Europe, I've decided to try the ice creams in all the different cities.
Our itinerary?
Rome, Italy
Porto Venere, Italy
Gruyeres, Switzerland
Hamburg, Germany
Krakow, Poland
Singapore, Singapore
It doesn't sound like much but it's going to be HOOGE! Whatevs. You're totally jealous and yes, I'm slightly delirious at this point. Caffeine & tiredness make for one cuh-rayzee lady!
I'll be updating here whenever I get the time, the aim is to eat the ice cream, not miss days because I'm cooped up in an internet cafe. I'm sure you get what I mean.
Chris says: *grunt* doughnut nom.
Yes, he's slightly delirious too. We make *quite* the pair at the moment. You totally *don't* wish you were us....I don't know, I can't keep up anymore.
I think I'll just go now.
Talk soon!!
Chris & Liv
Liv here, if you don't know me, then get off my blog. Not really, please, stick around. No, don't go. Stay. Please?
ANYWAY! My drop dead gorgeous boyfriend (Chris) and I are heading on an ice cream tour of Europe. Ok, that's not entirely true. We're going on a tour of Europe, I've decided to try the ice creams in all the different cities.
Our itinerary?
Rome, Italy
Porto Venere, Italy
Gruyeres, Switzerland
Hamburg, Germany
Krakow, Poland
Singapore, Singapore
It doesn't sound like much but it's going to be HOOGE! Whatevs. You're totally jealous and yes, I'm slightly delirious at this point. Caffeine & tiredness make for one cuh-rayzee lady!
I'll be updating here whenever I get the time, the aim is to eat the ice cream, not miss days because I'm cooped up in an internet cafe. I'm sure you get what I mean.
Chris says: *grunt* doughnut nom.
Yes, he's slightly delirious too. We make *quite* the pair at the moment. You totally *don't* wish you were us....I don't know, I can't keep up anymore.
I think I'll just go now.
Talk soon!!
Chris & Liv
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