Merry Christmas from Holland!

* We're a few posts behind on the holiday, but thought we would chuck in a video of our Christmas day...just because we can. We've got plenty of posts still to come, so make sure to check in again soon.


Merry Christmas!!

Monique's Grand Final

Monique has done the lion’s share (all) of navigating throughout our travels – partially because she loves it, and partially because if the responsibility was left to Daniel the consequences would be disastrous.

And she has done a sterling job. Right from our first stop in Dublin through to being without a GPS through all of Czech Republic, Slovenia and Croatia she has been (mostly) cool, calm and collected and we have hardly set a foot wrong.

Despite four months of practice, it seemed that Venice would be her greatest challenge yet. We had heard numerous warnings that ‘everyone gets lost in Venice’, and after looking at the map it was clear to see why. Venice’s streets were like a bowl of spaghetti – a nonsensical web of dead ends, piazzas, canals, and winding laneways without street names or numbers.

In sporting parlance, it is probably fair to say that while Monique got out of the blocks quickly, she was probably couple of goals down half way through second quarter, but kicked a late goal just before half time to go into the main break with some momentum.

While Monique would deny that we were ever ‘lost’, there were certainly a few moments where we didn’t exactly know where we were. The great irony is that we stopped to ask a few locals where we were and they had no idea either. 

Like a true champion, Monique eventually worked out where we were and regrouped. She came out after half time and dominated the premiership quarter. Full of confidence, she finished with wind in her sails, barely missing a turn, street or bridge. By the time the final siren sounded she was so far in front that she was able to enjoy some junk time* at the end and soak up the amazing atmosphere. It was a great way to finish her epic season.

Last stop - Venice

The last official stop of our holiday was Venice. Arriving in Venice was like stepping into some kind of surreal never-never land. It was quite unlike any other city that we had visited on our trip, which made it a nice way to finish up.

We stayed in a campsite on the mainland and had to catch a ferry across to the island. We spent two days exploring Venice’s enchanting labyrinth of laneways and canals. Aside from being extremely expensive and full of tourists, it was an amazing city with an incredible atmosphere.

We walked ourselves to the point exhaustion which, while tiring, was a satisfying way to finish up. We spent our last night at a quirky hostel so that we could soak up as much of the night time atmosphere as possible. It was very surreal that after months of planning and four months of travelling we were just about done.   

Be prepared to feel hungry - Tuscan Cooking Class

We’ve made reference a few times over the course of the trip that various things have been highlights. Well, we are not overstating things to say that the Tuscan Cooking Class we did is an absolute highlight, and something that we will both take with us for the rest of our lives.

The course was based at a hotel just outside the Tuscan town of Lucca and was run by a charming, hilarious and talented local chef. Thanks to the low season we were lucky to have only one other participant in the class, which meant lots of hands on attention for us.

It was a cold and rainy day outside so we were very happy to be tucked up inside the warm Tuscan kitchen getting our hands delightfully dirty making the following dishes:

 

Antipasti  - Appetisers

Panzanella - Tuscan Bread Salad

Crostini ai fegatini – Bread Croutons with chicken liver and capers pate

Crostini alle Melanzane – Bread Croutons with baked eggplant topping

Primi – First Course

Tortelli di vedura Lucchese -  Vegetable ravioli

Ragu alla Lucchese – aromatic Ragu (meat sauce)

Secondi – Main course

Arista di Maiale alla Toscana – Roast Loin of Pork with herb and pancetta crust

Patate Arrosto – Roast Potatoes

Dolci – Desserts

Cantuccini di Prato – Biscotti from Prato dipped in Vino santo

We made everything from scratch and learnt a whole range of new skills. It was great to get a first hand insight into authentic Italian cooking which is simple, robust, fresh and aromatic…and so so delicious!

Significantly, we also got to make fresh pasta. For all those people out there with pasta makers sitting in the back of a cupboard collecting dust – shame on you! Take heart and be inspired! Dust off your pasta makers and give it a go – it is far quicker than we thought, incredibly simple, and oh so rewarding. Imagine spending a cold Sunday afternoon rolling your handmade pasta whilst a pot of delicious aromatic ragu simmers on the stovetop…what could be better? For those still not feeling inspired, we will be giving you a call when we get home to borrow your pasta maker :)

At the end of our fabulous lesson we got to sit down and eat a long and leisurely lunch enjoying the fruits of our labour with some perfectly matched Chianti wines with our fellow classmate and the brilliant Chef Paolo. It was a wonderful day.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Pisa exceeded our expectations. The Leaning Tower is more than just a tower…it has a presence and an aura that took us by surprise. It really is captivating. It seems to defy the laws of physics. We found ourselves just staring at it, trying to work it out.

We had heard mixed reviews about Pisa – most people seem to say that aside from the tower, there really isn’t much to do there. We think that those reviewers are wrong, and are ignoring the endless hours of entertainment that can be had by watching fellow tourists pose for ridiculous perspective photos that include trying to hug the tower, push it over, hold it up, kick it, or hold it in their hand etc etc. It is thoroughly amusing watching people stand in ludicrous poses while their partner takes a photo, then run over to check the results, then go back and do it all again with a minute adjustment. Very entertaining.  

More words about Florence

Apparently there has been more written about Florence than any other Italian city.

We will now add some more to that vast body of work.

Aside from being famous for it’s stunning cityscape, Florence is also renowned as being the birthplace of the Renaissance.

Some quick art history…the Renaissance is the ‘rebirth’ or ‘reawakening’ of Greek and Roman culture, which by AD1400 had been dozing for almost a thousand years. When Rome fell, the Christians turned their back on the classical culture which they associated with paganism. For the next thousand years, artists focused on God and the afterlife (or depicted the horrors of hell to scare people into behaving), rather than celebrating the finer sides of life enjoyed by the Greeks and Romans. During the Renaissance, classical culture made nearly a complete comeback. Interestingly, a key feature of the Renaissance was the invention (thanks to a door designing contest) of Linear Perspective which for the first time enabled artists to give their work infinite depth.

It is bizarre to think that in year 7 when you are learning to draw buildings or blocks of chocolate you are using a method invented by the fathers of the Renaissance 600 years earlier.

Anyway…we indulged in all things Renaissance by strolling through the world famous Uffizi Gallery where we got to see the spectatcular Prima Vera and The Birth of Venus before checking out the famous doors. 

Tuscan villages

Whilst the countryside in Tuscany was amazing, its beauty was completed by the quaint old towns and villages that were dotted among its hills.

Over the space of a few days we got to see Bagno Vignoni’s thermal baths, Siena’s candy-striped cathedral, the tiny walled village of Monteriggioni, the medieval high rises of San Gimignano, and Montepulciano, which for those who are interested, is the town where Twilight New Moon was filmed*.

It was great to see in each of the villages numerous authentic craftsman still practicing old arts such as mosaic, pottery, leather work and traditional wood work.

Tuscany also revealed to us a different type of craft – that of cooking. Whilst delicatessens in Australia typically sell high-priced ‘gourmet’ food, in Tuscany delis replace supermarkets and sell an abundance of fresh and locally made pastas, sauces, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Our mouths were permanently watering.

Yes, we did give in – how could we not? We had a delicious lunch in a 19^th century tearoom where we enjoyed a plate of the regional Pici pasta with the local Ragu recipe, as well as bruschetta brushed with olive oil and garlic, washed down with a glass of Chianti wine. Yum yum.

*No, we did not know this in advance, and never intended to mention Twilight for a second time on our blog. With this said, Monique did seize the opportunity to do a self-guided walking tour using a special New Moon tourist map kindly provided by the town’s tourist information centre. Yes, we did get to see every key location….thank goodness for that map.

Tuscan countryside

We continued north and spent a week or so exploring the region of Tuscany, famous for it’s classic Italian villages, gorgeous countryside and quintessentially traditional cooking.

We drove through the famous Chianti and Val D’Orcia wine regions and were blown away by how beautiful the area was. It was quite unlike anything that we have ever seen. We could hardly imagine such perfectly gentle rolling hills. To look at, their texture was almost like a silk sheet that had been gently dropped on a bed without being smoothed out. The perfection of scenery completed with a thin smattering of medieval villages, the occasional farm house, and perfectly aligned rows of Tuscan trees. 

Hadrian's Villa

We drove just outside of Rome to Tivoli to check out another archeological ruin – Hadrian’s Villa.

Essentially, the Roman Emperor Hadrian built this villa – the size of the entire city of Pompeii – because he wasn’t happy with his existing palace in Rome. He used it has a glorified holiday house before moving there permanently during the later years of his reign. He then continued to rule The Holy Roman Empire….using the postal service. 

The most stylish police force in the world?

One thing that we have noticed about Rome is that it is a very stylish place. Everyone seems to be kitted out in that latest fashion (which in Europe happens to be shiny puffy jackets, workman boots and rolled up chinos).

The Italian police force is no exception.

The stock uniform features a fetching white leather belt, sash and gun holster, typically accompanied by aviators. The more important officers sport a dashing red stripe down the leg of their pants and particularly swanky hats. The traffic officers (sadly not pictured) look resplendent in grey trousers and jackets with pink stripes and detailing.

We’re not sure if there are the most functional uniforms in the world, but fashion always comes at a price. 

When in Rome...get into the Vatican for free...

As with the Lourve, we were lucky enough to be in Rome on the last Sunday of the month, which meant we were able to get into the Vatican Museum for free.

It turned out that everyone else in Rome had the same idea.

The Sistine Chapel was breathtaking. While it is such a clichéd image, Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam was awe inspiring – a true work of genius.

Apparently painting the 68-foot-high ceiling the size of a basket ball court was a job that Michelangelo never wanted. In a poem written at the time, Michelangelo complained: “My loins have moved into my guts/as counterweight, I stick my bum out like a horse’s rump…I bend backward like a Syrian bow…”

We’re glad that he stuck at it.

When in Rome...explore the Colosseum and the Forum

It was amazing to see the Colosseum up close and in the flesh. It was one of the few attractions or monuments where all you can say is ‘Wow’ when you first lay eyes on it.

It really is an incredible symbol of how powerful and advanced the Romans were. Designed to seat about 60,000 spectators – more than Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium for some perspective – they have recently discovered that the Romans were able to flood the arena to stage mock naval battles. Incredible.

The tragedy is that they estimate around 500,000 people and 1 million animals died there.

The Forum was also very interesting. As with Pompeii, it was fascinating to get an insight into everyday life from 2000 years ago. 

When in Rome…check out the view from St Peter’s dome

Without doubt one of the most impressive cathedrals that we have visited on the trip is St. Peter’s Basilica. It is quite amazing, particularly Michelangelo’s work on the dome.

We decided to go up to the top of the dome so that we could enjoy the stunning 360-degree view of Rome. The stairs up to the top were a particularly narrow passageway sloped around on a bizarre angle following the roof of the dome. It was all too claustrophobic for one tourist who was left bawling her eyes out in a corner. 

When in Rome...drink lots of coffee and eat lots of gelato

We crammed a lot into our time in Rome…a lot of coffee and gelato that is.

It would be remiss of us not to. 

The gelato was amazing. One particularly good gelateria that we visited was San Crispino which had beautiful fresh seasonal flavours, served in a cup and not a cone to keep the taste as authentic as possible. We enjoyed scrumptious scoops of ginger and cinnamon, honey and cream, chocolate meringue, pistachio and chocolate rum.

The coffee was also quite good. For the coffee aficionados out there, it is nowhere near as good as Melbourne’s, but it is a shining light compared with the rest of Europe. The Romans drink their coffee standing up at the bar, served by baristas wearing suits and bowties. As much as anything, it was a fun cultural experience.   

All roads lead to Rome

From Naples we commenced our long drive north that will ultimately lead us back to where we started in Lille. But first, Rome!

We were excited about seeing Rome. We had heard and read a lot about it’s rich history and culture, excellent food, and vibrant lanes, piazzas and alleyways.

The reality was every bit as good as the reputation.

We spent four days cramming in as much of Rome as we possibly could. We were exhausted by the end, but we loved every minute of it.

Mt. Vesuvius

We finished things off in Naples by visiting Mt. Vesuvius – the volcano that was responsible for the end of Pompeii in 79AD, and last erupted in 1944. It is the world’s most dangerous active volcano with an estimated 600,000 people living within a 12km radius, and a further 2 million just up the road in Naples.

They think that the shape of the volcano would have changed dramatically over the years with each eruption, so the version that we saw would most likely be very different to that which buried Pompeii.

It was amazing to peer over the edge and into the massive crater and see steam rising up from the magna chamber some 8kms below. 

The Secret Room

Being well fed on pizza, we headed to Naples’ National Archeological Museum, primarily to see the artifacts that had been found at Pompeii.

It was a great museum. The 2000-year-old frescoes, mosaics and statues were amazing.

Particularly amusing was the museum’s ‘Secret Room’ – an exhibit containing raunchy and risqué sculptures, frescoes and artwork that had been recovered from Pompeii. We were quite shocked at what we saw….our innocent minds were being corrupted. Any further description will be beyond the family friendly rating of this blog! 

Mayhem and our quest for the best pizza in the world

We headed into Naples on a rickety old train. We were on a mission to find the best pizza in the world. Naples is the home of pizza after all, so we were confident.

Arriving in Naples was mind blowing. Nothing could have prepared us for the chaos that we would encounter. The Lonely Planet describes Naples as a ‘raucous hell-broth of a city…loud, anarchic, dirty and edgy.’

On each front, that is probably an understatement.  It was crazy. The traffic was like Paris on drugs. Crossing the street with the green man was a step in faith. It made us feel uneasy, but in an alive kind of way.

Back to the pizza.

Unlike the rest of our trip, we did our research. The consensus seemed to be that ‘Pizzeria da Michele’ was the best bet. After asking for directions four times, we finally arrived. It wasn’t much to look at – no frills, fancy signage or table cloths – but a throng of locals lining up to get in was surely a good sign.

After fifteen minutes we were seated. We quickly scoured the menu. Our options were simple: Margherita (tomato, olive oil, mozzarella and basil) or Marinara (tomato, olive oil, garlic and oregano). We ordered one of each.

We waited expectantly for our fabled EUR4 pizzas to arrive. The atmosphere in the pizzeria was making us hungry.

When our pizzas arrived we wasted no time digging in. The flavours were fresh, simple, well defined….and so so tasty.

Which leaves that obvious question …was this the best pizza in the world?

At first, we weren’t so sure. Back home neither of us would ever choose to order a Margherita, so it took us a while to adjust to the simple flavours. As we ate though, we quickly found ourselves enjoying every mouth full more and more. It was unlike any pizza we have ever eaten.

We have since had quite a few pizzas in Italy – and whilst all (bar one horrible exception) have been delicious - none have come close to this one.

So, we return to the question. It is probably too big a statement to say that this was the best pizza in the world – making such a call would require another trip around the world and a blog of its own. What we do know is that if ever find ourselves in Italy again we will be heading straight to loud, anarchic and dirty Naples and directly to Pizzeria da Michele.

Welcome to Italy – first stop Pompeii

We caught an overnight ferry from Split to Ancona in Italy and then made the long drive down to Naples (refer to ‘Where in the world…’ for some perspective). We arrived late in the afternoon and did nothing. We were exhausted.

The next morning we headed straight for Pompeii. For Monique this was a huge moment, having been fascinated by Pompeii’s tragic story and history for many years.

Some very brief history – Pompeii was a thriving commercial Roman city when in 79AD the volcano of Mt. Vesuvius erupted and covered the town in six meters of ash and volcanic rock.

We spent the entire day wandering through the enormous excavated site. It was fascinating to see a complete and vivid picture of society and daily life from two thousand years ago, frozen at the very point that the volcano erupted.

The city had everything. Theatres, temples, council buildings, villas, pedestrian crossings, fast food outlets, public baths, bakeries, running water, heating, and brothels (some interesting frescoes on those walls!). Many of the buildings still have well preserved mosaics, fountains, frescoes, tiled floors and statues. One house even had a floor mosaic at the front door of an angry black dog with the words ‘Cave canem’ – translated to ‘Beware of the dog’.

Mt. Vesuvius erupted without warning so the residents of Pompeii had no chance of escape or survival. They were trapped in a rainfall of pumice and ash. Over time their bodies decomposed, but the cavities that had hardened around them remained perfectly intact.

When a 19^th century archeologist discovered this he poured liquid plaster into the cavities. The technique created over a thousand whole body casts of Pompeian men, women, children, and animals, captured at the exact moment of their deaths. It is truly heartbreaking to see the shape of another human lying prostrate, desperately trying to cover their mouths to avoid being suffocated, but to no avail. Similarly, seeing perfectly preserved expressions of terror, fear and pain etched into the faces of the victims is chilling.   

A rare sunset

For some reason we haven’t really had many great sunsets on our journey so far. Maybe it’s been the time of year, or maybe we just haven’t been in the right place at the right time.

Anyway, on the drive from Dubrovnik back to Split to catch the ferry to Italy, we got a beauty. It turned the whole ocean and all the mountains pink – a nice way to finish up in Croatia.

As a very brief closing comment on Croatia, it has been a fantastic and thoroughly worthwhile experience. The country is wonderfully diverse, authentic, and is stunningly beautiful. It has been quite eye opening to see so many living reminders of the long-term impact that war has on local communities.

Five stars.  

Twilight - A truly cultural experience

Yes, that’s right folks, Twilight: Breaking Dawn.

It was quite by chance that we stumbled across a cinema on Saturday night in Dubrovnik that was showing the film, released just a few days earlier. Monique begged Daniel, and being the good husband that he is, decided that he would graciously accompany her to see the film. For the equivalent of AUD$4.5, it was hard to say no.

We took our seats and soon realized that if somebody was to graph the ages of everyone in the cinema, we would be statistically significant outliers. It was us and every 13-year-old from the west coast of Croatia.

And boy were they excited.

When the film started it was like being at the opening bounce of the AFL Grand Final. An almighty, high-pitched scream of excitement filled the cinema, and was then followed by loud, pre-pubescent chatter, giggling and discussion for the next two hours. Being an English film with Croatian subtitles, it seemed that the locals were quite content to read along, and were not too concerned with the two aging Australians who had no idea what going on.

This was indeed a truly cultural experience. Forget about the opera in Salzburg, a cinema full of screaming 13 year olds in Dubrovnik is as good as it gets. 


Oh, and as for the video, turn your speakers up and repeat for two hours. 

Dubrovnik

From Hvar we caught the ferry back to the mainland of Croatia and continued heading south to Dubrovnik. There were no campsites open which would have been annoying but for Monique finding a guesthouse that was cheaper than most campsites that we’ve been staying in. A huge win for us.

Feeling well rested and rejuvenated after putting our feet up in Hvar, we hit Dubrovnik with much enthusiasm. It would be hard not to. Dubrovnik is an amazing city – it’s marbled streets, terracotta roofs, narrow laneways and stunning city wall overlooking the Adriatic are immediately captivating.

Highlights for us included a boat trip around the wall and the outer island, gelati, walking the city wall, and Twilight…

Island paradise - Hvar

From Split we headed south and took a short ferry ride across to the island paradise Hvar. Sitting just off the coast of Croatia, Hvar has been voted as being in the most beautiful islands in the world. We haven’t been to too many islands other than Hvar, but it is hard to imagine too many beating it.

The main town sits on a hill overlooking the small boat-filled harbor with the most perfectly crystal clear water imaginable. The town is flanked by a series of smaller islands that form a gorgeous backdrop.   

With no campsites being open on the island we indulged in a guesthouse with a terrific view. We spent the bulk of our time on the island enjoying the sun, eating long lunches, taking long walks, and reading on the promenade. Happy days. 

Diocletian's Palace

With the magnificent Croatian sun still shining we explored Split’s city centre - also known as Diocletian’s Palace.

The Roman Emperor Diocletian built the palace in preparation for his retirement in 305AD. After the Romans abandoned the site, the Palace remained empty for a few hundred years. In the 7th century local villagers fled to the palace to avoid the invading barbarians. Ever since, they have made themselves rather comfortable, making their homes and businesses within the palace basement and directly in its walls.

It has been preserved remarkably well, and now it is the historical old town of Split. It was quite bizarre thinking that what was once the epitome of Roman luxury is now filled with fast food outlets and café’s.

It is so beautiful, that not for the first time, we shook our head in amazement and wondered ‘do people actually live here?’ 

Salona

We kicked things off in The Adriatic by gleefully tucking our thermals, beanies, gloves and fleeces away in the depths of the van.

Breakfast consisted of dusting off the camping chairs and enjoying our bowl of cornflakes by the water in the radiant morning sun.

Feeling alive, we set of to see the ruins of the ancient city Salona. Once a thriving city, it was destroyed by the Romans in 614AD. Now, the ruins sit in amongst the suburbs of Split. It was bizarre yet wonderful to watch local families out on a Sunday afternoon kicking a soccer ball around the ruins of a 1500-year-old amphitheatre.  

A day of two extremes Part 2 – The Adriatic

As we continued south towards Split from the Plitvice Lakes it was remarkable how quickly the landscape changed. The area surrounding the Plitvice Lakes was quite lush, green and forested, but it wasn’t long before the terrain changed to being dry, harsh and arid. For the South Africans out there, Monique described it as being quite ‘Pilanesberg-esque’.

As we kept heading south we made our way over a mountain range and as we came over the top we soon saw the magnificent sparkling blue waters of the Adriatic. It was a magnificent sight. Equally as magnificent was watching the thermometer on the car. It wasn’t long before we saw it hit a very balmy 17 degrees.

We stopped off at the coastal town of Sibenik to watch the sunset (which is now happening at about 4:30pm each day) before continuing on to Split. We were right in the middle of a classically Dalmatian town – stone houses with terracotta roofs situated on a hillside in a bay overlooking the ocean.

We had to pinch ourselves. It is almost hard to image such a diverse day.

A day of two extremes Part 1 –the Plitvice Lakes

We kicked things off in Croatia by visiting the UNESCO protected Plitvice Lakes. There were no campsites open in the area so we booked a guesthouse. It was a good thing that we did because it was a particularly cold night.

We arrived at the Lakes at 9am and the car was telling us that it was 0.5 degrees, but we think it was exaggerating. It was proper cold. We employed our full warmth strategy of thermals, fleece, jackets, beanies, scarves and gloves and we were still freezing.

Not to be deterred, we set off to see the lakes. The best way of describing them is to imagine a massive champagne waterfall. Essentially, the area is a series of 16 lakes, each creating a plateau that creates a waterfall down to the next lake which then plateaus before creating a waterfall down to the next lake, and so on and so on. There were literally thousands of waterfalls ranging in size and intensity from small little trickles dropping over stones, to a raging 100-meter torrents. It was an amazing sensory experience with birds chirping, schools of fish swimming in the crystal clear water and the constant noise of the water skipping over rocks. The place felt alive.

It was one of the most incredible natural wonders that we have ever seen. It’s magnificence is hard to describe, and it’s scale hard to capture in photos.

Almost frozen, we finished up at about 1pm and began our drive south to our next stop, Split. We hadn’t gone far when we saw that the trees in the forest had started to freeze which created a beautiful white canopy over the forest.