In Brugge

After spending a wonderful day and half with Bert we drove to Brugge.

Brugge truly lived up to it’s reputation as being one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We have quickly learnt that the best time to see a city is early in the morning. On this occasion we arrived before 9am on a Sunday and were rewarded with beautiful light, empty streets, and pristinely still canals yielding perfectly clear reflections.

We spent the whole day soaking up the amazing atmosphere in the city. We took a boat tour through the canals, sampled Belgian waffles, enjoyed a beer overlooking the swans on the water, and visited many chocolate shops.

The chocolate in Brugge - and all of Belgium for that matter – was divine. So much so that even Daniel, who would normally be much happier with a cheese platter, found himself indulging.

The only slight downside to an otherwise gorgeous city was the rather unpleasant waft of sewerage which tended to overpower the much more pleasant scent of hot waffles and chocolates. We have discovered that this problem is not isolated to Brugge, and that it seems to be a bit of an issue throughout the old towns of Belgium. Never mind...it was worth it!

Brussels with Bert

Feeling greatly recharged, the three of us made our way into Brussels. The clear highlight is the Grand Plas – a truly stunning town square featuring buildings from the 1600s that have been painted gold, and feature stone carved gargoyles staring ominously at passers by.

The other key tourist attraction, albeit slightly bizarre, is Manneke Pis – a small water fountain of a little boy doing a wee. There was a huge crowd of people standing around taking photos, so of course we joined in. As I’m sure you can imagine, the souvenirs in the surrounding shops were quite unique!

We also managed to find his female counterpart hidden away down a dingy laneway….a little girl named Jaenneke Pis squatting, also doing a wee. Thankfully, we didn’t find any corresponding souvenirs!

We have had an amazing time on our trip so far, but it was truly a blessing to see a beloved face and spend some quality time with Dad.

Catching up with Dad

A fantastic coincidence resulted in us being in Brussels at the same time as Monique’s dad for a whole 24 hours. He had been in Europe on business for the past two weeks.

He completely spoilt us by booking us a room in his hotel, plus treating us to a delicious dinner and breakfast. After a month of hostelling, and still recovering from the shock of our cozy campervan, arriving at the hotel was like being a kid at Christmas time. The clean, crisp sheets, free mini bar, sparkling bathroom, cloud-like mattress, and distinct lack of musty towel smell left us dizzy with excitement.

We spent the evening catching up over a fantastic Italian meal while Dad and Daniel sampled some Belgian beer.

We were up bright and early the next morning to set about seeing Brussels. While it was an early start, the blow was softened by a magnificent buffet breakfast. Things taste so much better when they come in miniature hotel-sized containers. Thanks to Dad, we get to continue enjoying mini hotel breakfast products – he may or may not have smuggled out a few items each morning for the week he was staying in the hotel, handing over to us a giant bag of tiny breakfast treats – now affectionately referred to as ‘The Loot Bag’.   

While all of this was fantastic, the overwhelming highlight was seeing Dad. 

Gent (Like ‘Tent’, but with a guttural ‘G’)

To avoid driving the van into Gent, and thus not risking our lives on road, we decided to catch the bus.

As has become our custom, we found a tourist information brochure so that we could do some reading about Gent and it’s attractions before we arrived. We were quite intrigued as to what we would find when we read the very first line in the brochure….’The people of Gent are headstrong and obstinate. If this was not something that we were proud of, then we would be offended.’

Despite this potentially ominous warning, we knew that we were going to be in for a good day – the moment that we sighted the centre of town we literally gasped at its beauty. We were immediately struck by the distinct Belgian architecture and the gorgeous canals snaking through the city.

We wandered around the meandering cobble-stoned streets for a few hours and then enjoyed some typically fantastic Belgian beer and friet sitting in the glorious sun by the canal.

It was a great way to kick off things on the other side of the channel. And thankfully, despite their warning to the contrary, the people of Gent were lovely.  

INSERT BLOG NAME HERE

(More photos to come)

We arrived in Lille full of excitement and anticipation as we picked up our home for the next three months – the campervan! Before long, we had filled in the requisite paperwork and we were on our way. At this point, we thought our next blog post title would be ‘Our new home’.

Our excitement, however, quickly dissolved and turned into fear and confusion…WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE DOING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD?!?!

Learning to drive on the right hand side of the road is one of the more difficult things we have ever done. Everything feels upside-down and back-to-front. We almost had a head on collision, side swiped an unsuspecting cyclist and ran into some parked cars….and that was all before we’d left the campervan depot!

It was at this point that we thought a more apt blog post title would be ‘Dazed and confused’

Not to be deterred, we soldiered on to our first destination – Gent in Belgium. Monique was very supportive while Daniel was driving, serenading him with Beyonce’s hit To the Left whenever we started drifting off the road. Less helpful was when she exclaimed: ‘I don’t want to distract you, but there’s a giant naked man on the side of the road’. While Queensland has The Big Pineapple, it turns out that Belgium has ‘The Big, Middle Aged, Balding, Overweight Naked Guy’.

We arrived at the campsite after making a (not so) quick detour via Ikea and the supermarket for supplies and started preparing dinner. It had been a beautifully warm and sunny day, but the moment the sun started going down it got very cold, very damp, very quickly.

Due to the oh-so-quaint size of the van, all the cooking, food preparation, bed making and general tidying needs to be done while standing outside. We quickly cast our minds forward a couple of months…to Germany in the middle of December.

Upon this realization, we felt that the most appropriate name for this blog post was ‘Whose idea was this anyway?’

You can choose.  

Musings on London

London is an incredibly city. There is no doubt that it has an intensity, energy and aura that make it special. We felt captured by it as soon as we first hit the street. Everything seems to buzz by at a million miles an hour. 

The tube is a revelation. Again, to quote Bill Bryson’s Notes from a Small Island:

I turned my attention to the greatest of all civilities: the London Underground Map. What a piece of perfection it is, created in 1931 by a forgotten hero named Harry Beck, an out-of-work draftsman who realized that when you are underground it doesn’t matter where you are. Beck saw – and what an intuitive stroke this was – that as long as the stations were presented in their right sequence with their interchanges clearly delineated, he could freely distort scale, indeed abandon it altogether. He gave his map the orderly precision of an electrical wiring system, and in so doing created an entirely new, imaginary London that has very little to do with the disorderly geography of the city above.

All this despite it being unpleasantly hot and feeling like you need a shower when you return to the surface due to the dirty air. Monique was in her element navigating us from one end of London to the other with a little map constantly at hand. She is also quite enamored by the very quaint and peculiar station names, including: Chalk Farm, Tooting Broadway, Wapping, Elephant and Castle, Headstone Lane, Swiss Cottage, and Totteridge and Whetstone!

As we sign off on the UK, the first three and a half weeks of our trip and been beyond our wildest expectations. At the same time it feels like it has gone by in a flash, and yet life in Melbourne feels like a lifetime ago. We have seen some truly beautiful places and learnt a thing or two about life in hostels. We are now looking forward with great expectation to what lies ahead. We pick up our campervan in France tomorrow and the fun will start again from there. 

London as a tourist

                                             

Our very social time in London continued as our friend Tanya arrived for a whirlwind 30-hour stopover. We did our best to cram as much classic London touristy stuff into this time as humanly possible…Picadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Tower of London, Harrods, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park and the London Eye (sore?). 

The overwhelming highlight, however, was seeing Les Miserables at the Queens Theatre. This is Monique’s all time favorite story – she can recite every word and lyric by heart – and she was enraptured. Tanya, however, was heavily jetlagged and may have dozed off a few times, and Daniel was continually referring to the synopsis so he could work out what the heck was happening. It was a great night!

London as a (pseudo) local

Arriving in London was amazing. We quickly navigated our way through the complex – yet incredibly simple – maze that is the Underground, arriving at Archway to meet Monique’s South African friend Sam and her husband Shaun. 

We stayed with them for three nights and loved spending some quality time with them after four years. We almost felt like locals as we took a strolled through Camden Market, had a big night out in the East End and went to the Thames Festival, which featured a cultural parade and fireworks.

The good times continued to roll as the next night we caught up with Monique’s boss Mandy and her husband. We had a couple of drinks at a lovely pub in Kensington and then they treated us to a delicious curry in Earls Court. They did well to avoid talking about too much about work while on holidays :)

From Skye back to Edinburgh

After thoroughly enjoying our time exploring the Isle of Skye we gradually made our way back to Edinburgh. It was a fairly quiet but relaxing few days. A few points…

• Enjoyed driving through some very small, old, and quaint Scottish villages
• May have added to the rich history of sightings at Loch Ness
• Monique enjoyed using the beautifully clean and well equipped kitchen at the Caputh Hostel
• Saw Stirling Castle which proved to be a great insight into the extravagance and opulence of Medieval life. Also while at Stirling Castle, we randomly bumped into Monique’s sister-in-law’s cousins. What a small world!
• Took a very interesting tour through ‘Mary King’s Close’ – a series of underground laneways that were a thriving part of Edinburgh in the 1700s, but have since been built over

This concludes the Scotland leg of our journey. Again, we have been extremely lucky with weather with only one or two days of rain. Great times.

Next stop London.

Haggis, Neepes and Tatties

After a long day of driving around the Isle of Skye, we decided that we would go to the pub for dinner. This afforded Daniel the opportunity to put his money where his mouth is, and try some Haggis. This was a bit of a risk given that Monique had made it quite clear that if it was disgusting, Daniel wasn’t getting any of her chips!

For those who don’t know, Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish containing a sheep's heart, liver and lungs, and simmered in the animals stomach lining for three hours.

Overall, it is fair to say that the experience was worthwhile. The Skye Pub served it with Neeps (Turnips) and Tatties (Potatoes). The Haggis tasted a bit like mince, but with more spice. Daniel didn’t gag, and didn’t need any of Monique’s chips.

Three stars. 

Half a day as an ant

Following on from the Fairy Glen we proceeded to head north through the Isle of Skye. Again on the good advice of the hostel managers in Portnalong, we drove inland rather than continuing along the coast.

We wound our way through some fairly barren terrain before suddenly we went over a hill and it was like we had reached the end of the earth. It was almost as though we had stepped into a set from the Lord of the Rings with 360-degree views of the most magnificent mountains, sprawling lowlands and oceans as far as the eye could see.

There was a walking track through the mountain range, which was fantastic. We sat at the top and felt so small and insignificant compared with the awe-inspiring terrain that lay before us. It was a bizarre feeling – in the space of a few hours we had gone from feeling like giants to ants. 

Half a day as a giant

We got a wonderful tip from the hostel managers in Portnalong, Skye.

We were explaining to the manager that we were planning on driving up to the north of Skye and she suggested that we take a right down an unnamed road just over the hill before we get to the town of Uig. There, she said, we would find a Faerie Glen or ‘Miniature Scotland’.

Intrigued, off we went and sure enough just as she described, there was an unnamed road to the right just over the hill before we reached Uig.

We drove down the road and to our amazement, ‘Miniature Scotland’ revealed itself before our eyes. Everything was miniature – trees, mountains, hills, cliffs, lochs, mountain streams and waterfalls. Apparently geologists are mystified by the area and the truly unique land formations.

   

Monique has always been open to belief in whimsical creatures….Daniel not so much. But if there is anywhere on earth that fairies live, this is the place.

We had the most wonderful time exploring this fascinating area. We literally felt like giants as we wandered through the tiny hills and valleys, scaled mountains in just a few minutes, stooped under trees and stepped across flowing rivers. We experienced a rare moment of childhood as our imaginations ran wild. 

Near death experience

From Fort William we continued north to the Isle of Skye. We had a wonderful day driving the picturesque island when with great excitement we stumbled across a herd of highland cows meandering unchaperoned down the road.

As overly excited tourists, we promptly pulled over and jumped out of the car, firing off a thousand shots a minute trying to capture a postcard-perfect picture of these incredible animals. They casually trundled on past us down the road, so we jumped back in the car, did a u-turn and drove back in front them to keep shooting.

Again, we got out of the car to try and get the best possible vantage point. As they stampeded (casually strolled) towards us, Daniel made the smart (scared) decision to get back in the drivers seat while Monique, with her head entrenched in the camera, did not see that she had been surrounded on all sides by the oncoming, enormous, dreadlocked, horned wild beasts (friendly farm animals). Call us ignorant tourists, but we just weren’t sure if their horns could gore us to death if provoked.

So there Daniel sat in the comfort and safety of the car with his dear, unfortunate wife standing outside trembling in fear and terror, unable to get back in the car as there were rather menacing looking cows standing in the way, staring suspiciously at her.

Luckily, Monique wasn’t trampled to death, the cows got bored of us and waddled on to the next patch of grass.

It turns out that highlands cows don’t require the same level of fear and respect as African elephants!

The Highlands

From Edinburgh, we set off to see the Scottish outback, or as they prefer to call it, the Highlands. We again decided that it was more economical to trade the luxury of coach touring for a hire car, and with it greater flexibility.

Before long, the city was far behind us and we were very much in the Highlands. We drove past Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Scotland and Glencoe, a beautiful valley. Running mountain streams and serene Lochs were everywhere.

We stayed the night at a hostel in Fort William and went to a pub where three young locals held a ‘Ceilidh’ – a 'Gaelic informal social gathering at which there is music, singing, dancing and storying telling'. They told us about Highland history, played the bagpipes, fiddle, tin whistle, piano accordion, and taught us some Highlands dance moves. Daniel is convinced that the dances were derived while sitting round one night with a few pints thinking of ways to make tourists embarrass themselves – but it was heaps of fun nonetheless!

The Highlands are gorgeous. Monique is currently reading Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson and the following quote beautifully sums up the scenery:

For miles around the hills rolled and billowed, like a shaken-out blanket settling on a bed. Country lanes wandered among plump hedgerows, farmsteads and creamy flecks of sheep. In the distance the sea, bright and vast and silvery blue, stretched away to a mountain of tumbling cumulus.

Trading the fiddle for bagpipes

We arrived in Edinburgh and discovered that it is decidedly more hilly that Ireland. We learnt this the hard way whilst trying to find our hostel, which just happened to be up the steepest hill on the far side of the city, all while carrying our bourgeoning packs.

We spent the afternoon slumped on the couch.

The next day we set out to see Edinburgh. A few points…

• We visited Edinburgh castle, a magnificent castle perched up on a hill overlooking the city. The yearly military tattoo was on while were there, so it was quite busy.
• Tartan is the new black.
• We have a new appreciation for the bagpipes. Their drone is inescapable in the city – there are buskers on every street corner.
• Monique found ‘the coolest shop in the world’ – a modern twist on tartan. Thank goodness for our rigid budgetary restrictions…Daniel doesn’t have to see Monique kitted out in tartan, but luckily for Monique, there is an online store :)

Tanks Ireland, it's been grand!

And so concludes the first leg of our journey. We have loved Ireland, it’s beautiful country side, amazing weather and wonderful people.

A few observations...

1. You know you’re in Ireland when the signs are in Gaelic first and English second

2. The people are incredible. A taxi driver took the time to draw us a map, shake our hand and wish us well

3. There are almost more tractors on country roads than cars

4. Guinness is more accessible than water

5. If it’s even possible, B&Bs are more ubiquitous than Guinness

6. Colour television is a key advertising point for B&Bs in the country

7. Villages are made up of wonderfully colourful shopfronts and cottages, with flowers adorning every window, roundabout and lampposts

Now its on to Scotland. Looking forward to some Haggis!

Skellig Michael

Way back in April when we were starting to think about our trip we saw a picture in a book of some 'beehive' styled stone ruins on a remote island in the middle of nowhere. Our jaws dropped and we both said we have to go there!

Well, it turns out that this amazing place we saw a picture of was a UNESCO World Heritage listed site called Skellig Michael, accessible only by a nauseating, stomach-churning 45-minute boat trip off the coast of the Ring of Kerry.

We ummed and aahed about whether or not to go given it was a tad more expensive than our humble budget would comfortable allow, but we eventually decided that it’s not everyday you’re in a position to see such a remarkable place.

We set off in the morning and during the course of the boat trip the clouds burnt away and the day became sunny and glorious….rare for Ireland! As we putted along, the island gradually came into focus. What started off looking like a shard of glass poking out of the ocean revealed a steep, rocky and majestic island.

We disembarked from the boat and began our ascent to the top. Where in Australia, such an experience would have been preceded by an hour-long safety video and numerous disclaimer forms, here we were casually told to be careful as we negotiated the 618 ancient steps with no handrails where any slight slip or misstep would almost certainly lead to death as you fall down the sheer rock face.

Luckily, we didn’t have any such accidents and neither of us plunged to our deaths. We successfully scaled the 618 steps and were blown away by what we found at the top. They estimate that that the monastery was first inhabited by early Christian monks in AD600 as a way of separating themselves from the world, working hard, living simply, studying and praying, seeking to become more pure. 

It was quite astounding to imagine people not only surviving in such a remote setting, but thriving.

Again, it was one of those places that’s grandeur is hard to capture with words or photos. We feel so lucky that we were able to experience it.

The Ring of Kerry

We continued on down the coast in our hire car and embarked on another scenic coastal route known as The Ring of Kerry, a beautiful loop punctuated by amazing coastal scenery, colourful remote villages, knuckle-whitening narrow roads, and plenty more ruins.

Unfortunately weren’t able to find a 14 bed mixed dorm in a hostel on the Ring of Kerry, so we had to settle for a quaint B&B that had clean sheets and the refreshing fragrance of flowers, rather than the musty, damp towel smell that we have become accustomed to. Plus, we got an Irish cooked breakfast, minus the mould!

Happy days. 

The Burren

After Connemara we headed back to Galway and picked up a hire car that would be our transport for the next four days. We decided to sacrifice the ease and relaxation of coach tours for flexibility, and having to navigate the ridiculously narrow Irish roads ourselves.

We spent the day driving around The Burren, famous for the Cliffs of Moher and The Poulnabrone.

The Cliffs of Moher are kinda like Ireland’s equivalent of The Twelve Apostles. Stunning coastline with massive imposing cliffs. At their highest point, they stand at over 200 meters. We arrived at midday and the light was horrible, so we decided to head back at sunset. While it didn’t turn out to be the most stunning sky ever, it was well worth it!

The Poulnabrone is a neolithic tomb that they estimate was erected 5-6 thousand years ago. It is so remarkable how ancient civilizations managed to build it, considering that the top stone is estimated to be 1200kgs….all without forklifts and cranes!

On another note, things hit a new low on the food front. We have been living off toast and '8 for 1 Euro' pork sausages. As if our eating habits couldn’t get much worse, we made some delicious toast one morning, spread it with our miniature jam sachets, took one bite, and discovered that the bread was covered in mould. Not a great way to start the day!!

Next stop, the Ring of Kerry where we have resolved to ensure our breakfasts are mould-free.

(P.S…We’ve put a new page up…click ‘Where in the world…?’ to see a map of our travels)