Naples
Naples! Our favourite. Getting there from Amalfi was a $300 taxi or a $12 bus and train ride, so we went the public option for our final piece of travel with Paul and Hashie. It all went pretty seamlessly but I have to say leaving Amalfi was genuinely sad, it had been so perfect.
The bus was about and hour and the train about the same, we stacked our luggage up against the window and settled back to cruise along the coast with views of Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius. The station was modern and huge which probably gave us a false sense of security. Maps told us it was a 12 minute walk to our AirBnB so we decided that was achievable and floundered our way over 1000 year old cobbles with 2 and half suitcases, sweating in the 35 degree heat. Probably a mistake.
Anyway, the AirBnB was lovely and quaint, it had a lift most of the way up and came with a free lemon granita.
I’ll start by acknowledging that Naples won’t be for everyone, it’s kind of dirty, kind of rough and a hint intimidating - but despite that, or probably because of it, the place buzzes with an energy unlike any we’ve ever seen. Everyone is hustling, selling, or on their way somewhere. It’s hot, tight, layered with centuries of texture and it’s awesome.
We dumped our things and got out into town to find Pizza. Naples is home, originator and custodian of the ancient art of pizza and takes this all very seriously. Despite this, a Michelin star level pizza costs around $10. We had been googling the best spots and grabbed a table at what we thought was the original (it wasn’t but the pizza was still other worldly) munched our way through a pizza and a spritz and worked out our next steps.
Our two days were basically walking around just living in it, taking photos, drinking and eating and trying to sink as deeply as we could into the vibe of the place. If that’s your thing I could not recommend it more highly.
Also I got a much needed haircut in a place where English was at best talk-see but we made it work! If you’re ever there, it called Barberia Dante Di Antonio Aita - and ask for Hugo ;)
Cloister of Santa Chiara Convent
Amalfi Coast Part Three
Dinner at La Moressa
La Posteria has a sister restaurant that has a slightly different menu, but much more impressive view. Having been so wowed by LP, we decided we had to try it and booked for dinner the following night. We left our apartment around sunset and made our way up the hill to one of the worlds greatest balconies..
It’s an odd set up: you book a table, but it’s first in best dressed in terms of which you get. We made sure we were pretty much first and perched ourselves on the edge looking out at yachts making their way home from Capri and Positano. Right around sunset theres a rush in both directions that you can just stare at happily with a glass of wine in hand.
We enjoyed cocktails, wine, and magnificent food and chatted into the evening. The weather was, as it always seems to be, perfect… shorts required. You really couldn’t imagine a better spot.
Path of the Gods
The path of the gods is one of the worlds great walks according to the locals (slightly biased) opinion, but also one of the hottest and steepest if you start from Praiano. Steph/P&H were up at roosters to take it on, I decided discretion was the better part of valour (heights very much not being my thing) and waved them off at around 6am as they prepared to take on the 2000 steps up required before you can start the thing!
Steph: We headed out the door or our apartment and immediately faced with a long flight of stairs. We left early fearing the insane heat that would soon come.. a few wrong turns later we found “the sign”.
We started the climb thinking it wasn’t too bad - the morning light was creeping over the mountains and it was difficult to decipher where they sky stopped and the sea began. Before too long we were huffing and puffing, sweating and questioning our decision. On multiple occasions Paul and Hashie called out “go on without us!” but i felt better with them stuck behind me, me - a paragon of fitness (thanks David).
Once we had made the path we made good progress. At one point we found ourselves following.. well, a trail of poop.. only to round a corner and come face to face with a couple of guys and their mules. They spoke not a world of english but were happy to have their photos taken, so that worked for me! The path was littered with private vineyards, rambling kitchen gardens and small farms with chickens, pigs, goats and donkeys, when we said the Amalfi is still owned by the locals, this is it. Yes the tourists are there, but this is still a place to live, not just visit.
The walk was mirrored by an automatic rail, presumably used to move goods and groceries to the homes along the path (imagine your address was 123, Path of the Gods?!).
After the climb the rest of the walk was fairly comfortable. We were met with spectacular views of the coast along edges with sheer drops. (Dave made the correct decision not to join this walk as he would have had to crawl for the vast majority of it :S). As the sun rose so did the temperature but we had made good progress and were still in pretty good shape as we made it to a very good labrador who greeted us at the ‘end’ of the path. However, it was another couple of km’s walk to the bus stop that would take us back to town. I abandoned P&H at Positano and jumped on another bus to join Dave for a swim down at One fire beach..
Date night
We had decided to split up for our last evening and have a date night. Paul and Hashie booked at the locally famous Kasai first, the cheeky swines, so we booked (the equally highly rated though slightly less cool looking M’ama (still very cool, with a ridiculous rooftop view.
Steph and I shared bubbles and wonderful food and were again struck by how lucky and happy we were.. what a unique and incredible place we were in!
We had.both been looking forward to the Amalfi, having heard so much about it and being ready for some pampering, but nothing had prepared us for how spectacular and unique the place was. Genuinely a stand alone, one of one experience, we could not recommend it any more strongly.
Amalfi Coast Part Two
Positano
Perhaps the most famous and busiest of the Amalfi coasts towns is Positano, a vision in pastel yellows and pinks hanging off the cliffs all funnelling down to a central beach and dock.
There are certain experiences in life that are hard to explain and riding a bus along the coastal cliffs of Amalfi is one of them; ranging from the bizarre to the sublime, and lurching spectacularly between the two. The bus drivers are savants when it comes to navigating the coastal roads; directly traffic, occasionally getting out to assist stuck cars and generally driving ridiculously close to walls, edges, cars, humans - and all at great speed. They are truly among the more talented individuals we’ve ever come across.
We bussed our way from Praiano to Positano in search of our days activities - shopping, drinking and a ferry to Capri. It was oppressively hot and shade was at a premium so we ducked into a delightful, if frighteningly expensive, bar for a cocktail before jumping on the ferry. It’s only around half an hour on the ferry, but a lovely half an hour it is along the coast, with the isle looming ahead of you.
We weren’t ashore for long before Paul had found a boat tour around the island leaving more or less instantly, so on board we went for an hour long tour, taking in the blue and green grottos, some of the largest yachts you can imagine and just basking in the beauty of the place. There was a group of Spaniards on board who were all very familiar with a song that no one else knew but we all happily bobbed along with them as they sung their hearts out.
Once back on the island we jumped into the ocean for a quick swim before Steph, Hashie and Paul headed up to find the famous chairlift.
Capri
Write here
Monte Solaro Chair Lift
The Monte Solaro Chair Lift had come highly recommended as offering the most panoramic views of Capri so after jumping in a strange, slightly stretched convertible and making our way up most of the mountain, we found the entrance just before closing.
The single person chairlift would never fly under Australian safety standards but it was an exhilarating way to climb the summit, some 590 meters above sea level. During the 12 minute climb we passed over private vineyards stepped into the dry, grassy landscape littered with many hats that had been claimed by the breeze. We didn’t have much time to spend at the top but we made the most of the ten minutes or so we did have taking photos and just generally being in awe of where we were!
The last ferry from Capri…
We took the last ferry from Capri which went to Sorrento just as the sun was starting to set which gave us the most stunning entrance to the cliffs of Sorrento which were glorious in the evening light.
We wandered up from the coast into town and after a little basking in the glow, we grabbed a drink and some snacks and took the last bus back to Praiano. We witnessed another ridiculous driving performance in the dark as the driver directed traffic and flung himself round corners but we got home safe and sound in time to order a few pizzas and enjoy them in the blissfully air conditioned apartment.
Amalfi Coast Part One
Ferry from Salerno to Amalfi
Amalfi time! This had been on both of our bucket lists more or less forever so we were super exited. The travel plan from Tropea was a little complex - Drive up the coast and drop off our car in Salerno, grab the bags and jump on a ferry from there to Amalfi and then find ourselves a taxi to Praiano where we were staying.
I won’t say it went off without a hitch, Hashie was feeling awful with a little car sickness, the Avis guy tried to foist a 50 euro cleaning fee on us and the taxi was pretty expensive. But.. and this is a significant but, the ferry ride along the coast was such a perfect introduction, that it was well and truly worth the effort.
We all stood (in Hashie’s case, sat) with the wind and a little sea spray in our faces and took in one of the most impressive coast lines you can imagine on a picture perfect afternoon.
Praiano Accommodation
After being dropped off by the most stylishly dressed and coiffed taxi driver (at the bottom of the hill 600 metres from our accomodation for a lazy 100 euros) we spent the next 10 minutes attempting to find our accomodation (due to David and Paul’s terrible direction following). Steph finally found our home for the next 5 nights and what a home it was…
Dinner at La Posteria
We hadn’t booked dinner in advance so Steph and I wandered up the street and popped our head in to a couple of restaurants in the hope of getting a booking without really checking out the menu or vibe. We ended up at La Posteria, and I cannot begin to tell you how perfect it was. We were outside on the street looking out over the cliffs, the weather was perfect, the food better and the company acceptable :) We had a wonderful waiter who referred to local wineries as factories, but was super engaged, fun, knowledgable and simply good value.
It was perfect and we were in heaven.
Praia Beach
The walk down (and hellish walk back) to our local “beach” was through tiny streets along stairs and past traditional ceramics dealers who had decorated the paths with their wares. The beach itself is somewhat of a canyon, with quintessential Italian umbrellas in rows, stones running into the water and is surrounded by tiny restaurants and bars.
The thing we loved most about the Amalfi as a whole, but particularly Praiano, was that it still felt like the locals owned it. Yes there were tourists, but the place wasn’t built for them and the tourists were at best a side hustle to the locals who seemed far more interested in living their best lives. To be honest, most of Italy felt this way: it was as touristy, but never a tourist trap. The hotels are never chains, they are weird and charming…the same with the supermarkets, it always feels organic and not forced. We loved it.
Tropea
After final good byes to everyone in the morning we packed up the Renault which was very tightly packed once it included Paul, Hashy and their bags, and begun our journey north to the Amalfi coast where we would be spending the week together. To break up the drive we had organised to spend 1 night in Tropea so we had around 3 hours in the car and a half hour ferry journey to contend with for the day.
Google maps again proved invaluable, guiding us through the mean streets of Messina and right onto the ferry. Obviously Sicily is an island but the gap between it and the mainland is only a couple of K’s it seems vaguely odd that they haven’t built a bridge? Anyway there are constant ferries back and forth so with little to no trouble we had the car parked on the ferry and were up on the observation deck to take in the crossing.
The drive itself was reasonably uneventful except for Steph’s strange decision to aim for the many potholes on Italian roads, one in particular rearranged a couple of spines for the travelling party. We were again bamboozled by the way house doors opened directly onto the road as we went through some of the small towns. The roads are only a car and a half wide, flanked by 2 and 3 story terraces with no footpaths so anyone leaving their home is at significant risk of death.. anyway, town planning aside, at around 1 in the afternoon we arrived in Tropea for an ice cream and a wander before making our way down to the beach for a cheeky dip.
I don’t think it’s possible to explain how great the swimming is in Tropea. The beaches are by Mediterranean standards sandy, the water the most crystal blue you can imagine, with vision down to 15 metres. There are rocks to jump off, the water is warm, there are caves to explore and cheap cocktails on the beach. Dream stuff.
The town itself is built above the beach on the edge of the cliffs, making for some crazy looking buildings, tight winding streets, old stone buildings and cobbles - a really lovely place. Our accomodation was just out of town so after dumping our stuff we headed back in via taxi for dinner. The town was buzzing with people and the atmosphere was party like. We had a nice dinner down one of the little streets and a final little wander about the town before heading home to our slightly weird accomodation for the night!
(For what we had just planned as a little stop over Tropea turned out to be an unexpected highlight, the beach might be the best ever, the town is cute and full of good food and energy, couldn’t recommend it enough)
Boat Days
Whilst we were in Sicily, we each did a respective girls and boys boat day that toured around the coast of Taormina from Naxos. After our few hours on the water, we enjoyed the afternoon in the mountain-top town of Taormina, where we enjoyed the most delicious pistachio gelato, cocktails and dinner. An enormously fun day for both of us! A few phone snaps from each day:
Fiumefreddo di Sicilia
The next week was spent with a group of our dearest friends at a Sicilian villa in the small town of Fiumifreddo di Sicilia, just past Taormina. We left Cefalu at around 10am and made the relatively painless 2.5hr drive to the villa (with only one or two crises of confidence). We did question where we had brought our friends as we drove through deserted backstreets lined with rubbish and abandoned buildings, but we eventually found the villa and drove through the gates to find a southern Italian oasis.
The villa is set in an orange orchard and the property has been in the family of the owner for over 500 years. There were three separate buildings that allowed us to spread out, a gigantic pool (unfortunately with no shallow end), a kitchen garden, sun-beds and several terraces with large tables that we feasted around constantly. Mt Etna could be seen clearly from the pool and we watched her every morning as her smoke drifted across the sky.
The villa provided a great opportunity for us to relax after a lot of moving around and with the temperature a constant 31 degrees we spent much of the time lazing about the pool, drinking spritzes and nibbling at cheese boards. Below are a collection of snapshots from our stay - Dave and I both got very excited at being able to photograph other people for a change!
Cefalu
We spent the night at a very strange hotel in Hallbergmoos near the Munich airport. Our flight was ~7am and some of our friends had told horror stories of security queues so we figured remove the risk. We successfully boarded our Lufthansa flight to Palermo to begin the Italian leg of our tour!
The flight was simple, though in landing in Palermo was something of a bouncy introduction and after some minor challenges finding first gear in our rented Renault we were on the road to Cefalu.
A note on Italian, and specifically Sicilian and specifically Palermo driving - DONT. We have never been so close to death so regularly, lanes are barely guidelines, speed limits don’t exist, and based on currently available information, Italian cars do not have indicators. The insane pricing of rental cars meant that we had a manual so Steph was in the hot-seat and handled it as well as could be expected for someone driving on the wrong side of the road and learning to use a backwards clutch.
The drive was around 2 hours and we, with some minor panic attacks, made it into the parking garage around 1 in the afternoon, grabbed a backpack with a change of clothes and strolled our way into the old town to find our bed and breakfast.
I cannot possibly say enough about how lovely Cefalu is, from the UNESCO listed Churches, the massive cliffs, gorgeous beach and winding cobbled streets, it’s a real story book place. My memories of it were fuzzy but all positive and every corner we turned just embedded again how awesome a place Italy is as a tourist.
Anyway we dumped our bags and were out the door to explore with a little list of jobs to get done; Get an Italian SimCard, make a booking for dinner (more on that later) and find a pharmacy to buy sunscreen.
We grabbed some lunch down on the foreshore in a bit of a tourist trap that provided excellent people watching and our first Spritz’s of the trip.
Getting the simcard was a minor debacle, but in a quaint tourist kind of way, as Italians shouted at each other and Steph and I hid in the corner while they chatted in Italian occasionally glanced at us and laughed. We did however end up with the card so jokes on them.
After successfully navigating those challenges we deserved a swim, so down to the beach and into the most lovely warm, calm water you can imagine for an hour or so of pure relaxation and joy.
Somewhere around 25 years ago I had had dinner in Cefalu with my family and Ken and Nada, close friends on my parents who had been travelling Sicily with us. The photo below is from that night and it has gone down in family lore as one of the seminal moments of my youth. Add to that fact that 6 or 7 years after that dinner we found a photo of the exact table at the exact restaurant in a magazine while waiting at an orthodontist appointment and it has always been something of a white whale of a place.
Luckily we were able to book the same spot at the same table (albeit with slightly updated ((only slightly)) furniture) and we settled in for what was one of the truly joyful dinners of our life. The food was spectacular, the sun was just setting on a perfect day, cats were wandering around our feet and we genuinely could not have been happier.
The next morning we woke early and strolled the streets taking photos of the gorgeous morning light. We then headed back to our B&B for a delicious continental breakfast on the terrace before collecting our car from the garage and setting off to meet our friends in Fiumefreddo di Sicilia.
Bavaria Part Two
Our week in Germany had been fabulous to this point but we had a fair drive across the south to get to Berchtesgaden. We left early with the hopes of making it by early afternoon and with the plan of making a couple of stops along the way. Again, the German roads are beyond exceptional and we left Grainau along the most stunning winding road along the base of the Alps. We stopped in at a roadside hotel/ski lodge to grab a quick coffee that turned out to be excellent and came with a lovely little amaretto biscuit (joy, basically the first good coffee we’d had in two weeks).
Our first stop was a small lake slightly off the main roads that Steph had seen in a photograph, access turned out to be through a farmers fields on the side of a beautiful small town. We wandered along making small talk with a couple of locals who were on their way for a very chilly morning dip.
The lake itself was a picture of life, green hills, cow bells ringing, water dancing with insects and fish. Just a gorgeous spot, but after half an hour of wandering and photos it was back in the car for the bulk of the drive.
Königssee
Around 2 in the afternoon we arrived in Berchtesgaden, a town in the southeast corner of Germany near the Austrian city of Salzburg. It’s tucked away in the mountains and famous for lakes and views (and a less salubrious past during WW2) .The most famous lake Königssee (King’s lake) is an 11km long, narrow, deep and incredibly blue snake of water trapped by mountains that rise well over 1500 metres on either side. It’s hard to explain just how sheer and imposing it is.
Ferries run up and back to two stops: One of the old kings hunting lodge, and the second at the far end of the lake. Our time was slightly limited by parking permits so we took the 45 ride to the hunting lodge. The lovely German boat captain made jokes in a very german manner, explaining in english that each joke, was in fact a joke and we should be quite aware of that and not take him too seriously. The party piece of the ride is a section of rock face that’s formed in such a way that it creates a single echo, the captain pulled out a trumpet and played a couple of rounds that echoed dramatically, creating a stunning duet with himself.
At the hunting lodge Steph grabbed some salted fish (ew) and myself a Currywurst and chips (correct), a bier or two and had a wander around before ferrying our way back and jumping in the car to go find our accomodation the Laughing Goat Inn..
The Sleeping Goat
The Laughing Goat Inn, which doubles as a hotel (The Sleeping Goat) is a quaint but lovely little german lodge looking towards the Watzmann, Germany’s third tallest mountain. We ensconced ourselves on the deck with a bier and watched the world slowly pass by for an hour or so before heading out for one of the most outlandishly large meals we’ve ever had the pleasure of being served.
Eagle’s Nest
Our final tourist destination in Berchtesgaden was the Eagles nest. It is now the site of a Hofbrauhaus, museum and outstanding views but was previously the summer house of the Nazi elite and Adolf Hitler. The germans don’t hide from this. There’s a very honest museum that talks to it’s history, but for the most part people just stand in awe of the views and go for a wander along the ridge line of the mountain.
Getting there is a significant effort, you take a 20 minute bus ride on a private road in buses that have been modified to allow them to deal with the steepness of the climb and the abrupt switchbacks required to make it up to the base level. There you walk down a 100 metre long red marble tunnel to a gold elevator then go up the final 200 metres through the heart of the mountain. To get down you do the same in reverse.. mildly insane.
The views from the top however are mind-blowing in a way that’s hard to explain… genuinely 360º cliff faces looking down across the plains of Germany and into the alps.
Salzburg
After coming down from the Nest we realised we had a little more time on our hands so decided to take a small detour through Austria to see Salzburg, a famous tourist town just across the border. It was lovely; full of marble encrusted buildings, modern art and with a spectacular castle towering over all of the old town.
We wandered around for an hour or two taking in the sites, having a quiet drink and reflecting on what an unexpectedly excellent time we had had in Germany before jumping back in the car for a longish drive back towards Munich!
Bavaria Part One
Moving day, straight to Avis, on time ready to collect car. Group of 4 individuals in front us, this will be quick said Dave.. somehow an hour later we were still sans car, coffee and progress. Some time later, car keys in hand we exited Munchen via the autobahn and a lazy 155kph with people flying past us.
We stopped at Kochel Am See, a lovely lake as a half way point to break up the drive and were greeted with splendid views of crystal clear water and the mountains beyond. A brief stroll around the lake and we were back on the move to Grainau, our home for the next two nights.
Eibsee
After dumping our bags and putting on much needed loads of washing we jumped back in the car and scooted up to Eibsee, a lake at the foot of Zugspitze, Germany’s tallest mountain. The lake was stunning and clear and still and had these amazing gradients of blue. Unfortunately the day was overcast but we had amazing breaks in the cloud giving us patches of golden light on the mountain beyond and the lake below. We walked the circuit track stopping for photos here and there but mostly just enjoying the loveliness of the place.
The onsite bier garden was closed so we ambled back to Grainau where we found ourselves a bier and a plate of chips and contemplated how lucky we were to be able to do these things.
Neuschwanstein Castle
One of the stranger places we’ve ever been was priority one today, the unpronounceable castle Neuschwanstein (noosh-wahn-stein) was built as an escape by a king who was obsessed with medieval chivalry and built himself a castle on a mountain full of gold to hide himself away. He was later declared mad and committed “suicide”. As a side note, the castles at Disney land are based on this insane edifice. Unfortunately the best viewing bridge was closed for maintenance so we clambered up some moderately unsafe rock-faces to gain a better view.
The only way to see inside the castle was to do a guided tour (no photos allowed). Needless to say, the interior was just as obscene as the exterior - every room so over-the-top and excessive, to be enjoyed only by the king, how lonely! We then enjoyed a slice of cake and a beer (because why not?) in the on-site cafe before walking back down the mountain to the car.
We are finding that the drone laws have tightened significantly since we last travelled. It is disheartening to not be able to capture the unique perspective that only the drone allows, but at the same time we understand how intrusive it is.
After leaving the Disney castle, we stopped in Füssen for a bite of lunch. It was an adorable town, painted in pastels with a soft blue river to match.
Lermoos, Austria
We had driven through Lermoos on our way to the Disney castle and had been blown away by its location, so we stopped on our way back to wander through the streets and take in the views. We found a stunning little playground filled with ponds and bridges with more insane views, also the most remarkably clean public toilets? Anyway back to Grainau to fold our washing and pack for another travel day. Onto Berchtesgaden.
Munich
Onto our next stop, Munich! We had a week between the wedding and catching up with our friends in Sicily so we decided to spend it in southern Germany. We stayed at the Hilton at Edinburgh airport so as not to miss our 6am flight (a few friends have had some airport horror stories) but thankfully flew through security and spent a couple of hours “relaxing” at our gate. The flight had a couple of hours stopover in Frankfurt, which was then delayed by an hour and a half more “relaxing” at our gate, but we made it into Munich at around 4pm. We then jumped on the train which took about 45 minutes to reach the city center, dropped our bags at the hotel and went in search of a biergarten!
We wandered from our accomodation in Karlsplatz through the famous Marienplatz dominated by the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus), then onto the English Gardens which had been recommended by our friends Jessie and Paul. We were getting pretty hangry by this stage, having only eaten an airport sandwich, so were desperate to get our hands on a pretzel and a stein of German beer (zwei halles danke!). We made our way through the gorgeous gardens full of people enjoying picnics and games after Friday knockoff, and found a beer garden at the Chinese Tower site. The ordering process was a bit of a struggle but we made it out of the canteen style servery with our bier, a giant pretzel and the most delicious Currywurst. The place was just as charming as we imagined, full of green picnic-style tables and bench seats, a live band playing big band hits from the tower and gorgeous dappled light - it was the perfect place for some good people watching.
With full tummies and happy hearts, we continued through the English Gardens to the Eisbachwelle, a continuous wave on the man-made Eisbach river where we watched people river surf - crazy - then walked about some more. We later found a little bar for a night cap before retiring to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.
The following morning we went in search of coffee and found a decent cup at Man Versus Machine, a very Melbourne coffee establishment. It was then onto Viktualienmarkt, a Saturday morning fresh food, flower and wares market with a central beer garden. The fear of ordering was still high so after walking approximately three laps and failing to make any decision, I found the courage to order a couple of mixed salami rolls with pickles and two half pints of beer to enjoy - köstlich! A 10am beer is surprisingly enjoyable.
We found Munich to be a great walking city with lots of interesting architecture and abundant flower gardens dotted about the place- the Europeans really know how to do flower beds. There were also mini art galleries as you walked through the arcades, showcasing a mix of fine ceramics, sculptures, prints and textiles.
The galleries are hard to explain, they were both overwhelming in their own way. We accidentally started with the traditional gallery thinking it was the modern one, which started us on the wrong foot, but the building was so excellent we soon found our groove. As always there were so many depictions of dead animals and Mary that they can become a little same same, but there were enough other odds and ends to keep us entertained.
The modern gallery though was a masterpiece of sculpture, installation and ideas. In particular, the olympic exhibition was beautifully laid out across different levels so you sort of discovered new bits as you moved around. However by this time Dave’s feet were giving in so on towards another pretzel and bier!
We made a lunch stop for a Viennese schnitzel and currywurst, of course accompanied by more bier, then walked back to Marienplatz so I could climb the St Peters Church tower for 360 degree views of Munich. I always love seeing cities from great heights and they’re so interesting when the street layouts aren’t gridded. After a spot of shopping we headed back to the room for a rest and a freshen up before finding a cute little bar to enjoy some fancy cocktails to end the night. That’s a wrap on Munich! Next stop, Grainau.
Wedding at Drumtochty Castle
It was finally time to celebrate the wedding of our beautiful friends Ashlaich and Paul (Hashlog and Paup). This wedding was the entire reason for our trip. We’d catch glimpses of the invite on the fridge at home, through multiple lockdowns, willing that it would eventuate and it was actually happening!
We caught the train from Edinburgh to Stonehaven, along with our fellow Aussie’s, then bundled into a couple of minivans to take us to Drumtochty Castle. After picking our jaws up off the floor from the utter splendour of the sprawling grounds and the lavish, gilded interiors, we enjoyed some afternoon tea with our bride and groom to be.
The evening was spent in the cute little courtyard, strung with festoon lights. We enjoyed free flowing drinks, delicious fish and chips from a food truck and basked in the jovial mood that everyone was sharing. We were then surprised with a Scottish Cèilidh (pronounced kayley) dancing lesson, with the idea that we wouldn’t completely embarrass ourselves on the d-floor come the following night.
The following morning brought the day we’d been waiting for and it was glorious: full of love, sunshine, tartan, bagpipes, and smiles. We only have a few photos from the day but have included some borrowed from friends. Thanks Hashie and Paul for inviting us to be part of your day. You put on the best party and we love you!
Here a few photos from the wedding day, borrowed from friends :)
Edinburgh
Although we’d have loved to stay another night at Roxburgh, it was time to move on to Edinburgh. We dropped the car off at the airport then hopped on a tram to take us into the city. We were staying in the Old Town so we had to endure quite the uphill hike before getting to our apartment, which was up another 7 flights on stairs. However, our efforts were rewarded with the most spectacular views across New Town.
We rested for a spell before heading back out and reacquainting ourselves with the winding, cobblestone streets we remember from our first European trip together some 14 years ago! As it was a Saturday afternoon, the Royal Mile was buzzing with lots of tourists and the odd Scott playing the bagpipes.
The following morning we enjoyed coffee with one of our friends who had also arrived in Edinburgh for the wedding. We then found a delicious baguette at a little french cafe before going to explore the National Museum of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. The museum was full of beautifully curated spaces and had a temporary exhibit on the history of typewriters which took our fancy.
As though Dave hadn’t had to endure enough galleries and exhibitions, the afternoon was spent walking to Dean’s Village and along the Water of Leith Walkway towards the Scottish Gallery of Modern Art.
We later enjoyed a lovely dinner and drinks at a restaurant called Under The Stairs, where we feasted on interesting tapas plates and delightfully balanced cocktails, what more could we ask for?
North of the Wall
Guest writer: Travel day! We started with a sneaky bacon sarney at one of those strange English bakeries that’s sort of a bakery, but kind of a cafe, but kind of a cake shop, but not great at any?
We had 2 travel options for the day straight up the M6 or a slightly more scenic route along Hadrians wall, we were in no rush so along the wall we drove. The rules around trespass in the UK seem somewhat wobbly as trampers and ramblers wandered their way through clearly working fields along the wall, but everyone seemed good natured about the whole thing. We stopped in at an ancient temple or two and a little bit of the wall itself, It’s impressive just driving alongside it to be honest..
We entered Scotland and, as as is traditional, the skies opened; hail, sweeping rain and wind. This was the first hint of bad weather we had run into. A light hearted message or two to the Scottish friends about their country followed but it only lasted half an hour and we were again blessed with the lovely dappled light we had become accustomed too.
Our destination for the day was Schloss Roxburghe for dinner, accomodation and a round of golf the following morning. The castle itself was stunning. Driving up you pass along a perfectly manicured lawn up to a magnificent country home, complete with a tasteful bar, fancy restaurant and stunning gardens. We settled into the bar quite quickly, Steph started editing and I listened to a Podcast while we shared a drink or three :)
Dinner was a lovely three course Scottish festival including gazpacho, haddock and creme brulee, along with french and Spanish wines. We finished with a walk of the grounds and a little nip of whisky in the bar and we were done for the day!
I won’t spend too long on the golf, I played fine, the course was spectacular and my caddy a very attractive lady, but she wasn’t paying enough attention and kept wandering off to take photos of flowers. Aside from that minor inconvenience I can’t say enough good things. The piece of land is spectacular, sweeping along the hills and down by the river, the views are excellent, and the course challenging without being punishing. Combined with the accomodation and the food the whole experience was a 9.5 out of 10. (0.5points lost for the really weird martini Steph got that we’re pretty sure had sweet vermouth and oregano infused olives?)
These legs were made for walking
Awake bright and early again, we thought we’d do one of the lake walks to fill in the morning. The weather was sunny and our drive from Kendal to Glenridding, where we were to start the walk, was spectacular. As the roads were quite narrow, we unfortunately didn’t get the opportunity to stop and take any photos of the best bits. We did however get the drone out for a spell, so we’ll post that at a later date.
We parked the car in Glenridding and made a short stop for breakfast at a small B&B, before starting our approx 15km walk around Ullswater to Howtown. This has to have been one of the top three walks we’ve ever done. It was just so quintessentially English. We followed kilometres of mossy rock walls through the evergreen landscape. We met more sheep (and took photos of all of them) and marvelled at the wild foxgloves that grow prolifically around here. Cute wooden gates that keep the livestock in made way to new views of the lake where steamer ferries passed small sailboats and groups of kayaks.
Once we reached Howtown we caught the ferry back to Glenridding, then drove to Keswick for some lunch. Well spent, we headed back to our cottage for a low-key evening of blogging, washing and trying to coax the next door neighbour’s cat out for pats.
Oxford to The Lake District
After spending two nights in Oxford it was time to move onto our next destination, Stavely, in the Lake District. We were treated to lovely weather again so enjoyed a walk along the Thames to collect our car - a Vauxhall Corsa - described by the Hertz staff member upon drop off in Edinburgh as ‘not being able to pull the skin off a custard’.
We stopped along the way for a bite to eat and a coffee in Sandbach. Coffee is really hit and miss over here. There have been several occasions where we’ve asked for a latte and received a soup bowl sized mug - asking for a small latte has not resulted in the desired outcome either… we shall persist.
We drove along the M6 to Staveley, which is in Kendal, just on the edge of the Lake District National Park. We had a gorgeous little cottage with lots of room and a washing machine, which was much appreciated! After a quick pit stop and a short wander through the tiny main street to pick up some washing powder and a bottle of champagne (because why not), we jumped back in the car to explore some of the neighbouring towns.
Our first stop was in Windermere where we meandered our way along the lake, admiring the old boats and the swans. We then walked through the small streets to the holiday park which had gorgeous views back across the river to the town center. From here we jumped back in the car and drove the narrow, blind cornered, winding roads (with Dave clutching the door at every turn) through Ambleside and some of the smaller towns. We encountered a couple of sheep along the way and the most spectacular English country-side views.
Once deciding we’d had enough winding roads for one day, we drove back to our cottage and had dinner at the local pub, Eagle and Child. As with most english pubs, it was humming with locals. The walls were laden with photos, old signage and small town paraphernalia and there was a dog or two beneath every table - bliss.
Blenheim Palace
We have been blessed with the weather so far, so on our second day in Oxford we thought it would be fun to hire a couple of bikes and ride the approx 14kms out to Blenheim Palace. It was a lovely way to get there and our feet were thankful for the rest after endless walking during our stay in London. I can’t say the same for our bums though…
Upon arrival at the palace we were told that it was closed for the filming of Ridley Scott’s upcoming film, Napoleon, but that the grounds and gardens were still open to explore which we were more than happy with. Perhaps apart from Versailles, we hadn’t seen a palace with such expansive, manicured grounds. We strolled our way through the seemingly endless green, into the lush rose garden, down to the cascades, across to the apple orchard and through the meticulous maze.
We enjoyed some pastries and Pimms at the onsite cafe before exploring the other side of the park.
Once we had ridden back to Oxford on our heavy 3 speed bikes into a headwind, it was time to find a lager. We ended up at the pink pub at the end of the street we were staying called called the Kings Arms which we returned to later in the evening for dinner. We sat alongside a chatty law academic who was very glad to have someone to talk to after being cooped up for the past week revising and editing his PHD for submission.
To end the evening, Dave went out to find us a bottle of red to enjoy but unfortunately there was no bottle opener to be found. After a few failed attempts at opening it with with some wire and a screw we accepted defeat and hit the hay.
Onward to Oxford
Guest writer: Genuinely sad to leave London after what had been a wonderful week, had forgotten how nice it was to have nothing to do, but everything to see. The train was simple after a minor ticketing challenge and we arrived in Oxford mid morning. After dropping off our bags, the most important thing to find? Coffee - enter Society Cafe, almost Australian quality coffee, decent wifi and a cinnamon bun thumbs up emoji.
Oxford was one of my favourite spots travelling with Jarrid many years ago and I had been really keen to see if that was rose coloured glasses and for Steph to see it for the first time. As a start, we began just wandering. We meandered the old town, found our way down to the Thames, and along to Port meadow, the cute punts and river boats were excellent, the river better, the vibes another level all together.
We wandered back into the “city” and found ourselves at the entrance to the Sheldonian (awkwardly I claimed this to be the Radcliffe camera :/) Anyway at low cost we scaled the stairs to the cupola above and were rewarded with stunning views across the old colleges, churches and the actual Radcliffe camera!
Thinking we had probably missed the opportunity to steal a glance into one of the colleges we made our way back towards our hotel to prepare for dinner only to discover that Balliol was open till 5 and it was 4:45.. sneak in for a cheeky glance? Even more! The desk was manned till 7 and he was in a jovial mood; hang around and enjoy the grounds he said.. perfect. The hall where they filmed Harry Potter was delightful as were the lawns where we lay in the sun for 20 minutes just enjoying being with each other :)
For dinner we made our way to Kasbah a.. middle eastern, fusion? restaurant where we over ordered, but the food was good, the wine adequate and the company excellent :)
Kew Gardens and a Proper Sunday Roast
We decided to spend our last day at the famous Kew Gardens. We caught a train from Waterloo to Richmond and found ourselves a coffee at The Greenhouse Cafe, which had a lovely little conservatory and a delightful resident cat.
We spent a few hours wandering the grounds and visiting all three conservatories - featuring the most spectacular tropical plants, orchids and truly enormous waterlilies.
A proper Sunday roast
We had been pining for a proper Sunday roast since arriving in London, so after our morning meander around the gardens we found a quaint little pub called The Cricketers to do just that. We had a spot by the window with a view over the park where locals sat and picnicked with takeaway pints. We enjoyed our roast and had Yorkshire puddings for the first time - delicious!
The National Gallery
After heading back to London, we stopped for a quick wander through The National Gallery before it closed, which is always a favourite visit.
