Blogs from Europe - page 13056

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Europe » United Kingdom » Scotland » Inverness-shire » Loch Ness July 20th 2006

Some welcome relief from the heat last night. I actually had to sleep under the covers. It was wonderfully cool for a change. A bonnie quiet wee towne is this Newtonmore. We treated ourselves to another hearty, traditional English breakfast in the hotel dining area. I'l never understand the baked beans and fried tomatoes the English and Scots have for breakfast but like Pavlov's dog, I realize that their smells mean bacon and eggs will also be served. As we got on the bus for the day's sightseeing (we would return to the same hotel at night), we actually had to wear jackets and sweatshirts in the early morning cool and dew. Once again the conversation in the front of the bus revolved around a bunch of PBS shows I never heard of, let alone actually ... read more
The Ben Nevis Distillery
The start of the process
The quality control man

Europe » United Kingdom » England » Greater London July 20th 2006

So, this is what a class system looks like eh? Cheri and I have witnessed and experienced it for ourselves - first hand. When we double checked our email from HSBC regarding our bank account it said that we should ring so as to set up an appointment so that we wouldn't be inconvenienced. Odd, I thought. Well, I guess what they mean is "call us to make an appointment as we have so many people opening accounts you'll never be able to just walk in". ie, it's for their convenience. Oh well, we could but try - and if we turned up and they turned us away - we could always make an appointment and come back later. We arrived at HSBC, marked our names on the list and went into the waiting room to, ... read more


The B&B owner asked us if we minded eating with her and her son in the morning. Unlike the place in Stirling, we felt completely at ease and even felt like one of the family. Their B&B seems new...they don't have any business cards yet but we enjoyed it so much we definitely want to remember the name in case we pass through here next time. The view is so gorgeous and she really did a great job decorating the rooms. They're in the process of renovating the cottage on their property to make it a self-catering cottage, so they've really got a great setup. We're back on the road after breakfast and head into Fort William. Luckily, our Lonely Planet has a map of the town so we don't have any problem finding the train ... read more

Europe » Greece » South Aegean » Rhodes July 20th 2006

Ancient Wonders and Wondering Where They Went The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes is very impressive…or at least it was. In 1856, long after the Knights of Rhodes had shuffled off to Malta, a gunpowder explosion did by accident what the Turks could only accomplish by negotiation. The concrete, I am sorry to say, is not original. Most of what stands there today is a replica of a medieval castle as imagined by twentieth century Italian fascists. Fascists have no gift for subtlety and, oh , do they love concrete. The Parthenon in Athens suffered a similar fate when a Venetian cannonball bulls-eyed an Ottoman ammo dump (the Greeks blame the Turks for the destruction of the Parthenon, not the Venetians). The great mosaics on display in the Grand Master’s Palace ... read more
Old Town
The Outer Wall
St. Cathrine's

Europe » United Kingdom » England July 20th 2006

I have found a full time job - yay! Its in a gastropub just outside Bath (for those of you who don't know where Bath is - shame on you, its one fo the most famous towns in England, no just joking, but seriously if you google it you're likely to get thousands of sites). Its as a waitress/cook/bartender. It sounds like really hard work - they make up to 1000 meals a week and sometimes you can work 90hrs a week (over the school holidays and christmas etc). I start end of July/beginning of August. Its live in (although the place needs a good clean), but I have to find my own food - which is fine, at least I won't be forced to eat greasy pub food every day. But first I'm going to ... read more

Europe » Estonia » Tallinn July 20th 2006

Day 106: July 20 - FINLAND - Helsinki, ESTONIA - Tallinn Accommodation: Tallinn Backpackers I tried to sleep in as long as I could today after the extra awake time forced upon me, and I had no plans after seeing what I wanted to yesterday, so I stored my bags and went straight for the net cafe, which was in fact a decent cafe with about 8 internet terminals. Surprisingly it's hard to find a net cafe that serves a good cafe coffee. I scored a yummy Finnish-style mocha and a cake to go along with a couple of hours of net surfing, then headed off towards the shops with a good caffeine buzz. I basically wandered around the shops and then headed towards the harbour to find out how to get a ferry from Helsinki ... read more

Europe » Albania July 20th 2006

After a pleasant flight from Koln to Tirana by Germanwings we arrived in the capital of Albania; our one week holiday. During the flight we got in contact with Florian and his friends. This guy gave us the great tips of Tirana and when we took the taxi into down town, we exchanged telephone number to arrange something for the next night. Our room was ok, the location was perfect, just in the middle of the area called The Block, The former communist area. Day 2 we walked through the main streets of the block and were surprised by the many small but modern lounge places/ bars where you could have a drink and all kinds of croissants After visiting the highlights of the city as Skenderbeg square, the clock tower, Et’hem Bey Mosque and National ... read more
Tirana - The Block
Tirana - Night live
Berat

Europe » Greece » South Aegean » Milos July 20th 2006

MILOS Our first greek ferry trip was an experience. Not much English was spoken over the crackly PA system & you had to be alert so as not to miss your stop. We went with the slow ferry instead of a speedier option, plus a deck spot instead of air conditioned comfort, to save cash. This would become the norm. We arrived early at the docks to save a spot, 7am (5am wakeup call !). We spread ourselves out & tried to get some sleep, knowing that a full day travelling awaited. One of the locals didn't appreciate me sleeping on the seats & decided to perch himself next to me when I sat up to mind the bags, whilst Di went to the bathroom. I tried to lay back down with him sitting next to ... read more
Kurt  (trying!) getting a Suntan
Kurt enjoying the clear blue water
Nice spot for lunch

Europe » Italy » Liguria » Cinque Terre July 20th 2006

Eighteen kilometers of sheer rocky coastline in northern Italy, terraced hills and vineyards sloping steeply down to the sea. Five little villages are built into the rocks between the beach and the hills. You can hike, swim, drink red wine, and watch blazing Mediterranean sunsets away from the tourist multitudes in the Italian cities and the French Riviera. Centuries old footpaths and mule tracks wind about 500 to 1,000 feet above the sea, leading through olive groves and vineyards, orchards and chestnut woods. Each village has its own character, they are a few minutes apart by train. There are almost no cars as the villages are not easily accessible by road, but the main railway between Rome and Paris runs along the coast, mainly in tunnels.... read more
Overlooking Corniglia
From Riomaggiore
Crystal Blue...

Europe » Italy » Veneto » Venice July 20th 2006

Ulm - Munich - Verona - Venice (Train) 20 July 2006 With the idea of maximising our Eurail Ticket, we decide to head to Venice, Italy for a couple of days, before we meet up with our friends Linton and Clare in France. Venice is one of those cities that most people dream of going to; beautiful old buildings built on and reflected in canals, meandering cobblestone alleys where the sound of church bells echo off the walls calling you towards piazzas full of beautiful people, men in striped t-shirts pushing gondolas while singing Dean Martin songs….. ahhh, oh so romantic. Its just a shame that it is so revered because in summer it’s so full of tourists and so hot that I think it’s lost a bit of it’s charm (that could explain why most ... read more
View from the Vaporeto




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