The Killalea-Walford Travel Blog

Sailing into Montenegro was just awe inspiring. It is actually a fiord, who would have thought. I guess that is why it looks like Milford Sounds on steroids.

Absolutely stunning and littered with beautiful little towns. There is the obligatory graffiti, because some bastards have to, but otherwise it was like something out of a story book.

Montenegro makes NZ look big. Less than 1 million inhabitants and only 4 hours to drive across the country. It stretches from the beautiful seaside city of Kotor all the way up to the mountains where you can go skiing in the winter.

This time our lovely tour guide was Ana.

Our tour included a trip to the seaside resort of Budva and then back to Kotor for a tour and some historical insight.

This place is just magical. The bus ride out to Budva was pretty. The hills are rugged and sparsely covered in trees and bushes. As you drive to Budva there are some pretty sheer cliffs where you look down on some beautiful beaches.

There is a little island called St Nicholas, out in the harbour of Budva. Apparently the island was once inhabited by many deer, but they became hunting victims. No comment.

Budva is being trashed, with new buildings, apparently you don’t really need permits and money will get you the approval and the view you need. So all the quaint houses and buildings are being overshadowed by high rise apartments and hotels. The old town is still safe, but that is probably because it is already built on the edge of nothing, so there is little chance of anything being put up in front of it.

This is the first place that we have really been confronted with begging as well. So it was quite a shock. Probably a warm up for when we are in Paris and other places where it is more common. After a tour with the guide we were left to our own devices, that was fun, little alleyways and stairs, and views. Really pretty. Also a little bit of shopping, I am in the groove now J

We finished up at a hotel and partook in the local wine and beer. You have to keep the economy going!

Next stop, Kotor.

Our bus driver and tour guide whisked us back to Kotor where we were taken around the old town. It was almost completely destroyed in the 20^th century by a large earthquake. It has since been rebuilt in the same fashion and it is hard to tell that it was ever so badly affected. It is quite cool actually, and maybe we can learn something here too, they wanted to keep the history and the special feel that was Kotor so decided to stay with the traditional architecture, with a few strengthening techniques thrown in.

After the tour we walked around the town a little more. Despite being ridiculously small, it really is tiny, it is so easy to get lost. No street names, no grid, no easily identifiable landmarks, just a lot of guessing and back tracking. Quite a bit of fun though!

We went back to the boat for lunch, it was so handy, really just a little walk from the town, where we quickly recouped before heading back into town. We had a hill to climb.

Kotor is surrounded on all sides by sheer cliffs and mountains. It is the second best preserved fortification walls in Europe. The fortress is located a fair way up the hill, Castel St. John. There are 1350 steps leading up to the fortress. This seemed like a really good idea at 2 in the afternoon with 25 degree heat. WHAT were we thinking.

Anyway, we had said we would and we did. I thought it would take us a week bit of time, as it is about 1 kilometre straight up. But we did it in 30 minutes then spent the 30 minutes trying to cool down and get our breath back.

I love the entrepreneurism here, there was a chap at the top of the hill selling cold water, coke, and beer. Brilliant.

We walked back down eventually, found a local pub, and had a cold drink. We had earned it, that’s for sure.

Jason says he could live here, for me, its beautiful and I would like to investigate further, but less than 1 million people…

Anyway!

Another wander around the town, then it was back on the boat for a gym session (Jason’s idea) and to prepare for our next sailing. The view leaving Montenegro was just as stunning as the arrival. We stayed up on deck drinking cocktails and watching the world go by.

Eventually we had to go inside and get ready for another dinner. There is a reason we are doing so much walking and going to the gym!

This time our reservation was with Toscana – an Italian restaurant. The food was amazing (again) and we managed to pace ourselves to make it through to dessert.

Off to bed after another busy day. The next day we stay at sea as we travel around to Malta. That means two nights and two days at sea and no ports.

What will we do…

As I mentioned before, we went to bed and woke up in Croatia. It was awesome, no flights, no border control, no hassle, no bags, no packing, no unpacking, just arriving. And it was another stunning day at around 25 degrees. We are finally getting the summer we never had!

Being the highly organised person that I am, we had another cruise supplied excursion booked. This time we were doing something a little more us, canoeing down the Cetina river.

The canoeing started about 30 minutes drive out of Split. The tour guide, a lovely young woman and highly entertaining, talked us through the history of Croatia and some highlights on the way out to meet the canoeing dudes. It is very rocky terrain, not overly green, apparently not a lot of rain had come that winter. So, good for grapes then, says I!

Whilst Split is one of the more beautiful cities in Croatia there is an issue with employment. During the tourism months it is not such an issue but during the off season it can be very difficult to find employment so many leave. This is a problem that we heard much about in Cinque Terre too.

We arrive at our destination next to a beautiful river. The water comes down from the mountains and is an amazing green colour, crystal clear to the bottom. This, of course, means it is cold.

We have to suit up, only swimsuits required, don’t take sunglasses or cameras because you will probably fall out – HOLD THE PHONE, no one mentioned that in the brochure. Too late now, we are committed.

So, we are all dressed up in these very flattering wet suits (said no one, ever). I had a great deal of trouble getting the girls into the wetsuit jacket and doing it up. It was like some sort of binding tradition. In the end the chap told me to put the jacket under the wetsuit. At least I could do it up then, but the girls were not happy.

They talked us through how to paddle, stop, turn, how not to panic (because being told not to panic always helps right). And then we were told we could play in the water for a while whilst they go the boats ready. I didn’t have to be told twice, I was in and swimming. Hell, it wasn’t that cold, kind of like the sea in Wellington in summer. Not warm, but you won’t die of hypothermia ha, ha.

Then it was time to get the paddles and get moving. I should note now that Jason can’t really swim, and is also not a fan of white water. Too late, we were there.

For the next 3.5 hours we traveled down this beautiful river, there were ducks, dragonflies, birds, and snakes. Lovely! The guides were wonderful and knew there sh!t. No one fell out and whilst there were a few mini incidents, crashes and going backwards etc, all in all we did a great job and really enjoyed ourselves. DAMN it was hard work.

Jason did an awesome job of steering us down the river. I yelled instructions and paddled like mad when I realised he just could not hear me. But we made it in the end. Who needs communication to succeed – not us evidently? We could have drowned – well not really.

The bus took us back to Split and we were all a lot more subdued. There may have been a few people snoring, I know I was ready for sleep.

But, with only a day in port, we could not waste any time. We got dropped off by the old town and our tour guide went above and beyond and took us through the Diocletian Palace which contains the old city. Jason and I climbed the clock tower (cause we hadn’t done enough that day), any Health and Safety department would have had a meltdown with the lack of barriers between you and the drop to the concrete below, but the view was lovely J there were a few people who got half way and decided no, f*ck that, and went back down.

We spent another hour wandering around, bought some local wine, and finally found some food – we hadn’t eaten since breakfast and it was now 230pm. If you hadn’t noticed this whole trip has revolved around food, so going without is a bit of a shock to the system. We found a lady with enough English and with our excellent sign language we had one of the best sandwiches we had ever eaten.

Then back to the ship.

If you are travelling to Croatia, stay and enjoy the location, the people, the food, and the wine. We will be back.

The cruise offers on board experiences you can book such as art and cooking classes. I had us booked on a cooking class, just what you need after a really tiring day.

The chef, Kellie Evans, took us through four dishes in two hours. We did not just stand there and watch we actually had to do the cooking (BUT NOT THE DISHES). Two of the dishes were shell fish so I could not eat them, but Jason was happy J and very full.

It was great! And delicious! And well worth the effort of staying awake.

All of that made for a very long day. But wow, it was fantastic. We are really loving this cruise experience so far. Everyone continues to be friendly and there is always something to do.

A quick dinner at the buffet, too full and too tired to bother with the specialty restaurants, then off to bed. This time we wake up in Montenegro!

Day 1 – Arriving in Venice and Check In

Getting to Venice was making me a bit nervous. I know I have driven on the “dark side” before but that was a long time ago. Turns out I still LOVE IT. And love the roads, the speed (130-150kms an hour – and I was being overtaken), the fact everyone knows the rules of driving on the motorway and sticks to them. Who would have thought the Italians could manage it 😛

We made it the 400+ kms in extra good time. Trying to fill up the rental car in Venice was too much hassle so we decided to let Avis gouge us for that. The car was successfully delivered with time to spare. I stole a taxi from a loud American chap, have to say I took pleasure in that a wee bit, and they transported us the 1.5km to the cruise ship (20 euros, thanks very much)!

The embarkment, ‘cause that’s what it’s called, was so damn easy I thought I was dreaming! Take your own booze, no problem, food, easy peasy, lots of bags – meh who cares. “Madam, what you do in your own room is your business” I like these people. Actually I really, really like these people! So friendly and helpful! I know it’s their job, but some of them are really good at it.

We had some food, sorted out our STUNNING room with the beautiful veranda and view of Venice.

Then time for a walk! We went into Venice and did a bit of reconnaissance and orienteering. It all came flooding back to me what a beautiful and amazing place Venice is. Jason loved it. We walked up canals, down rivers, across bridges, and through alleyways! So exciting.

I could have shopped my little heart out but continued to be well behaved (it’s killing me on the inside). We made it back in time to have a rest, change, and head to Jacques’ restaurant, traditional French. Jason was turned away, no more shorts and jandals I am afraid. After a quick change we were all sorted. The food was great, the service lovely (thanks Jovann), and the atmosphere relaxing. We were right by the window. So were able to watch the city.

It had been a long and very busy day, so an early night, all ready for the next day!

Day 2 – Venice Continued and the Sail Off

We had another huge and delicious breakfast, I have managed to find the supplier of all fresh raspberries and get a large bowl of these every morning. YUMMY!

It was yet another warm day at around 24 degrees, blue skies, no wind.

We had a Venice tour booked through the cruise company so off we went at 830. It started with a water taxi ride from the cruise ship, down grand canal, along some side canals and then dropped off at one of the many squares for a bit of free time. We walked around the little streets, there is no logic to how the streets are laid out, thank god for GPS and Google maps.

On with the tour. The guide was lovely and she talked a lot about the history and importance of certain buildings, squares, boats, and traditions. We finished our tour in St Mark’s Square. Holy! That is massive, and crowded, and pretty, and crowded, and thank god we didn’t decide to go during July and August (the busy time) because I don’t think I would be a pleasant person.

It was great seeing Venice from different angles. The smell still strikes you, when you least expect it, but the beauty makes up for it 🙂 It is one thing to walk it and another to see it from the water. Truly fascinating and stunning. LOVE Venice.

Then, I finally caved, I gave into the guilt, and I shopped! And I loved it. Two new pairs of shoes and some jewellery. I felt much better about life and being in Italy. How could I come all this way and NOT buy shoes? Jason nearly fainted at the price, but as I pointed out – my passion, and as he pointed out, my money 🙂 there’s a reason I married this man.

We made it back to the ship with plenty of time to spare, enough time to go to the gym (with all this food, gym is not optional), before we were due to leave port at 500pm.

Apparently setting sail is a big deal, and the captain puts on a little party. Everyone comes up to the top decks and watches as we sail out of Venice. I must say, it was a pretty awesome experience. The music, opera, was blasting, we were drinking Bellinis (which you had to pay for) and taking lots of photos.

We had dinner reservations at the Polo Grill, the steak restaurant on board. Well, as much as I enjoyed Jacques’ the Polo Grill then obtained first place ranking. The food, ambiance, service, wine, view, everything was just excellent. Jason nearly went into a food coma after he attempted to eat the 32oz steak. Did pretty well too, but not quite crossing the finishing line.

Neither of us could squeeze in dessert – amateurs.

We don’t pay for the food on board but we do pay for the alcohol. So the staff are tasked with trying to sell you bottles. We don’t really mind and we don’t feel pressured into buying any more than we want. Plus we have our drinks in our room which is nice on the deck. I think it would be a little too confined if you did not have an outside area easily accessible. 12 days in a small room – could end in divorce or a person missing at sea…

Overnight, as we slept off our food babies, we travelled to Croatia. It’s kind of like teleporting. You just arrive!

So far cruise life is pretty awesome!

Before I move on to our cruise of a lifetime, to I wanted to do a massive shout out to our Travel Broker Extraordinaire! Tina Arthur, she has been patient, gently guiding, amazingly funny, and always available for dumb questions and crisis!

If you are travelling and want help please contact Tina. Don’t think it’s going to cost you lots because its quite the opposite, having Tina in our corner has saved us.

She is FREAKING awesome.

Contact details:

Tina Arthur

NZ Travel Brokers

Tina@nztravelbrokers.co.nz

As promised Tina, a photo of us on our cruise, there are hundreds!

And me, just enjoying a wine in the sunshine 🙂 with Venice in the background.

On the deck, farewell to Venice.

It was a chaotic trip getting to Cinque Terra!

First a super early flight, meaning up at 445 OUCH. Our wonderful driver, from Eagle Garage (www.gozo.com/eaglegarage) was a godsend. He got us to dinner, to our motel, and luckily to our flight. Highly recommended.

Travel of Nightmares

The check in was remarkably easy, it was all going so smoothly with our extra baggage. On the flight we get. The luggage is checked through to Florence! How awesome is that, not have to do the Auckland gauntlet and run everything between terminals.

BUT, what we didn’t realise was we did not get a boarding pass for the second flight, AND Rome airport is a nightmare. In the words of a local “it’s f*ck-ed” I had to write it that way to get an idea of the accent. They were not wrong. All our flights were connected to terminals with the use of buses, even if the terminal was within 100 metres!

So, with our transfer time of 1h25m, I thought we had plenty and plenty of time! Alas no. They took us to an area where we all alighted the bus, went through passport check and round a corner TO THE SAME BUS! This took nearly 35 minutes. It was a little like watching the Monty Python show.

Once we had done the meaningless loop of the non-terminal, we all got delivered to the proper terminal. This one was complete with no help, no signs, no boarding pass, and no ideas! There was a lot of swearing and running! Eventually we printed our own boarding passes, found the terminal (not going to swear, not going to swear) – we made it all sweaty and gross with 2 minutes to spare.

Then we sat on the runway for 20 minutes. You have to LAUGH!

Landing in Florence was exciting. We were so happy to be there. The weirdest thing was seeing the armed men on guard outside the airport. Brought recent events in Europe to a stark reality.

All was calm however, other than tempers regarding the queues. Oh god! The endless queues. To get the shuttle to the rental car was 30 minutes, we thought we would walk. A very helpful ticket seller informed us “yes, you can walk, but it is suicide”. So we waited for the shuttle.

The rudeness of travellers and locals alike started to show.

Another hour in a queue at the Avis we got our car, brand new Ford CMax, we were very excited. I got to drive, lucky me, because I had driven on the left before. After a few navigation issues and intense conversations we got there. YAY. Only to find our car was a broken piece of stuff, AND that Avis Italy’s roadside assist is in fact “roadside abandonment”. Not going to share the negativity here – go to Facebook for the full rant.

In a nutshell, Rome airport = nightmare, Avis roadside assist = terrible service, Cinque Terre pizza = happy place.

But yes, we made it and were shown to our beautiful little apartment in the Cinque Terre marina. OMG the view, the rooms, the balcony, all so quaint and amazing. Just how I remembered it. We spent, what was left of the day, exploring, eating, and drinking. Early night so we could set off on adventures the following day.

We stayed at: http://www.appartamenticinqueterre.net/en/

Perfect location, clean, friendly, and complete. Be warned there are no lifts! So five flights means 5 lots of stairs with luggage.

On the upside there is an awesomely amazing dude who does luggage delivery: Roberto Pecunia, Roberto_pecunia@libero.it +39 329 8966219. Saves you a world of pain for 5 euros per bag.

Cinque Terre – Day 2

We awoke to a stunning view and cold pizza – life cannot get any better! We decided it was hiking time – ok I decided and Jason just went with it.

About 13 years ago I hiked the trails with friends and family. It was amazing and I wanted to show it all to jason. Unfortunately 2 of the trails are now closed due to landslides. Embezzlement of funds, according to a local, has meant any repairs are unlikely.

So our first walk (Riomaggiore to Manarola), rather than 20 minutes of seaside stroll, took 1 hour of heart thumping, leg killing, muscle ripping work. Goats would turn down this track in parts, but the views were amazing and the sense of achievement worth it.

After some consultation with a local guide (who continued the theme of unhelpfulness) and our legs, we opted to take the train between Manarola and Corniglia. Wise move I believe, the trail states 1h45m.

Corniglia was stunning and we loved walking the streets, staring with a pure uphill set of steps from the train station. Every one of these towns has something a little special, a little different, and completely appealing. I wish everyone could visit to just to say “awwww”. And drink the wine 😀

Corniglia – Vernazza

Wow, bloody wow, and wow again.

This track, whislt not as hard as the first, was pure beauty. You have seaside, farm, and village views at every stop. Some of the cliffs were pure terror but at least now, unlike last time, there are hand rails. YAY.

The trail is well marked and easy to follow, if you have hiked you can do this, you do not need to be super fit to make it work. Take plenty of water, or fill up your bottles in any of the beautiful and tasty drinking fountains in Corniglia, and enjoy yourself. It is not a race – but it can turn into one J

We stopped to take photos all the time, and still made it within the time frame allotted. Be warned though, in NZ the walking times are based on a 3 legged, blind dog. In Italy they assume a level of fitness. If they say 2 hours, it will be pretty damn close!

Once we reached Vernazza we looked for a lunch spot and found one close to the water front. Again we were very happy with the food and wine/beer. A hard life. Really.

Jump back on the train, which travels between all the towns, and we headed back to Riomaggiore for a rest and a… a wine J

BTW: there is a day ticket you can get, it covers all your train rides, free wifi, access to the Vernazza walk, and use of the toilets for a day. Well worth it.

Needless to say we were pretty shattered, so we got some takeaways, extra wine and beer, sat on our balcony and hung out. Beautiful. Just sitting there watching the sun set was enough to fill your heart and wine glass.

Sleep of the dead.

Day 3

First things first, get rid of the car and get a new one. Sorted.

By the time that was done it was nearly 1030 and time for a late breakfast. Pizza from Mamamia – worth it. Reasonable prices and very tasty.

One of the locals, the owner of the gallery on the marina, suggest we do the walk between Monterosso and Levanto. He said it was easy and would not take long so we thought, what the hell!

We caught the train to Monterosso and did a bit of sightseeing. After some discussion and internal clarity we both decided that catching the bus to the top of the trail was the right thing to do, at a cost of 2.50 euros and the fact the bus appeared in front of us – fate agreed with this decision.

However, this did not make the walk “easy” but not as hard as the day before. There was a 20 minute uphill section, and the rest was down but with nasty rocks and some precarious paths. Yet again the views were magnificent and we arrived in the Old Town of Levanto. Jason’s new favourite question “how old do you think this is”.

We found a place to eat, quite average, and then walked around the village. It is beautiful and nowhere near as busy as the Cinque Terre. Well worth the extra miles if you can be bothered. The train runs there and a trip from Levanto to any station, only 4 euro!

Our evening was planned with a sunset cruise (HOW ROMANTIC) and it was FABULOUS! If you are lucky enough to be there please do this, you will not regret it. We had the most amazing guide, Stefano. His English brilliant, knowledge 2^nd to know, entertainment value could not be measured, and really, really fun!

I booked this through Viator.com (don’t, I do not recommend this site). I booked the day before but then got the date wrong (using a computer that had NZ date set) anyway. When I tried to change I was told “2 days cancellation or you lose everything” but I only booked the day before so that was an actual impossibility. STAY AWAY.

I got hold of the tour guide, they changed the day for me and I can honestly say amazing. Do it. Over 2 hours and the cost of going to them directly will be less than the 260USD I paid (remember we had the guide and the boat to ourselves).

ARBA BOATS – DO IT: https://www.facebook.com/pg/ArbaBoats/

Really, really.

Another sleep of the dead. Busy day on the 16^th, drive 400 kms to Venice, drop off rental car, check into boat, and hope for the best.

Cinque Terre has been amazing. We were both so sad to leave and definitely want to come back.

I have to say that driving 400 kms on the autostrada, at anything between 130 and 150 kms an hour is quite the thrill. Plus everything just flowed. We made it in less than 4 hours, in good spirits, even stopping for a break and some photos. NZ you have some learning to do.

Malta & The Wedding of the Century

Well after 25.5 hours in in the air, that’s right, 26.5 hours in a tiny little capsule above the earth (why do we do these things – oh yeah so we don’t have to be at home) we finally made it to Malta.

I can’t say our journey has been faultless, I will never willingly fly with Lufthansa again, the service, the planes, the misinformation has led to a lot of frustration that we just didn’t need. Maybe Air New Zealand has spoilt us for life, or maybe some companies suck at customer service.

Next time it will be Singapore Air EOS!

We spent 6 hours in Frankfurt Airport, there are worst places. But again, we were tainted as we had spent 4 hours at Changi Airport, which is more like a resort than an airport, with its little calm zones, soft music, theatres, entertainment, soothing colours, ahhhh. Take me back there.

Poor Jason has had a reality check, security process at Frankfurt and the 10 mile hike to get to anywhere you want to go, not quite the same experience as landing at Singapore. BUT, ah hem, told you so.

I have chilled out slightly, says I and no one is polling any other travellers, compared to Singapore. Maybe another week or so and I will breathe and not worry about the plan, or the list, or the responsibility of organising this sort of shite, then again, maybe its my nature. Refer to first blog for details ha, ha.

RIGHT, I have to say, the language of Malta WTAF! Do they have something against vowels? Is it a secret code to ensure tourists can never understand anything or be able to explain where they want to go!!!!

The Transfer

We had organised a transfer from Malta to Gozo, this involves a 45 minute drive across Malta, a 20 minute ferry ride, and then another 15 minutes to get up to the hotel. This was our first introduction to Malta driving, OMG, terrifying yet fun. It appears that the game chicken was invented here and frequently played with vehicles large and small. Our man certainly knew the roads.

Dinner Out with the Big Kids

We arrived slightly late but the lovely Annabel and Alfonse MacDonald had arranged dinner for all guests that had travelled far and wide. So we hardened up, despite being exhausted and slightly delusional and went to the restaurant – Patrick’s.

The food was delicious! Everything was full of flavour, using local produce, and the WINE, the WINE! All local and fabulous, and I clearly had more than my fair share.

Into bed around 1030 PM which felt like days since we left Singapore. Again, a brilliant sleep was had by all, especially Jason!!!

We are staying at the Downtown Hotel in Victoria, Gozo. It is nice, clean, inexpensive, and the staff are very helpful. Recommended for when you guys come to here to visit, which you should, because its beautiful, and warm, and the Mediterranean. Seriously, do it.

Day 1

We recovered well with a good sleep on our slab, the matress is a tad firm, and we were ready to hit the ground running (walking briskly anyway). First we needed to sort out SIM cards so we didn’t have to pay NZ extortionate rates. Vodafone NZ could learn a lot from the customer service offered in Vodafone Gozo. The guy was great, sorted out us, got a phone for the man so he has to “do technology”. We are now online and fancy free.

Hop on – Hop off

The best way to see this tiny island is using the red, double decker, open air, hop on-hop off bus. It was fantastic, with commentary, amazing views, and we chose the day with the best weather – not too hot and not too cold. The bus went to each of the little towns and we were able to get the lay of the land. We stopped and had lunch in the port town of Mgarr – not cheap but extremely declicious at Bella Sicilia.

It was also our fist introduction to the Maltese bread, which they give you at the beginning of every meal, and the bruschetta which is also complementary. By the time the mains arrive you are FULL! But the bread is so GOOOOOD. And of course we had to wash it down with the local wine and beer – had to, it was a requirement.

We spent the rest of the day walking around the beautiful city and taking lots and lots of photos. The town itself, Victoria, has the Citadella which reigns supreme over everything. Its beautiful and at night it is all lit up.

One thing we could not get over was the cost of the drinks, we had gone from Singapore at $24 for a glass of wine, to 3.55 euros for an entire bottle of Gozonian Rose which is quite exceptional to drink. Needless to say we made the most of this.

Dinner in Marsalforn

Annabel, the amazing travel adviser, recommended we try Pierre’s in Marsalforn. So Jason, Berry, and I booked a taxi and off we went. The food fabulous, surroundings to die for, wine SUPER, and service was great. Everyone is just so friendly and nice especially the staff at the restaurants.

I had a tuna steak which was cooked to perfection, Berry enjoyed her king prawns, and Jason covered all his bases with the seafood platter. All this was washed down with great wine and beer, and the complimentary spirit at the end of it. How do they make money!

Day 2 – WEDDING DAY

Well the day that inspired this entire trip finally arrived. The wedding day for Dani and Adam. The weather was perfect, warm, but not too warm, overcast, but not raining, and windy enough to keep us all cool.

It was an evening wedding so we had the whole day to explore, whichg we did in our usual way of walking for miles! After the obligatory, and included, cooked breakfast se hit the ground and walked 3.5km out to the craft village. This is where you can see the locals do their thing. I was speicficially interested in the Gozo Glass factory. Having seen some of their works I was determined to get some. Mission accomplished.

We walked back to Gozo where we spent the day exploring the Citadella, eating, drinking, and blowing up balloons for the wedding train!

We at in St George Square at The Grapes. We though, just a wee platter and a salad, because of the wedding. MY GOD the size of this food was nuts! We did not have enough room on the table. Oh well, we made do.

We finally got all dressed up and ready for the main event. The little train carried us through town and down to Inland Sea where the ceremony was set in this amazing little inlet, you could not ask for better photos. Dani looked stunning and Adam very handsome. It all went well and was followed by the most amazing feast! Seriously I don’t think we ever stopped eating and drinking!

The little train took us all the way back again. The locals must have hated us as the music, conversation, and drunks blared throughout their quiet little island. Fun times with fabulous people.

Congrats to both Dani and Adam xxxx

Day 3 – The Day After

We both felt remarkably well, but tired, after the party. So we did the usual and went for a walk. This time we walked the 5.5 kms down to the port town of Mgarr in the hope we could get a boat out to Comino and the caves.

SUCCESS! The boats were running and we paid extra so they would take us out to caves – normally they only do this in the afternoon but I explained we had no time. So, god bless Gozo everything is possible for a price, we went out to the blue lagoon and then a private ride out to the caves. They are truly spectacular and you see the force of nature that created such gouges in the rocks.

We also saw Elephant rock which was very cool.

Back to Victoria for more walking, a little shopping, and yes more food. This time we ate at the Citadella at Ta Rikardu. The place is so cute and inside the walls themselves. The food very nice and the booze, well the theme continued.

Annabel, god bless her madness, decided it would be a great idea to host everyone for lunch after the wedding. So we regrouped and went for a visit, more food, and wine. We may have a problem. It was lovely to see everyone one last time before we, with Dani and Adam, caught the ferry back to Malta.

We had a great driver, who had been transporting us most of the time, and he picked us up and took us all the way to our accommodation in Malta. Madness, so much traffic, I guess it is a Friday night but we had gotten used to our sleepy little Gozo. Malta was a bit of shock to the senses. We stayed in Sliema, coastal, pretty, and busy. We got in late and we were all so tired.

Dani and Adam headed off to Valletta where they were resting up before their honeymoon in Sicily.

Off we went for our last dinner in Malta. The receptionist at the hotel, good service continued, recommended Anciova. A Sicilian seafood restaurant by the waterfront. Again, the food was amazing, the wine delicious, but not quite the same service as you got in the little restaurants on Gozo. All the same it was a nice way to finish the trip.

A super early start for the beginning of our next leg to Italy. Gozo, a must see, little known, and underappreciated gem. I highly recommend a visit, drink the wine, and eat the tomatoes, they taste different. You can taste the sun.

Thanks Gozo!

Well the first leg of the trip has been damn awesome. A massive shout out to our absent hosts Malcolm and Amy Barnes. They were kind enough to let us use their apartment in Singapore, along with everything, including awesome directions, travel cards, and a booze cabinet to die for.

We stayed in Geylang district, very cool. Very local, there was no doubt you were with the locals. But that was awesome, everyone was so friendly and the food AMAZING. I may have to rethink my wedding outfit unless I can stop eating (ok, new wedding outfit it is).

We have done a lot of tourist things in a short period of time. Jason is holding up well and I am doing my best not to be neurotic. But REALLY, I have a plan, so people should just stick to my plan, otherwise its not a plan – its just a freaking estimate!!! Sign, deep breath, inner zen (and get the f%ck over it).

Day 1

Arrival in Singapore was so damn easy. It is now the benchmark that every other airport will be held to (Jason is in for a reality check when we get to Frankfurt). Taxi ride to the Barnes residence super fast, friendly and efficient.

We figured out the local transit system, mainly, it is really great and ridiculously cheap. Meant we could get around easily and see the things we wanted to see.

We went into town to see Battlebox. I highly recommend this to everyone. A real piece of history. I told Jason we were going to Battlebox and he said “is that a shoe shop”, where does he get these weird ideas.

Battlebox the popular name of the underground command centre constructed under Fort Canning, Singapore, as an emergency, bomb-proof command centre during the Malayan Campaign and the Battle of Singapore. See more here: http://www.battlebox.com.sg/

A quick lunch at the local food court, the hardest thing is trying to decide what to eat.

EVERYTHING!!!

The food court is in a massive mall, so we did the kid thing and travelled up and down the escalators. Seriously, being in that mall reminded me I am nothing but an amateur when it comes to shopping. Not a single shop door was crossed.

We went back to Hotel Barnes and Jason had a wee nap, I went exploring and, oh my god its so bad here, more food. In my defence it was for breakfast the next day, just the usual pad thai, murtabak, chicken wings…

Chinatown We had an evening tour of Chinatown booked. It was pretty good, the guide was nice BUT my god her delivery was not great. I wanted to prompt her so we could just move on. She came with the obligatory umbrella so we could find her (embarrassed much).

After the standard Chinese banquet we went on a tri-shaw ride, think rickshaw attached to a bicycle. Our driver/biker was about 102 years old. I thought he was going to expire, I nearly offered to do the peddling for him, but he didn’t seem the chatty sort – the most he said was “give me a tip”.

We were safely delivered to the next part of our tour, the bumboat ride. Yep, well, apparently the little bumboats were used to go to the backend of the big boats to get the cargo. So yeah, bumboats. There could, of course, be other explanations.

We finally got home about 10pm in time for a couple of cocktails, for me, whilst Jason had a beer and fell asleep on the couch.

Day 2

We had the afore mentioned breakfast. I am officially in heaven and at risk of diabetes.

Luckily this was not an early start, well not as early as thought. We made our way back to Chinatown to pick up our tickets for the Gardens by the Bay. Turns out the tour company is not easy to find but went into the information centre and they were just freaking AMAZING. Sorted out tickets, directions, hints and tips. THANKS

Gardens by the Bay This place is just amazing. The first port of call Flower Dome! It is a massive green house, no really, its freaking HUGE. Filled with trees, flowers, succulents, and sculptures (and far too many tourists). Just fabulous.

This was followed by the Cloud Walk, I was not inspired by this name, but inside this particular dome is a fabulous experience. Sky walks, waterfalls, sculptures, amazing and slightly creepy plants. We loved it. Who comes up with this stuff????

On to the Supertrees! These are massive structures that have been designed to grow plant life on and around them. So whilst the structure itself is metallic by the time the plant life has matured they will look like massive trees between 25 and 50 metres tall. Plus, one of them houses a restaurant, and they all have lights that are used to do light displays in the evening. The Supertree Grove is free and you can wander around the walkways and bridges to your hearts content. Well done Singapore.

Marina Bay Sands All that nature and stuff wears you out! Nothing else to do but go have a drink, or two…

Everyone told us we had to go to Marina Bay Sands, cocktails are nice and the view is spectacular. I can attest they are right on both counts.

The view is beautiful and you can see the real expanse of Singapore. Just amazing. The cocktails were very tasty, ridiculously expensive though, don’t expect to walk away with change from a $50 for one cocktail and one beer. Oh well, when on honeymoon and stuff.

Sentosa Clearly we had not done enough that day so we decided to tick another item off our list and head to Sentosa Island. Not a lot to say about this really. Expensive, lots of tourists, and locals, and rides, and expensive food, and blah, blah, bah humbug. The beaches looked amazing, and they had some cool stuff but we could not be bothered with the queues so stuck to the gondolas, which offered amazing views. We spent an hour or so going back and forth J quite expensive but a bit of fun all the same.

Singapore Flyer Next on our checklist was the much anticipated Singapore Flyer. It could be called the Singapore Eye, but then we could have gotten into all sorts of issues with stereotypes and eye shapes etc. Anyhoo, what a trip! We bought the Singapore Sling version, which meant no queues, excellent service, no crowds. It was great, I always thought I would get bored moving that slow but it was COOL! A must do, Jason just kept talking about the engineering, I was like “preeeeeetty”.

Light show The last thing we had on our wish list for the day was to watch the light show at the Gardens on the Bay. This is where they light up the Supertrees to music. At the moment the music is Star Wars movie themes! Fanfreakingtastic! Only 15 minutes long, free, two shows (745 and 845), a must see!

Finally made it home! A couple of cold drinks, listening to music, Jason falling asleep on the couch… just like home J

Best sleep in a long time.

Day 3

Our last day in Singapore, insert sad face here, we had done so much the day before we didn’t want to overdo it today.

Zoooooooooo. So we started our day with breakfast with the Orangutans at the zoo. Very cute! You get an amazing buffet breakfast with the deal and that was worth it. Some cute orang-utan photos, access to all the zoo exhibitions. We spent a good three hours there and it was really good. Quite small, but nicely done, and we got quite close to some of the animals, obviously not the hungry ones!

Shopping Despite my resolution, Mr Barnes pointed out there was mailing services for a reason. You can mail shopping home. So we went to the Arab quarter in search of the prefect pashmina. I caved, I bought, I love! Jason was very helpful “yes dear, that looks great”. And I walked out with a beautiful scarf (or two). I shall be rocking these over the next two months.

The Arab Quarter is amazing, so different to the other parts of the city we saw. A beautiful mosque is the centre of the quarter and it was prayer time when we were there so you could hear the chants right across the area. Beautiful. The surroundings are artistic, clean, and beautiful, go for the walk if nothing else.

Frustration Then I made the mistake of trying to send postcards. We shall leave it at that. I still have them, and people shall be receiving Singaporean postcards sent from Europe.

NEXT So, we went back, we packed, we chilled, another walk around the neighbourhood, and we are at the airport waiting for our flight.

I would definitely come back to Singapore, and stay longer! A beautiful place with friendly people and amazing activities! Highly recommended.

Onto Europe!

Some Photos – In No Particular Order

Just out for a walk around the beautiful Wellington harbour. It is hard to remember why we go on holiday when we live here. But, we are going anyway. We will miss you NZ. ONE MORE DAY TO GO!

Welcome to our travelling blog. We will be posting updates and adventures here whenever we have the time.

Join us on our journey 5th May to 30th June.

Singapore, Europe, and USA!

We are all packed and now it is just a matter of the countdown. The dog is not happy and she is giving me that look! Only three days until we finally get to go on our adventure. Tick, tick, tick.