Looking Back on my Year of Travel - From Bali to Melbourne, Boracay to the Greek Islands, London to New York City

Sunset in Seminyak, Bali

On my 24^th birthday last year I was standing on a beach in Seminyak, Bali when I made the monumental decision to move to London. It was something that I’ve always dreamed about – travelling around Europe, working overseas and making the most out of life. It was finally time to get out of my comfort zone and actually do it!

The London dream is shared by thousands of twentysomething girls. So I admit I don’t feel like I’m unique, as I am but just another girl working in Central London catching the Tube each day. Yet I still feel a sense of accomplishment. Sometimes I feel like pinching myself – that I actually moved all the way across the world with nothing but a 12 kilogram backpack!

A Western Australian sunset at Cottesloe Beach

A Melbournian start to 2010

Soaking my feet in Torquay, Victoria

I started the year in Melbourne, devouring a book about living and working in the UK whilst enjoying balmy summer evenings. I went jogging with my brother in the Royal Botanical Gardens, walked along the beach in St Kilda and spent quality time with my best friend drinking cocktails in secret laneway bars and having high tea.

A Filipino Getaway

Boracay's White Beach

Pagsanjan Falls

In April I embarked on, and survived, a group holiday to the Philippines. I was astounded by the beauty of Boracay – the white beaches with sand so fine that it’s used for day spa treatments, the fresh value for money seafood and crazy beach bars. Most of all, I was humbled by the generosity of my friends and their family in Manila.

Once my UK work visa came through and I quit my job there was no looking back! 

A European summer

Falling in love with Santorini

Octopus handing to dry in Paros

I’ve always wanted to ‘summer in Europe’. Landing in sticky, hot Athens the weather didn’t disappoint my travel buddy Kassie and I. We sailed around the Greek Islands, enjoying beautiful sunsets in Santorini and even hiked up the volcano. On the Amalfi coast we ate spoonfuls of gelato every day and then ventured to Rome to be immersed in history in the hidden churches discovering Michelangelo in the unlikeliest places. Paris meant plenty of macarons, an escape to Disneyland before we relaxed in Nice and gambled some Euros in Monaco. 

Sacre Coeur in Paris

Capri, Italy

Then I sailed the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia on a 7 day cruise. The scenery in Croatia is simply stunning – untouched national parks, pristine beaches and imposing mountains. My biggest feat was climbing to the top of a 16^th Century pirate fortress!

London -  a home away from home?

Serpentine bridge in Hyde Park

In London the holiday was officially over. I needed to get a flat and a job asap. In four weeks I traipsed all over London looking at 10 flats, meeting with recruiters and interviewing for jobs. How would you describe yourself in one word? Exhausted!

Time escapes you when you’re endlessly hunting and by sheer chance I ended up living in a hostel run by nuns. Despite the weekday lock out by 11pm it was the best experience of my life! It’s here where I met my ‘London family’. Having a support network is the most important thing you need when you arrive in a big city. Even though you never know who’s going to stay in London as the hellos and goodbyes are always constant, my friends ground me when the grey skies and cold causes bouts of homesickness.

Weekends away in the UK

It's exciting to be able to escape London for the weekend. I visited Edinburgh and was charmed by the amazing B&B we stayed at and then also drove around Inverness in one day! In Bath, I channeled Elizabeth Bennett and went to the thermae spa, browsed the charming Christmas markets and enjoyed eating a cinnamon butter Sally Lunn bun.

View from Edinburgh Castle

Bath Abbey at nightfall

I’m ending this year on a high in NYC with my brother Ryan – I survived my first blizzard and am looking forward to seeing the ball drop. 

This year has been a tough, challenging, emotional roller coaster. Travelling is always about big highs and lows. My biggest high this year is waking up every day in a new city, feeling like my next adventure in 2011 is just around the corner. 

Wanderlust Wednesday - Sunset Over Athens

On a hot humid July day, travelers find solace away from the crowds. We perched on the hill near the Acropolis, waiting for the sun to descend and a summer party to begin.

Wanderlust Wednesday - Inverness, Scotland

Inverness is known as the gateway to northern Scotland and the highlands. Travelling by train from Edinburgh takes 3.5 hours. When there's a mechanical failure and a broken down train ahead of you, it takes a total of 4 hours! Lucky we had Scottish shortbread to get us through the journey and a fellow passenger/ great Scotsman shared his malt whiskey with Chiara.

Perth, Scotland

The main reason why people visit Inverness is to get to Loch Ness. With a hire car, we drove along the River Ness to the closest point of the Loch Ness and looked out over Urquhart Castle. No Nessie to be seen in autumn, but the trees were turning beautiful, golden colours.

The drive to Loch Ness

Urquhart Castle

Culloden Battlefield is a popular destination in Inverness. It has a serene feeling about it as it's so quiet, particularly late afternoon when we visited. In respectful silence, we strolled along the main path in the crisp air.

A sombre sign at Culloden Battlefield.

To complete our Scottish adventure - a pub dinner is required before a very long bus ride home. 

Wanderlust Wednesday - Split, Croatia

The Green Market in Split is a bustling epicentre of trade. It remains a traditional and cheap marketplace, where stall holders use scales with real weights to measure your purchases.

The image that stays in my mind the most are the 'garlic ladies' who hold strings of garlic to sell, shouting at their customers. The Green Market is a must visit for the freshest fruit and veg in town.


(Sorry for the delay in posts, irregular internet and a tumultuous month in London are my excuses but I'm now back on track!)

Strolling Through Hyde Park, London - Photolog

I've been in London for two weeks and it appears that summer is already over. It's been grey, cloudy, rainy and everyone's telling me I should just get used to it. 

So when I woke up on Saturday and it was sunny I escaped from my hostel and headed straight to Hyde Park for a power walk. 

Beautiful white swans swimming in Serpentine

Serpentine Bridge

Italian Gardens

A nest in one of the ponds. There were four little baby birds nestling up against each other whilst their parents guarded them protectively. Awww...!  

How I fell in love with Santorini

Santorini is one of the world’s best known Greek Islands. Before visiting Santorini I was slightly apprehensive that it was going to be a honeymooners destination, touristy, expensive and crowded. I was also under the impression that the only way to travel around the island was by sitting on a donkey!

Santorini charmed me with its imposing cliff tops, stunning scenery and friendly locals. I slowly began to fall hard and fast for Santorini. I was so enamoured that I even broke my travel itinerary to stay an extra night there!

Six Santorini Must Do Activities


  1. Hike around the volcano

1.

The island of Santorini was formed by a volcanic eruption. A caldera was created and the volcano itself has been inactive since the 1950s. Having never hiked around a volcano before I was expecting to see molten lava in the crater! My naivete was soon dispelled when all I could see were black rocks. These ‘hot rocks’ in the crater reach temperatures of 40-80 degrees Celsius.

Our cheerful guide led our tour group of 40 in a work appropriate uniform comprised of a yellow bikini top, denim shorts and hiking boots. We nicknamed her ‘Volcano Barbie’!

The hike to the volcano takes about 40 minutes, make sure you wear closed shoes as the rocks can be unstable.

2.     2. Watch the sunset 

I blogged about this in an earlier post, but it is a must do. Most cynics say that you see the sunset everyday, truth be told you don’t see it in Santorini every day!

I was on a cruise around the caldera bay on one evening to watch the sunset. It was a less crowded viewpoint in comparison to being in Oia where masses congregate for sunset. 

3.     3. Clamber over rocks on Red Beach

Red beach is a rocky beach so don’t expect to walk on red sand. A 1.30 Euro busride takes you to the outskirts of the beach and from there it’s a ten minute walk. The beach is framed by huge red cliffs and it’s a short hike to get down there. Once I navigated my way to the water in my thongs (flip flops) I didn’t really want to take them off ! The pebbles are very slippery so I’d recommend wearing reef shoes in the water and taking a beach mat if you’re not hiring a sun lounge.

4.    4.  Sip Iced Coffee at Kastro Café by day

Greek iced coffee is always beautifully presented in layers of milk and coffee. It’s a great pick me up on a sweltering summer’s day. Kastro Café has three levels with fantastic views down to the old port and over the caldera.

5.    5.  Drink a cocktail at Tango Bar at night

In the evening, the lights of the town cast reflections on the water. It’s a peaceful view and on one particular night a ghostly pirate ship was docked in the harbour.

Tango Bar has reasonably priced cocktails for 10 Euro and comfy lounges for you to recline on and gaze over the water.

6.     6. Party at Murphy's

“If you want to get crazy, go to Murphy's!” Our rather enthusiastic waitress at dinner advised us when my travel buddy and I asked for directions to a bar. I think our Aussie accents were suggestive that we were looking to get crazy. Murphy's is a typical Irish tourist bar with all the important facets – cute bartenders and great music. The DJ was playing RnB hits all night and the dance floor was absolutely packed.

It’s rather hot and steamy inside so once you’ve had you’ve danced your heart out the only way to end a great night in Santorini is by eating a gyros. Somehow it seems nicer than ending a night out with a ‘kebab’ which is what usually happens back in Australia...  

Best Budget Hotel:

I can’t recommend the family-run Hotel Antonia highly enough. It’s in a great location being only a five minute walk into the heart of Fira town, yet it's quiet enough for a good night’s sleep. The owner was very accommodating and provided a free transfer to the new port when we left. Also very importantly, it has super fast free wifi.

Wanderlust Wednesday - Dubrovnik, Croatia

You can't visit Dubrovnik and not complete the walk around the city's walls. Dubrovnik's walls are a UNESCO world heritage site and were constructed in the 14th to 15th centuries to defend the city.

The walk takes under two hours, depending on your climbing pace, and offers stunning views across the terracotta rooftops of the city and over the bay. During the climb you also get glimpses into Croatian life by peeking down into the backyards of locals.

The Sleeping Dogs of Europe - A Photolog

In Europe dogs seem to be everywhere. Seen as a natural part of one's family, they follow their owner's to work, go shopping and some of the lucky ones even go on holiday! Stray dogs don't have the most luxurious life, however those that live in Pompeii are well looked after. I captured some of the cutest dogs, and a cat, having afternoon siestas during my recent European adventure.

A Golden Retriever rests his head in Paros Island, Greece.

Two dogs sleeping on the street in Piraeus, Athens.

This dog is sleeping amongst the ancient ruins of Pompeii. 

Contemplating life and a snooze in Makarska, Croatia.

Ok, I'm not a cat person. However this cat looked so incredibly relaxed on a couch outside a cafe in Santorini that I just had to snap a photo. 

All photos were taken on my iPhone.

Six Pieces of Paris – For Second Time Visitors

Dear Paris, I confess that I’ve always been in love with you. Your six level high buildings with ornate balconies are so charming, your bistro food is divine and the pastries you offer are delectable. I adore saying ‘bonjour’ to strangers and attempting bad French. It’s fun, non?

Depending on who you’re travelling with, a second timers visit to Paris often ends up being a mix of seeing tourist spots you originally missed and discovering new places.

This time around I stayed in the Latin Quarter for four days, managing to carve out a slice of Paris that truly felt like my own.

1.     1. Climb the steps to Sacre Coeur

This church is beautiful but perhaps it’s more well known for the views outside. The uphill climb is worth the absolutely stunning 360 degree view of the city. Be careful of hawkers on the way up though.

2.     2. Eat Macarons

Macarons taste better in Paris. My Parisian goal was to eat at least one macaron or “sweet burger” every day. Pistachio. Caramel. Strawberry. On one day I think I ate three mini macarons, it was a very good day…

3.     3. Visit Shakespeare & Co

Messages on the wall from visitors

At this English bookstore I overheard an American lad ask, ‘why is this bookstore so famous?’ It’s  independent, charming, rustic, old and has been in movies like After Sunset. You can purchase second hand books and I bough Dreams from the Endz by Faiza Guene for 5 Euro.

4.     4. Do a jump shot in front of the Eiffel Tower

This is devastatingly touristy. But doing a perfect jump shot requires precision and a camera that has a 'jump shot' function... I actually lost my first time visit to Paris photos so an Eiffel Tower photo was a must for my scrapbook/blog.

5.     5. Pretend to be a local on Rue Mouffetard

This delightful street is what you imagine ‘suburban’ Paris to be like. It’s filled with fromageries, boulangers, wine shops and restaurants. Cute fashion boutiques also appear in between as well as the delightgul Gelati d'Alberto where you sample the best gelato in Paris. My friend Kassie and I also learnt the hard way that chantilly means cream not ‘ice-cream shaped like a flower’.

6.     6. Shop hard on Avenue du Montaigne

This street is all class. High end designers line the avenue. Make sure you have your credit card on you before visiting any of these stores! Note that this Dior bag isn't mine...unfortunately!

I highly recommend staying at the Hotel Maxim in Latin Quarter. It’s not exorbitantly priced and is in a great location right by Censier Daubenton metro station. It has lots of affordable bistros nearby and a supermarket just around the corner. It actually felt like my home in Paris!

NB. Sorry for the delay in posts, I'm now in London so posts will return to a more regular schedule.