Living in England

We were pretty amazed and blown away by it all in England. We found a place pretty quick that was tiny; we had our clothes line hanging above our bed and we used an ironing board for our TV and computer. We had said we wanted to be cosy and back to basics, this was definitely that. Soon after we first arrived we went to the Notting Hill carnival which had a heap of Caribbean Dancers shaking their big booties around, we went there with our tube passes and good intentions then met some aussies who gave us a sip of their vodka and it was downhill from there, we had a ball. For a while at first we did a lot of sightseeing in the city, lots of old buildings and churches and then we started to go out and check out the country side. The first of these was Brighton which was nice but there were none of the apparent waves they say are there so I carried my board round all day for nothing but I did score a guitar for 2 pound. It needed some tape and strings as it was rooted but I was happy I also got an old slayer shirt for a pound and Shell bought some stuff. We then went to Dimmu Borgir when Kreppo came and that was awesome, they put on a great show and I was loving it. We were drinking in the park mostly as pubs aren’t cheap but it was getting a bit chilly for that, we went out sometimes like to the Red Back which was cheap and we met some funny Irish fells but it was a long way to go. I was working supply and getting 4-5 days a week and Michelle had a full time job 4 days a week and would get 5 days sometimes also. We were making enough to save up for our holidays first of which were Switzerland Germany and France.

On our first day we just walked around the city of Basel and looked at the lovely old buildings, we got a ferry across the Rheine; the river that runs from the mountains through Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium and out in Holland. It was cool, the river runs so strong the ferry just uses a rudder against the current and is guided across by a cable. The water is really clean too as it comes out of the icy mountains. We went to the Basel fair where Sepp the guy we were staying with had a Liver, pork and sausage stall. After looking around and having a Gluhwein; a warm Swiss wine we had some Swiss sausage, it was great. The next day we went up to Luzern which is a city at the foot of the Alps, more interesting old buildings and we had a beer on the Lake actually really warm in the sun while looking up at the snow covered Alps. The next day we went briefly through Mulhouse in France and on the Freibahn to Freiburg in Germany. The difference in the layout and architecture was stark between Switzerland and France particularly. While Switzerland is so ordered and retains their old flavour France is more modern and a bit cold in that part. We then went over a bridge and one side was France and the Germany, no border checks at all. The Freibahn is where you can go as fast you want, it was only a 3 lane so they were going maybe 150-60 but that seemed pretty fast to us! Freiburg was a beautiful place; it's in the Black Forest. There was an amazing old Munster - church, heaps of ancient sculptures and paintings and they allowed you to walk around inside and take pictures so I spent ages doing so. We then walked around the city for a while and of course had to have some German beer and sausage in a Keller which is a traditional old pub.

            Switzerland, Germany and France

Then the following day was the highlight; Engelberg in the Alps. We went up in the cable cars which were awesome, we were up pretty high and the view was great but once up on the glacier at 10,000 feet it was really humbling. Out one side was the green lowlands and the other was the snowy Alps as far as the eye could see. We could have snowboarded but as the people we were with live in Switzerland they said the snow wouldn't be good enough but there were heaps of people doing it and it looked fine to us but we got to have a muck around on toboggans and we had a ball anyway. It was actually reasonably warm in the sun too, on the way back we looked inside a glacial cave which was cool, literally. On the second last day we went to a football game which was fun, they get into it so much here you can't help being swept up in it and although I find it a bit slow on telly live it seemed to be over in no time. The Aussie player for Basel Scott Chipperfeild scored so that was a bonus. Afterwards we went to a traditional underground Swiss private cellar which was nice and warm. Of course we did a fair bit of drinking the whole time and were getting right into the bloody Marys. Then it was our last day and we just had a look around a traditional craft market before getting on the plane home, we had a great time and were so glad we went.

Not long after Switzerland I went to see The Dillinger Escape Plan and it was nuts, the band was jumping into the crowd a lot and there were people flying everywhere. We then went and saw some cool English stuff like Hampton Court and the Greenwich Markets for Shell’s birthday. We then went to see Soilwork which were awesome, they didn’t play for as long as we would have liked as they were playing with some others but we were still stoked to see them. We then went to Swanage and stayed with Shell’s aunty Mary and looked around the cute little old seaside town. I had a tiny surf but it wasn’t much worth writing home about at all but I was just happy to get out again. I got a long term job job for 3 days a week at a school nearby that I really like so that was great. Then our much anticipated trip to France and Spain was cancelled due to the snow! We were booked with Easyjet and they just cancel flights without giving you another and you have to book yourself as we found out. Light snow was forecast and we booked a hotel near the airport as we were worried we might not get there but we got there fine, it was getting out of the bloody country that was the problem. We got the message on the way there so we figured we may as well stay the night anyway and it was a nice hotel. We got another flight for the Wednesday five days later and got another 3 days in Madrid as we found out we weren't due back at work until Tuesday, I would have rather had more time surfing but was happy to stay out of England a bit longer. We weren't real impressed when news reports were saying they didn't really have to cancel the flights but we were luckier than some people stuck in trains or airports. So instead of being in France we went to Stonehenge and Bath for the day, it was snowing still so we couldn't get into Stonehenge which was a shame but we got to see it from a distance and it was good to get out of London. When we first saw snow in England it was a novelty but the fun had died and we just wanted some warmth and sun.

France and Spain

When we finally got on the plane after a five hour delay which we spent at the pub on Wednesday we were stoked. Because we got in late we had to spend the night in Bordeaux before heading to Biarritz the next day. We had planned to stay there and Lacanau first but the weather changed that. When we got to Biarritz the wind was howling and it was cold and rainy even with a bit of hail that was perfectly round like the balls in a bean bag but the next day it got a bit better and I finally had a decent surf, it was messy but I was just happy to get back amongst it. Shell was pretty crook with the flu but she started to get better and it was a lovely sunny day when we went exploring around the town. It was beautiful checking out all the walkways and tiny old streets that'd been there for ages. I also had a better surf that day, I was pretty tired after our walk and it was getting late and cold so I decided to wait until the morning but when I rocked up it was flat as a tac so I turned around and got back in bed spewing I didn't go out again the arvo before as we were leaving for Spain soon. It was a nice place, expensive but we were pleasantly surprised at how nice and helpful the locals were. There was a lot of dog poo around though and people had them on trains, in restaurants and they had lots of tiny ones with coats and even pigtails and blokes are by no means worried about their manhood while carrying around a little dog. There were some old folks on the bus out of there who we couldn't tell if they were drunk or just a bit nuts we know a tiny bit of French and one bloke just kept talking at us in French and dribbling and stumbling around while eating a baguette and smoking. So we didn't get to see the stereotypical French with a white and blue striped shirt, beret, moustache and pantaloons riding a bike with his nose in the air, a baguette sticking out his bread basket and a string of garlic round his neck but we saw some crazy or drunk or both old people.

We got the train to San Sebastian which was 1.50 Euro which is a bit under three bucks and it was evident in the different look of the stacked up poorer housing as soon as we passed into Spain. This was the only way we knew as there were no signs or customs we were just in France one stop then Spain the next. It was much cheaper but still not really cheap but I was stoked as the surf was getting better. The first day was shocking but the next few days were fun, I broke my leggy the first day and it was only about 2 foot and I'd used that in big surf at home and Indo! The last day I even got a couple of barrels and did some airs so I was very happy. The sun was out every day too and it was sometimes over ten degrees which was now very nice to what we were used to. San Sebastian was a great place too, we were staying in old town that had tiny little cute streets and very old again. We went for a walk up the mountain one day and saw the ancient fort and Jesus overlooking the town. It was fun but Shell wasn't well again and her mouth was now infected somehow and until she got on antibiotics she wasn't having much fun. We drunk plenty of Sangria and ate Tapas and just enjoyed exploring the streets and bars at night. We were then due to move on again to Madrid, the lady at the train station said  I might not be allowed on with my board but luckily she was wrong and we got to Madrid at 10 that night which is not late at all to them. Shell was loving the culture of sleeping in, having a siesta then going out late. Madrid is full of grand old buildings and statues, lots of interesting stuff to look around at. Our new years started a bit strange, a lot of places shut from 6-7 and weren't reopening until the next day or after midnight but we managed to find some so we were lucky. We met a South Efrikan and Portugese couple and hung with them which was cool, there wasn't much music or anywhere to dance though which was a shame but we still had fun although we were separated in the crowd at twelve but we made up for it when we got home. We had to change hostals on new years day which wasn't much fun and the new one was pretty rough but we got to lay down which we were very happy to do. We looked around a different part of the city on the second then met up with Nadine and Marco again and had a few beers but not too late as we had to leave the next day. After a great holiday we were a bit sad to be back in London and looking forward to Portugal!

Portugal, Wales and Morocco

We laid pretty low for a while after such a great holiday but we booked our holiday to Morocco then Egypt which we were stoked about. We did a couple of weekend trips around England like Bournemouth looking for waves but no go, was fun to have a look around though and have a nice bed and shower compared to the one in our place! We then went to see Viki and Graham in Whitstable which was fun, we also got to have a look around Canterbury which is a nice little place with some cool old ruins. I went to see Nile which was awesome, so fast and technically brilliant. I thought I could play fast but they all do and take turns growling, I was blown away. We then went to Portugal which we loved, the first few nights we stayed in Porto and checked out the city. I had a decent size fun surf at Matosinhos the first morning we were there so I was looking forward to going back. The next day we went down to Espinho and I had a surf but it was no good, too messy and rippy and maxing out. So we just had a nice walk around the river the next day admiring the old buildings and the little houses up the huge cliffs along the river. We then had a few beers enjoying the sun while it lasted on the riverfront. The next day we headed back out to stay at Matosinhos for a couple of days and scored a luxury hotel for pretty cheap so we were stoked. This new place was right near the port which was massive and pretty bloody impressive to see the sheer scale of the ships and machinery. I got some fun waves while there but it was a bit fat but after not surfing since Spain I was happy to get out there. We went out to what we thought would be a pretty little hilltop village in Braga but it was pretty big too, it did have some nice old buildings though and it was nice to have a look around. We had a few nice meals and a few nights drinking but it shut pretty early there so we made a lot of good use from our nice hotel. We got wine and cheese a couple of times and drank in the park in the sun a couple of times which was nice and we got to have some Sangria and Port. The last day we went for a walk along the beach front to the River mouth which was nice to have a look around and then we were back to London again, looking forward to Morocco and Egypt. The weekend after we got back we went to Newquay in a Wicked camper which was fun, especially in the day when it was sunny but it was freezing at night especially since I forgot one of the blankets. I got some tiny waves but the plugs in the fish were screwed so I was making plans with Tom’s mate to get it fixed properly. We went and saw a pretty impressive gorge on the way back with Mountain goats and stopped in at Wales for a quick look around. It was beautiful country all around that way so we were really glad we did it. After t we didn't do a whole lot other than went to the Royal Albert Hall and saw an amazing orchestra and some comedians and got into the Guinness book of records as part of the biggest ever mass kazoo performance and not long after I went to the Red Bull free running championships which was cool, then I went to Southampton a couple of weekends in a row to get my fish fixed which I was very happy about.

Got to Essaouira on a luxurious bus from Marrakech through the desert looking at camels, sheep, cows and donkeys and people living out there in their funny little stone houses doing it pretty bloody tough. Marrakech was hectic, we stayed in a lovely Riad - hotel with a rooftop terrace and a pool in the middle that we thought would be nice for a swim but after we got to the edge with our swimmers on it was freezing so Shell just put her toes in and I just had a quick wade and didn't even put my head under like a little girl. We only had one full day there so we spent that shopping and like many times before in a new country we got ripped off. We really should learn that when we hear the words 'special for you only today' that we are in for a robbing. We went to the tannery and it was interesting to have a look at how they do it old style and thankfully they gave us a mint branch to cover the stench that they live and work in. Then came the hard sell and we bought a lovely but costly Moroccan bedspread that will go around my board on the plane. We then bought some other little things like some hand symbols and finally found somewhere to have a couple of beers with dinner. We also should have realised by now that Islamic states aren't too fond of grog so bring duty free! When we were walking back to the Riad it was bedlam, too many people for the streets and blokes taking advantage of the close proximity with their hands and Shell. We were holding onto each other and our bags tight and when people started pushing each other around we got worried but we got there in the end. Also when we arrived at the airport heaps of flights got in together so the passport lines were ridiculous and people were cheering when others got through but some frog was booing! People really should realise they have no power in that situation and the only thing you can do is be thankful when you do get through or you can land yourself in an international incident. We had a similar situation in Sri Lanka and being calm and patient may have in the end meant the difference between getting on or missing our plane. In Madrid we had about 6 hours on the airport so we found some grass outside to lay down in which was a nice way to pass the time in some sun. Anyway back to Morocco and we were much happier in Essaouira, we did like Marrakech but a coupla days of chaos was enough of an experience. We did have a hassle when we first arrived in Essaouira that our hotel was closed and we had to go to another one that was a dive but it worked out ok in the end even though the paint was falling off the walls and it wasn't the cleanest of places but it was cheap apart from the 15 pound Shell blew calling the booking agency and we've certainly stayed in worse. We did have lots of room and a view of the beach though although no waves there, we were in the Medina - old town and they have walls all around so you can't get out to the beach where there is waves without going round the looong way. We went down the coast the day after we arrived to Sidi Kaouki where the surf is? It was pretty bloody average but I was still stoked as it was better than anything I'd had in England and Shell got some photos of me and the camels and horse on the beach. Unfortunately our camera wasn't happy and was having trouble focussing which wouldn't be cool with all the trips we had coming up so we were hoping to get it fixed or a newy if we had to. It was a pretty cool mini bus ride out there like the Anggkots in Indo but with Berber carpets pm the walls and ceiling and of course, cheap. We found a bit easier somewhere to have a beer but they charged a premium so then we searched for ages and lots of walking for a grog shop which ended up not being far at all and was handy as we had a fridge to put food and drink in and a stove top to cook on. The morning after we weren't so spritely though so we just had a relaxing day other than trying to find a way to the beach I thought might be better with no success. The buildings and earthy colours offset with splashes of bright colour are so pretty and the majority of people have been helpful and friendly. The locals were calling me Ali Baba for some reason and every few minutes someone would offer me hash or space cakes, maybe it's the beard or I look like a thief who's just stumbled in from the desert. Had some bigger but fat waves at another place in Essaouira called Asafi by myself again so that was cool. It was surprising how chilly it was in the wind there and particularly at night. I had another average surf the day before we left for Casablanca which held hopes of better waves and we spent the rest of our time looking around and Shell doing some shopping so we were glad to be moving on after having a fun time. We got to Casablanca on another nice bus ride through lots of changes in the countryside from Desert to red rock mountains to green farmland and even quite a bit of water in rivers.    We're having a ball here, I had a fun surf yesterday, the best so far at Bouznika it was a nice day and beach too so Shell enjoyed it also. We got the train down there which was cheap but pretty luxury and only took about halfa so we were stoked. I then just went in town at le Corniche which was bigger and pretty good too but was bit of a debacle, where my 20 Dirham ran out and I got out of the taxi the beach was walled off but there was a gate which I went through but then some French speaking Pelican wanted me to pay because it's a 'privit' beach! I think he said 'only' 100 Aussie but surely it was Dirham. Either way I only had enough for the taxi ride back and wouldn't have paid anyway so I walked back about a km to the same beach but further down in front of Macas and drifted down to that beach in the strong current anyway and got some good waves. I only surfed with others once and got some fun waves so altogether I'm pretty stoked. Casablanca got bad reviews but we liked it, it wasn't as pretty as Essaouira but after 5 days there it was nice to move on and be in a big city with more to do. We had a drink the last night with some wine that we spent a long time finding again then a few beers at a bar with a Brasilian and Canadian couple we met. We were then off to Madrid the next day and a bit spewin that the surfing was over but looking forward to Egypt. We had two nights in Madrid at a nice hotel near the airport enjoying a bit more civilisation with not much to do so we relaxed a lot and then drank some beer. The next day we were stoked when we got on the plane and it was luxury, big seats, free food, pillows and blankets, the works.

Egypt

            We arrived pretty late in Cairo so we just went to our hotel which was very nice and a huge and we got some much needed take away food. The next day we did the Pyramids and 'sphinkys' tour with our driver from the airport who was great and cheap and we used all our time in Cairo. Of course we got taken to a tour company who wanted all our money bit we bargained and got a decent price and I got to ride a camel and Shell a horse. It really was amazing to see it all up close and a little spooky with their eyes and the sheer scale and commitment they put into death. We got to go into a tomb at Giza through a tiny little tunnel to see some Hieroglyphs that had remained. The Sphinx was actually pretty small but an amazing piece of sculpture and it was a great day for it as the clouds made patterns of light and shade on the Pyramids and desert alike. We then went to some shops and bought some beautiful and cheap Hieroglyphs on papyrus and Shell was happy getting some lotus essence. We then went to more pyramids at Saqqara which also had an awesome temple and museum. That night we did a river cruise on the Nile which had some cool funny dizzy dancers and a belly dancer. The next day we went to the Egyptian museum which was awesome too. We got to see heaps of precious artefacts and statues learn about how much of our culture has came from theirs and we saw Tutankhamen. His mask and sarcophagi had so much gold and precious stones; it was all really worth seeing. After the museum we went to Luxor on a plane which was more expensive than the train we had planned to catch but the revolutionaries had blocked it between the two cities and the flight took an hour opposed to ten on the overnight sleeper train which after our Vietnam experience might not have been much of a sleep. When we arrived at the airport although we had booked a hotel pick up (which we don't usually do but we were being cautious due to the troubles in the Arab world at the time) there were taxi drivers yelling at our driver and trying to get us to go with them and touching me but thankfully not Shell we got to the hotel thouh and it was Ok in the end just a bit of a unnerving welcome. The hotel was nice in the respect that the elevator worked and the toilet flushed opposed to Cairo but the toilet leaked and the service wasn't exactly prompt but you get what you pay for and they had beer! We just spent the first day having a short walk to the Nile which was beautiful, shopping of course and organising our trip for the next day then lazing about the pool with a few beers.

 The next day we headed out to the Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatshepsut’s temple and the Colossus of Memnon, it was astounding. The tombs in the valley were so deep and must have taken so much work with all their hieroglyphs. The best thing about the day was Queen Hapshetshut's temple; it had some hieroglyphs remaining and some awesome big statues around too. The Colossus was cool too although had modern houses and business around and was very deteriorated and after what we'd seen through the day there can sometimes be a statue complacency, it was all great though. The pyramids were spectacular for their size and structural genius of the time and the valley temple had the fascination of the hieroglyphs and statues. People told us it would be really hot but there was a nice breeze so it was bearable and it was another partly cloudy brilliant blue sky which looks incredible juxtaposed against the desert earth. That arvo we went looking for the Souk (market) but the taxi driver obviously dropped us at his mates shop which was pretty ordinary and we were getting hassled left, right and centre: 'come with me, I'll show you’ We hate to be that way but there were some dirty remarks to Shell and she was well covered up anyway and we'd been warned not to trust people even by locals so we weren't going with anyone. We ended up heading straight to the river and following it to the town square which wasn't far and once there we took yet more photos this tome of Luxor temple which was stunning with the sunset reflecting off the Nile in the background. The square was hectic though due to their Easter celebrations, strange for an Islamic state? So we found a cafe that actually served the iced coffee advertised on their menu! Then had a nice meal that as very typical in third world countries we couldn't eat it all so we had the next day’s lunch too then we just had a quiet night lazing round watching telly. The next day we actually got to the Souk with the guidance of a Pom lady who spends lots of time there which I thought might have mare her wiser than to get too involved with the hawkers who were threatening to kill her outside the hotel while we were with her but the police came and settled him down and we got out of there without trouble or much delay. Once at the Souk which took  while though the heat, sights, smells and sounds of the backstreets it was cool Shell did some relentless haggling and I was half looking for a beautiful string instrument I'd seen elsewhere but not too worried I didn't find it due to baggage restrictions and the fact I've got so many already. Our last in Luxor we drank our duty free which gave us the courage to do karaoke at the hotel which the old prunes didn't appreciate and weren't backward in being forward; cutting us off even with something as tame as Black Sabbath so we showed em by screaming out a cut off Nirvana song which was the heaviest they had and we had a blast. We got a cheap van to Hurghada the next day through the desert through seemingly infinite oceans of sand which was cool and we were looking forward to the beach again! Hurghada was heaps of fun, we thought it'd be more expensive but it was actually cheaper for food and beer. The first night we just checked it out a bit, had a nice dinner and did a bit of shopping. The next day we went to the beach and I had a snorkel with the new ones I'd bought the night before in probably the most beautiful turquoise coloured water we'd ever seen, there wasn't much coral but there were a few fish and lots of purple and yellow jellyfish. That night we went to Ministry of Sound on the beach which was great fun at the time but we were a bit ordinary the next day after a few local cocktails. The day after that we had a dive in the most beautiful blue water we've seen, there was some nice colourful hard coral and a fair few fish like two different kinds of Lion fish, several different colourful Box fish, Napoleon rasa and the regulars and the crew were all a lot of fun. That night we had a few beers with a few of them and the next day I had another fun snorkel and we just chilled out for our last full day, stoked with our holiday and a bit sad that we were going back to work and England but also looking forward to Italy in 3 weeks. We had been a bit worried about the trouble in the Arab world and Egypt in particular but it turned out fine so we were very glad we went although we were a bit spooked that a week or so after we were in the same square a bomb killed over 15 people in Morocco, bloody terrorists were making us think twice about how long we would spend in Turkey on our big Europe trip coming up. Went to Birmingham not long after Africa and had a good time with Shirley and the rest and went out with Ewen and his girlfriend. Went for a few beers with Shell’s friend and family from work and then headed off to...

Italy and Ireland

Got to Minori near Amalfi and it was beautiful, I had a swim in the arv after a few hours on the train then over an hour on the bus there from Napoli. Both the train ride and particularly the bus ride was amazing looking out at the countryside, Vesuvius and the luscious green mountains falling into the clear blue sea. We then just chilled in the lovely hotel room with the windows open onto the veranda overlooking the village before we got some food and drinks to hang out there later. We spent most of the day before travelling, flying into Rome then a train to another train to Napoli and when got there we knew it was worth it. We'd already had some delectable food and most people were very friendly, we were looking forward to the rest of our time there! I had a snorkel the second morning while Shell slept in and it was actually a bit murky surprisingly and there wasn't much to see but the water was nice anyway. We then got a bus into Amalfi and had a look around, there were lots of cute little shops and an old church that was cool. I had another snorkel which was a bit better so that was cool. We then headed back to Minori and had a lay down before getting some more beer and wine for another veranda party. The next day unfortunately was raining so we laid around reading a lot and went out for a nice dinner that night. We then caught the train back to Rome the next day and when we arrived we went and had a quick look around a beautiful old church near our hotel then we just had some
Chinese for dinner and lay around reading a lot as we were pretty worn out. The next day we got up reasonably early and went to the Colosseo which really was cool to see up close and then we checked out the Palatino and the Roman Forum, so much history and Grandeur. We then went to the Pantheon, the Fontana Trevi and others that are too many to remember in less than a full day in their windy little streets that are crammed with Architecture, Art and tourists all wanting their little piece of Rome whether it be photos, souvenirs or wine. We then went back to the hotel pretty wrecked from so much walking on so much concrete then we went and got some booze for the afternoon and were looking very much forward to going to Vatican city the next day. The Vatican was more amazing and crowded history in the way of people and also the opulence and the amount of art. You could spend days there and still not take it all in I'm sure, we spent the morning there in the heat and hungover which was enough to make us long for our afternoon nap that we were getting used to on holidays, hopefully we won't be nodding off at work Monday arv. We just had a couple of drinks and our last nice Italian dinner on the last night although we still had the full next day to go and look at more churches and buildings and stuff. It ended up being a pretty long night as it was really warm and the gay pride party in the park nearby was in full swing so we were pretty tired the next day, thought about going to have a laugh but we just wanted sleep! The next day we went and checked out the Spanish steps and a few more sites and were planning to lay around and read in the park but it rained so we headed to the airport and hung around for ages as the plane was delayed, bit of a bummer but we were still stoked after a great holiday!

We expected Ireland to be beautiful but after a few recent anticipated travels we were blown away by how green it really is and we had so much fun. We stayed in a lovely hotel the first night in Belfast as we got in pretty late and because we booked it early it was a great deal. The next day we headed out to Portrush and that's where the amazing scenery started, heaps of luscious farmland and animals. I had a fun surf, it was a bit slow but I was stoked to get out there anyway. We then went and checked in at our lovely little B&B then went to a pub and the locals there were allfriendly and happy to talk to some Aussies, although they wondered why we came to Ireland and sometimes it was a bit hard to understand them. It hadn't been as cold as we expected but then the wind came up and a bit of rain so it changed pretty quick so we headed back to our room to get more clothes. When we came back we just thought we'd duck into this tiny little pub for a quick one and as soon as we walked in a local was talking to us like we were his long lost mate and bought us beers, I thought he was the owner of our B&B so I sat down and acted like I knew him to. It wasn't until a few beers later that he realised he didn't know us from a bar of soap but we were all getting merry by then so we kept going. More rounds, some local stuff they shot and a nightclub later we walked home from the next town over which was over 3 miles and took us ages but after 4 in the morning we were on a planet which allowed us not to care about the length of the walk and we really enjoyed it. It was getting light enough for me to see that there were no waves so we slept in late apart from dragging ourselves down for the awesome greasy breaky. Then we headed out Giant's causeway which was breathtaking, there was plenty of other cool stuff to look at along the picturesque coastline also and after wards we hung around the little village of Bushmill's and went for a walk along the cute little creek. That night we just had fish and chips and an early night, I was hoping but not convinced that the surf might pick up but it was even smaller the next day so we just had another sleep in then headed back to Belfast on the train and found a pub to have a few quiet ones before the plane home. That should be the end of the story but unfortunately far from it, first the plane was delayed which wasn't so bad on its own but then when we got back to England their terminal transfer shuttle was broken so that was another hour and it just kept getting worse. When we were finally on the train home someone jumped under the train at the station ahead of us, the wait then was ridiculous. We weren't too far from the station we had to get to to get a bus but there were none from the station we were at and the announcers kept getting us on the train then off and saying; 'half an hour, half an hour'. Eventually the train went and we saw the body and at that time of the night when we had to be at work in a coupla hours we really didn't feel much at all other than tired. Shell didn't even sleep by the time we got home and they sent her home at lunchtime as she was walking dead but I was lucky and got about half an hour sleep and made it through the day. A crazy finish to an awesome holiday; cheap, lovely people, great transport, if only there was enough work, we'd prefer it there than here!

Croatia, Montenegro and Albania.

             Went to London Deathfest near my birthday which was bloody awesome! I got pretty wasted and dug some of the earlier bands but then The Amenta were amazing. Deicide were good too of course and it was a great festival to see. We then went to see Viki a coupla weeks later, I was going to take the boards but there was no swell so we just got wasted a lot. After that we didn't do much bit save a lot of cash for the big last Europe trip and pack and clean and get out of bloody England! We got to Split pretty late so we just had a beer then crashed as I was also a bit fluey. The next day we headed straight for the beach, had an OK snorkel; not much to see but the water was so blue and warm, I did find a brown European blind, tailless, finless stinky eel... yes a poo. Had a bit of a look around the old town and then just went back for the first of many holiday afternoon naps. The next day we went looking for another beach but it was all just a huge port so we went to a mall and found we could watch a movie that night so we did. The day after we went on the Ferry to Korcula Island which really was beautiful, not great snorkeling again but I did see some cuttlefish that I'd never seen before. It had a cute little old town which was surrounded by bushland and not so big and industrial like Split. It was busy at the beach in town but we just walked out of town and found our own little spot where Shell could get her tits and G banger out which was awesome! There was a cool drumming band the first night and plenty of cute little cheap bars to drink at. The second night we went and had a few beers with some pom ladies that were staying in the room next to us, everything shut pretty early but that might have been a good thing. I snorkeled twice the second day and once the third then kind of gave up as it wasn't getting any better anywhere I tried but I still always find something interesting and new, those times it was a big mud skipper but pretty white looking fish caught in a crab pot and a little cute sting ray. It rained for a fair while on our last full day then it cleared so we checked out the old town and I went for a trek up the mountain looking for the caves I'd read about but couldn't find them but I got a nice view over the town. We knew we were getting up at sparrowfart to leave for Dubrovnik so we had a quiet one. The bus ride to Dubrovnik was nice; it took us through lots of huge and different types of mountains falling in the typical shining blue Adriatic. When we got there we found a reasonable place to stay then headed straight into the Old walled city. It was like others we'd seen in Europe although the sheer size of the walls and towers was staggering and it was beautiful when we wound our way through to the ocean side for a squiz. That arvo we had a few beers on the terrace overlooking the tourist port with massive cruise ships and luxury liners of the ridiculously rich. The next day I went to the bus station with the funny bloke from our hotel to get us tickets for Montenegro the next day and in return he got me to recommend the rooms to people he picked up at the station. We then went for a walk to the beach and I had a snorkel and it was Ok again, saw a funny little patterned snub nose brown fish I hadn't seen so it was fun. We then lazed around for a while in the arv then had a coupla beers and the rest of our goon with a nice feed of pork and salad. We'd had a great week in Croatia and were looking forward to Kotor the next day which we'd heard was stunning from others. 

We liked it in Montenegro also, we first stayed in a little old town in the fjords in the north called Kotor. Our first night we stayed in a pretty dodgy but cheap place and it did have a great view which was the consolation for the trek up the hill. The bus ride there was amazing again and Dubrovnik looked great from up in the mountains. We got lucky in Kotor after looking around the old town for a better room and giving up as the prices were too high we thought we'd try one last cafe at the beach and he hooked us up with a lady with lovely cheap rooms right in old town for the next night. We were looking forward to a nice meal somewhere in the old town that night and lazing around for a night in a bit of luxury after a few nights of soaking up views and grog while avoiding time in average rooms. We left Kotor for Ulcinj and down on the southern end of the coast. It was much dirtier and not as pretty as Kotor or Croatia but much cheaper and had a great vibe to it. The bus ride down was nice again; more mountains and lazuli water down below. The first day we got there we dumped our stuff and headed for the beach, I had a pretty average snorkel, saw some fish and lots of rubbish. Then we made our way home having beers and dinner along the way and were crashed out by about 9. The next day we slept in then went to another beach that was a bit cleaner and better snorkeling then went back to the room for a nanna nap before having our biggest night of the trip and finishing up about 3 after watching a good band at a pub for a few hours. It probably wasn't the best time for it as we had to get up at 5 to get to Albania and by the time we made it to Durres we were still pretty spaced out and not keen on hunting for cheap rooms. We didn't know it was going to be so big and ugly and some locals tried to rip us off but we were lucky enough to find a nice room for pretty cheap with air con and a Tv for one luxury night. The drive from Ulcinj to Durres was interesting with fellas with their donkey and carts selling watermelons and the mountains and rivers. Golfs seemed to be the car of choice in Montenegro and in Albania it was Mercs; particularly in the less touristy places, plenty of space for a body in the boot I suppose. We went for a bit of a walk around and there were some funny things like people on the sidewalk with extension leads on their home phones charging you to use them and we went for a walk to the beach but it was that crowded and hot and dirty even I didn't have a swim. We figured one night was enough before heading to a supposedly smaller and prettier town called Berat the next day for a night or two on the way to Saranda which was also supposed to be nicer and where we could get a ferry to Corfu. Well we ended up only stopping for lunch and a bit of a walk around town in Berat which was nice in a valley between mountains with old Ottoman Houses and mosques. There wasn't much else though and we had plenty of time so we kept going on the hot and slow journey to Saranda, there were some more funny Albanians like a kid riding along with his cat in a rack screaming for dear life on the back of his bike. It was spectacular countryside, the sheer size alone and along with the little villages dotted halfway up these huge mountains made magnificent views. Saranda was lovely, definitely worth the reputation and the trip down there, we were a bit worried at first as a lot of hotels were full but we found one eventually that was nice and cheap and even had a beach view. We had a couple of beers and a great feed the first night then the next day I had an Ok snorkel then we got tickets for the ferry to Corfu the day after.

Greece and Turkey

             The ferry ride over was nice again to look out over the Island and the Albanian and Greek Ionian coast. When we got there we were really stoked, our place was a five minute walk to the beautiful beach in Benitses, a quiet little fishing village. I had an average snorkel the first day which I was coming to expect in Europe so after all the big crowded places we'd been we decided to stay 5 nights and relax. The first day we really did bugger all; went for a swim, did some shopping and looked around town then had some beers and wine on the veranda in the arv. The second day we went to another little town down the coast called Messonghi and I had an Ok snorkel then we had a quiet night and a nice feed. On the third day we went over to the western side of the Island to Paleokastritsa, it was a beautiful little town below the mountains on the beach. I had a pretty good snorkel and saw some pretty colourful fish, no coral but some interesting rocks and underwater caves. That night we had a few beers and goon on the veranda that was nice and secluded so in our state we got starkers out there. On the last day we just had a big sleep in and hung around our little town before going into town before going into town for a nice feed and a few beers. Before we got on the bus and ferry on the day we left we had a bit of a look around the old town which was nice and I paid to swim as a I really needed it. We were a bit sad to be leaving after having such a great and relaxing time but we were also looking forward to seeing more of Greece and of course Turkey!

The ferry ride had nice views of the Island and then the bus ride had huge mountains with villages and castles not unlike in Albania. There wasn't a whole lot to see in Thessaloniki, we looked at some of the nice old buildings and were on our way to the beach but had already spent about 40 minutes on a bus and it looked like another hour or so to go for a dirty looking beach so we just went to a pool but bailed on that to when they wanted 5 euro each! So after 2 nights there, 1 arriving late and 1 with a few beers and an early romantic night we were happy to be leaving and looking forward to Alexandroupoli which wasn't as big a city and promised some nice Aegean beaches. As we would be arriving early arvo we were back to no booking or plan which was a nice change, all we had to worry about was getting to Turkey in a few days and everything had been working so far. It was a short about 4 hour flash bus ride which had some nice scenery of mountains and farms similar to the couple of days before a big inland lake and the glassy blue northern Aegean. We found a nice hotel right on the beach for a good price so we booked a couple of nights and planned to leave for Istanbul after that. The first day I had an Ok snorkel and saw some cool fish, anemone looking things and some read balls of coral but it was pretty murky. Then we had a few beers on the veranda overlooking the ocean and after that I thought it'd be a good idea to get a little bottle of Ouzo but I think that's best left to the Greeks. So the next day was a big sleep in then we just had a look around town. It was set to be an adventure when we planned to leave early in the morning to get to the Greece/Turkey border and then wing it from there to Istanbul. Luckily though we checked it out on the net and they don't let you through on foot so we had to get a bus he whole way. Can't rely on the net for everything though, it said we didn't need a Visa but we did, it was no problem and only 15 euro each. Once in Turkey the scenery was much prettier than we expected, it was very lush and green particularly near the border rivers. Mosques everywhere of course but a lot better maintained than the ones in Indo. We were a bit daunted by how bloody huge Istanbul was on the way in but once we managed to get to our hotel then out for a coupla beers we really liked it. Our hotel was down a back alley and looked dodgy from the outside but once we got inside it was pretty good so we were stoked. The next day we looked around at the big ones: the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia and a heap of others around the place then we went to the Grand Bazaar. Once in Sultanahmet - the old city and particularly from the ferry from the European to Asian side of the Bosphorous it really was beautiful. When we got to our new hotel that we'd booked and couldn't cancel without paying we were a bit spewin we didn't stay on the European side another night as there wasn't much around and they seemed to be observing Ramazan more devoutly. We managed to find some beers and cheap nasty local Vodka that got us to the point we could just pass out in our room with no fan or air con. Have to laugh about it now, Shell thought she booked the hotel with Sat Tv and all the rest for our last 2 luxury nights so when we turned up and none of it was there she asked about air con and he just opened the window in response. They were nice though and we got breakfast and some stilted English-Turkish conversations. The next day we just slept in then I had a fun snorkel in the bright green weedy waters in the sea of Marmara which was the last of the trip, saw some colourful jelly fish and starfish. For our last night we went for a nice feed and a coupla beers along the beach to where we'd seen a bit more happening on the train ride out to Purgatory. We were a bit sad for our backpacking from Europe to Asia to be ending and our time in Europe altogether over but it'd been an eye and mind opening experience and we had 3 weeks in Bali to look forward to home of course and in a few months more unknown adventure of going around our own big beautiful country.