Final Europe trip, Post 1: Bruges, and Venice by night

I can't believe it's September and I'm about to start telling you what we did in the middle of July! Anyway, it was a trip full of enough awesome experiences and hilarious mishaps that I can't NOT write about it. So here goes...

On Friday 18th July, Ben and I each worked the last day of our English jobs, moved out of the flat we'd called home for the past year, and headed across to Europe with Delle. We took the EuroTunnel, which was a very exciting experience for Delle (and us, although we'd done it before) - sitting in our car, inside a huge train that is travelling under the ocean floor of the English Channel!

After popping up in France, we drove to Bruges in Belgium, where our night's accommodation would be at the same place where Ben and I stayed on the first night of our Christmas Europe trip - the Art Hostel. After a bit of mucking around trying to get some Euros out of an ATM vestibule that was closed for the night (if you add up all the things we fit into this one day, you will realise it was quite late by this time!), we sent Ben off on a drive to find a more agreeable machine while Delle and I set off down the street, bearing all three peoples' luggage, to find our accommodation.

It was actually a different building to last time, further down the street, but managed by the same people. After some effort I managed to unlock the front door. We then had to ascend a few flights of a treacherous and narrow staircase whilst loaded up with large suitcases; however, you'll be pleased to hear that Delle made it to the top with a pillow being the only item to plummet screaming to the bottom. Then, at the top of the stairs, before we even reached our cosy attic dorm, the first and only fellow resident we met at this hostel was a guy from... Ipswich, Australia. I kid you not.

The next day, Saturday, we grabbed some yummy breakfast from a bakery and set off on the 4 hour drive to Frankfurt Hahn Airport in Germany, where we would leave our car and fly with RyanAir to Italy for 5 days of sightseeing. We ended up being in a enormous rush at the end of the trip, due to an unfortunate misunderstanding about how much time we could afford for lunch, but suffice to say we did make it.

We flew into Treviso Airport in Italy, which is RyanAir's "Venice" airport but in typical RyanAir style is actually at least an hour from Venice. With all our luggage and no Italian, getting from Treviso to our campsite at Fusina was our next significant challenge. We managed to catch a coach that took us to Mestre, half an hour away, where we were told we could then catch a local bus to Fusina. This was a fabulous theory, but what ended up happening was that each local bus we tried to get on would send us back to the other side of the road, dragging all our luggage, to wait for the next bus travelling in the opposite direction.

Eventually we got sick of never being allowed on a bus, and split a taxi to take us the rest of the way. :) Our campsite, called Camping Fusina, was across the water from the island of Venice, and is the same place that the eight of us stayed on our 2006 Europe trip - definitely recommended as the place to stay if you go to Venice. We had two 2-bed cabins between the three of us - even with their 3-bed cabins unavailable, paying for the extra bed was still cheaper than any other accommodation I could find - and we already knew the facilities, atmosphere and location were great. Check out the pics below (last one is of our breakfast the next two days)!



That evening we headed across to Venice. It's magical at night, coming in by ferry and seeing the round golden lanterns glowing along the water's edge. We quickly got into the gelati - yum yum YUM!!! - and wandered the streets looking at the amazing old buildings, watching the gondolas glide silently along the canals, and gazing at lit window displays of elaborate Venetian masks and other local specialties. Here are some photos taken that night...



It also turned out that Venice was celebrating their Festival of the Redeemer that night, so at the end of the evening we were treated to a spectacular fireworks display, which we watched from the big open bridge (Ponte dell'Accademia) over the Grand Canal. The crowds were unbelievable. Check out this fireworks video - YouTube makes it much blurrier than the original, but hopefully you can see the ones that spread outwards in golden spirals after they explode - awesome!

The next day we went back and enjoyed Venice in daylight, but I'll save that for the next entry. :) Goodnight!

My, what a big Eye you have!

On the last night before we moved out of our flat in England, 17th July, Delle, Ben and I went up to London to ride on the London Eye (a giant Ferris wheel - a ride on it is actually called a "flight") and see The Sound of Music on West End with Kat and Mel. We had tea at Covent Garden at the Gourmet Burger Kitchen (try it if you get the chance!), and Delle raided the Australia Shop for some Tim Tams, having suffered severe withdrawal symptoms after going approximately two weeks with only the one packet she'd brought over with her. :)

Although it was right in the middle of a frantically busy time for us (tickets bought before we knew we would be moving the next day!), it was a fantastic evening. The Sound of Music was absolutely spectacular and the kids in it were SO so adorable!! It's definitely one of the top three West End musicals we've been to. Here are some photos from our second last night in London...



And here are some links to videos... the first is of some buskers playing under the bridge near the London Eye (note the percussion instrument on the left!), and the second was taken when we were at the very top of the Eye. What a view!!!!

Buskers video
London Eye video

Anyway, in case you're wondering, we had a good flight back to Australia last week! We left Heathrow Airport on Tuesday night, flew with Qantas via brief stopovers in Singapore and Melbourne, and arrived in Brisbane at 8:15am on Thursday morning.

Then we stayed awake all day - I studied for my online exam the next day and Ben got his teaching registration sorted out and signed up for supply teaching. On Friday, I studied and did my exam while Ben got his first day of work!!! So it was certainly straight into it!

That night we went to The Mikado in Brisbane with a group of friends. I think everyone else liked it - I, however, fell asleep about 15 times. Woke up at one stage to find a completely new character on stage halfway through belting out a crashingly loud song! "Who's tha...zzzZZ"!!!!

The next day, Saturday, we caught up with my family and saw my sister Roxy's flat for the first time, and that night we went to a 30th birthday party of an old school friend of Ben's.

For the next 3 months we'll be living with Ben's parents, Jim and Jenny, who live east of Ipswich (which is just west of Brisbane, Queensland, for you non-Aussies!). If anyone who is reading this has not been getting our group email updates (please email me if you'd like to get them!), our trip home was motivated by our friends' Tim and Chany's wedding, but we decided to stay on for a while longer. We hope to be in Canada by Christmas, but have not organised any further ahead than flying back to England on 17th November.

This week my priority is finding a job. Ben got his second day of supply teaching today, so we're glad that's working out. It's a strange thought that we're home, but it actually feels completely normal to be here. I'm trying to readjust to being in this timezone (the first couple of days, I was chatting to Mum at lunchtime and thinking it was teatime for her), and talking in dollars and kilometres. Everything sounds expensive and a long way away!!! :P Anyway, we'll keep you updated, and please keep in touch - especially if you're from England, because it could just be that we're missing you!!!

Jotting down June

Well, life is crazily busy and we are having a wonderful time galavanting around the country with Delle (just looked up actual meaning of galavant: "to travel around with no purpose except enjoyment"), in between counting down our last few days of work and preparing to move out of our flat and head across to Europe this Friday! Delle is meant to be writing a blog entry about what we've all been up to since she arrived, but I've got a few bits and pieces to fill you in on from June, so here goes...

My uni exam was halfway through June, and since I had to go to London for it anyway and our London-going days are fast drawing to a close, I decided to make it worthwhile! After my exam, I had a quick look aorund the British Museum (free entry), saw the afternoon show of The Phantom of the Opera on West End (ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!!), wandered from Piccadilly Circus to Trafalgar Square via the beautiful tree- and flag-lined road that leads to Buckingham Palace, and went to an Intrepid Travel event night on Peru, Bolivia and Brazil at their Angel Islington store! Here are some photos from my day...



The next day was Ben's exam, and he also spent a full day making the most of his time in London. He went to the Natural History Museum and Science Museum, and saw Avenue Q on West End (which he really enjoyed). Here are some photos from his day...



Then, to celebrate the end of our exams, we went to see Les Miserables (booked before we'd thought of going by ourselves on our respective exam day to a show that the other one wasn't so keen on seeing - hence how between us we saw three musicals in three days!!). Anyway, was great to finally see Les Mis and understand what all the fuss is about. :) It was extremely good - but, Phantom having been a long-loved favourite of mine and the musical I've most wanted to see live ever since arriving in England, I'm afraid not even Les Mis could hold a candle to it (and certainly not a crashing chandelier)!

Also, the evening we went to Les Mis, we FINALLY found the Australia Shop in Covent Garden - it was about the third time we'd looked for it! Here are some photos from our day - particularly the moments of indescribable joy when we were reunited with Twisties, Chicos, Bundaberg Ginger Beer, and the visual familiarity of many other well known brands whose products we exclaimed over but were forced to leave sitting on the shelves...



The following week, we went to London again to see Twelfth Night, one of Shakespeare's comedies that was being performed in the Open Air Theatre at Regent's Park. There were eight of us and it was a very enjoyable night watching a rather tangled web of a story about a girl who disguises herself as her twin brother. It started raining halfway though and a canopy of umbrellas instantly popped up over the heads of the well-prepared audience, but the actors carried on as though they hadn't even noticed they were soaking!

Before heading to Regent's Park that evening, we stopped off at Covent Garden again to raid the Australia Shop. Whilst there, we enjoyed a show by an amazing busking magician from Texas and saw some strange goings on outside of Lush (promoting an in-shop bath products party - London, I tell you...!!!). See photos below!



At the end of June, we stayed a night in Worthing (a coastal town south of here) with Mike and Jo, their daughter Charley and Jo's dad Gordon, and the following day we went to a picnic with them. We met a lot of new people, ate delicious food, and played rounders (a cross between cricket and softball). On the way home, Mike, Jo and Charley took us to Arundel - a quaint village with a castle perched in the middle of it - where we strolled around the streets for an hour or so and ate some dessert. A lovely day!



Well, that was June, and that's the least amount of words I've yet condensed a month's adventures into!! Time to do some packing. :) Goodnight!