Frankfurt and home!
At the moment I am in Frankfurt seeing my friend Hanna, staying with her and her boyfriend Felix in his flat. Tomorrow I fly back to the UK and there ends my trip! I have had a really wonderful time, more so than I ever could have imagined. When I think back on all the things I have done, things I have seen and people I have met it feels like years of experiences. Not just two months! I hope the diary has been interesting, thanks to everyone who took the time to email me whilst I have been away. It was really nice to see that people were thinking of me and keeping track of my progress, your emails made me look forward to getting internet so I could check my inbox! I look forward to being back in the UK and especially catching up with you all. All the best, Joe.
Tags: Travelling
Rome
Theres lots to see and do in Rome, I think you could spend weeks there and not see it all!
Everywhere you look, every corner you turn you see so much history. It’s hard to get your head around just how old everything is in Rome. You are looking down on alot of the older monuments because the ground level has got progressively higher over time.
My first night in Rome was in a hostel, full of people from all over the world and upon arrival I was treated to a free dinner with wine! The following day I met with Francesco and he showed me to the convent which would be my home for the next two nights. This was an amazing place and everyone was so kind and generous I felt really welcome. I was stuffed full during every meal with a wonderful array of Italian food and wine!
Francesco showed me around the city and we spend a whole day walking the streets. Rome has such a vast complex of small streets that even after having lived there for six years he had the street map close at all times! During my last night we drove to a wonderful spot overlooking the city, a really nice way to say goodbye to Rome. Francesco was a really amazing host and made my stay in Rome really something special.
Tags: Travelling
Dubrovnik, Croatia
There is no other way to put it – the Croatian coast is paradise. There I said it! The bus journey from Split to Dubrovnik followed the coast line the entire way and was worth the fare just for the sights. I could tell I was going to enjoy
Dubrovnik!
Again I was glad I arrived in low season because it was clear to see that Dubrovnik was a popular destination. That said, during my trip away from the ‘old town’ I pretty much had the place to myself. Whilst I’m on the subject, oddly there was an abundance of British people and cats in the old town!
One day I took a boat with an Australian guy I met to a near by island. It felt like we were there alone it was so peaceful and we could enjoy the beauty of the surroundings. I also had the chance to fulfill another dream of mine which was jumping from the cliffs into the sea! It was one of my best days of the entire trip.
The following day I decided to walk to the top of the hill overlooking the town and surrounding islands. The views were breath taking. Once back I took a dip in the sea to cool off. I was swimming in places that I thought you only see in films! I love it here!
I have now returned to Split and tomorrow evening I take a ferry Italy and will end up in Rome. I’m glad I have another day in Croatia.
Tags: Travelling
Croatia
For me Zagreb was rather uninteresting so after a day I decided to take the night train to Split. This was a new experience for me – going to sleep in one city and waking up in another. Once I arrived in Split there was no doubt in my mid that I had mind the right decision. Split is eye wateringly beautiful
.
I arrived in Split at 7am and waited in the hostel reception for 2 hours before anyone woke up to greet me! I ended up meeting some Brits and tagged along with them for the day. We took a ferry to a local island and went to a secluded cove and swam in the crystal clear water. We were the only ones there and I was completely taken by the surroundings, the mountains towering over.
I also visited the markets of which there are many. It slightly reminded me of the soukes in Marrakesh except the market owners weren’t trying to pull you into their stalls by your hair! The ‘old town’ in Split is really impressive with small alley ways everywhere.
Today I decided to have a lazy day. I had my first lye-in of the trip and spend the day at the beach and generally not doing an awful lot! I had a really good meal at a local restaurant which was really good value for money.
Tomorrow I travel to Dubrovnik which is supposed to be even more stunning! After Dubrovnik I will return to Split and take the ferry to Italy.
Tags: Travelling
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is a really relaxed city. Well I suppose it would being in a country with only 2 million inhabitants! Apparently this is also due to the tourist season ending which I am really pleased about. I feel like I am finding out what day to day life is like here which is the kind of insight I have been hoping for. The last thing I have wanted on my travels is being surrounded by tourists and things aimed at them, instead of the ‘real city’. So I usually escape the touristy areas as fast as I can but here there has been no need. There are cafes, bars and places to eat everywhere in amazing surroundings. So lots of opportunities to relax which I have been very pleased about. It’s all everyone seems to do here!
The view from the castle overlooking the city is spectacular and I was able to see an amazing sunset over the mountains in the distance. It was something I won’t ever forget.
Iva my host here has been really great. She has made me feel really welcome and introduced me to her friends. Her recommendations of things to see and do in the city have been amazing. Yesterday I travelled to the coast for the day which was beautiful, when I got back I went straight to a gig in the alternative part of town.
Later today I am taking a train to Zagreb in Croatia so lots to do!
Tags: Travelling
Photos From Vienna
I found a computer!…
The view from the hostel!
Tags: Travelling
Vienna
(Sorry no photos of Vienna, I have not been able to upload them yet)
I got to Vienna in the evening and arrived at the hostel to
discover an amazing view overlooking the city. I started talking to an
American girl and we went into the city to grab some food and a drink.
It was really nice to be in this new city at night, with anticipation
about what Vienna had in store for me.
I have spent my time here relaxing and taking in the atmosphere and
amazing architecture. The grounds of Vienna’s palace are amazing and there was a maze which was something I have wanted to do since I was a kid! Although it is very very expensive here I
managed to find a restaurant a little off the beaten track and had a
huge meal at a reasonable price. The view over the city from the
hostel is spectacular at night – especially during full moon!
I have been very unsure where to go next on my trip and with
Austria bordering 7 different countries there are lots of options! I
went to the train station and inquired about the cost of travelling to
Slovenia and found a cheap train so booked it on the spot! So very
early on Tuesday I travell to Ljubljana! And from there – who
knows?!
Tags: Travelling
Budapest
I was very lucky to have a wonderfully sunny day welcome me to Budapest on my first morning. As soon as I left the hostel I could tell just how beautiful the city is and that I was going to enjoy my time here. Next to the river there is a large hill with a monument on the top, this is the Citadel and it was pretty much the first thing I saw in Budapest. I had to climb to the top! I was greeted with a stunning 360 degree view of the city which I could of spend all day looking at. Once at the top though I realised how weak being ill had left me and so I had to go easy for the rest of the day.
Again today the weather was stunning! I went to the castle with my host and then I left to explore the city alone. I went to the park and walked the streets looking at the wonderful buildings. I then went to a spa and spent a couple of hours moving between the sauna and swimming pool. Was amazing to get away from the busy streets and relax for a while. I was also disgusted by the price of the first spa I looked at and found another, smaller one. I was the only foreigner in there which I was very happy about!
Tomorrow I travel to Vienna which I am really looking forward to. I am not sure when my trip will come to an end but today I have been thinking I will come home in around 2 – 3 weeks. I am having an amazing time travelling and I am very glad I am doing it solo, but at times it can be a little lonely. So I am going to take it day by day and see where I end up!
Tags: Travelling
Goodbye UK… again!
When I arrived in Cardiff everyone commented on how healthy I looked and I felt it! Happy and content from my adventures I was pleased to be back in a familiar place with my friends and in particular Rosie. By the time I left I had lost alot of weight and looked like a ghost! I had very mixed feelings about moving on, due to being so ill it felt like I had not spend hardly any time with Rosie and my meetings with the friends I did manage to see did not feel like enough.
I am really looking forward to continuing my adventures but being home for a while reminds me on what I am missing out on. Knowing Cardiff awaits me when I return both worries me (getting a job…. ‘real life’) and reassures me (once I am settled I think life in Cardiff could be OK for once!). So like I said mixed feelings – but onwards I go to the adventures that await!
I arrived in Budapest very late but managed to find the hostel easily enough. It’s a really nice place and I was very surprised to be greeted at reception by an Irish guy – I REALLY wasn’t expecting that! Tomorrow I will take my first proper look at the city which I am very excited about.
Tags: Travelling
Krakow, Auschwitz and a Small Detour!
After leaving Wroclaw I headed to Krakow on a train with small compartments like you see on films which was really cool! I had no accommodation sorted due to not being able to find a host on couch surfing but found a really good hostel that worked out at £5 a night. This would be my home for the rest of my stay in Poland. I was sleeping in a dormitory and started talking to a nice Australian girl and we planned to visit Auschwitz together. Krakow itself was very touristy but full of some really interesting buildings and bars – especially in the Jewish quarter.
I have heard the name Auschwitz many times before and I wasn’t sure how my trip there would be. The site of Auschwitz has been made into a series of exhibitions with a different theme in each building. Walking around I couldn’t help becoming numbed by all of the information I was taking in, especially on top of all the exhibitions I visited in Germany. The things I saw and read were so unbelievable that I just could not begin comprehend what happened there. Birkenau located just around the corner from Auschwitz was the killing ground for over 1.5 million Jews. The site is huge and took hours to walk around, the weather was really good and it was eerily peaceful there. I came away feeling completely drained emotionally.
I also visited a salt mine which was something really different! The mine is hundreds of years old and has 20,000 chambers of which I only managed to visited 19! Each chamber had a set of elaborate salt sculptures carved by the miners. The highlight was a huge underground chapel with every detail carved from salt – even the chandeliers!
I decided to ‘pop back’ to Cardiff to see a girl called Rosie who I love dearly and though I should tell as much. It is good to be back in the UK for a bit but unfortunately I have been very ill since returning and could not eat or get out of bed for two days! The worst bit about it is that I think it was a take away in Cardiff that did it. I am starting to feel a little better today and have booked a flight to Budapest for next Wednesday. More updates to come when I continue my trip!
Tags: Travelling