Aussies in Europe

Trip summary - November 2005

We're back in Sydney now! Having fully recovered from our adventures we thought we would provide an overview of the whole trip! We went on an:

18 month adventure involving 2 round-the-world trips

Visited 10 countries, 7 Canadian provinces & 3 US states

Took a total of 27 flights & 5 long distance trains

Spent 13 weeks camping, mtn biking & hiking in 7 provinces & 1 US state

& backpacked around Europe for 2 months!!

Thanks for reading! Simon & Caroline

United Arab Emirates, Dubai 28 - 31 October

We spent 4 fun days in Dubai. We went to the fabulous beaches, the shopping centres, the gold souk and to the "Wild Wadi" water park. Wild Wadi is most famous for its up-hill water slides - they're so much fun!

The Jumeirah Sceira - 27 metres high, 80 km/h - yeah we did it! (click photo for a closer look)

Up-hill slide & downhill slide

Wild Wadi

Wipe out!

Al Mamzar Beach

Traditional style wind tower, Al Mamzar Beach Park

Croatia, Dubrovnik "Two days with Sandy" 23 - 27 October

We met our friend Sandy in Dubrovnik and spent our time eating HUGE lunches, swimming at the beach and going on a boat cruise - ahh this is the life!!

Sandy & Caroline in the old city

All aboard for the 3 island boat cruise

View from the first island

Visiting the old city with Sandy & her brother Anthony

Post boat cruise drinks on swinging seats!

Croatia, Dubrovnik 23 - 27 October

We spent five wonderful days in the beautiful seaside city of Dubrovnik in southern Croatia. We explored the city streets, the beaches & the port. It's gorgeous here - we highly recommend it!

City of Dubrovnik (click photo for a closer look)

View of the old city

Cruise liner - there's at least one arriving everyday

Beach near the old city

View from our room in the Lapad district

Germany, Cologne (Köln) 19 - 22 October

Cologne is the city where we just relaxed. We watched "Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit" at the English language cinema - it's very funny! We also did some touristy things including visiting the excellent chocolate museum, the Cathedral, St. Martin's Chapel and seeing an English language Opera called "The Bassiards" - for the record, we still didn't understand much of it!

Mmm... Weisen beer twins!

Dressing up in the Lego shop

Tickets to the Opera

The chocolate tree fountain

Toblerone wrapping machine

Chocolate dinosaurs!

Hungary, Budapest 16 - 18 October

Budapest is over 1000 years old & it's beautiful. We've visited St. Stephen's Basilica, Castle Hill, the Fisherman's Bastion, the City Park & the Heroes' Square. It's totally different to the other places we have visited in Europe & we love it!

Do you take cash?

The Chain bridge

Heroes' Square

Budapest by day (click photo for a closer look)

Budapest by night (click photo for a closer look)

Hungary, Budafok - "The Tipsy Lenin Tour" 18 October

We decided to do a tour in Budapest, one which looks at Hungary's Communist history & then finishes up in a 25km long underground wine cellar! Our first stop was Statue Park which is where all the Hungarian commie statues were placed after the fall of Communism & then we explored the labyrinth size wine cellar. We tried some fantastic wine here!

Russian soldier, Statue Park

I've got the whole commie world in my hands...

Caroline & the 53, 000 litre wine barrel

The wine cellar goes on & on...

Italy, Courmayeur & Mt Blanc - a day trip to the Italian Alps 14 October

We did a day trip to the Italian Alps. It was a gorgeous day! We felt like we were in Switzerland. We took the cable car up to the top of Mt Blanc & could see the alps across three countries - Italy, France & Switzerland.

Fun in the sunshine

Town of Courmayeur (click photo for a closer look)

River at the base of Mt Blanc (click photo for a closer look)

Top of Mount Blanc (click photo for a closer look)

Italy, Turin - Home of the 2006 Winter Olympics 12 - 15 October

We caught the train to Turin (most of the way on the Eurostar) & spent 4 wonderful days with our friends Eileen & Glenn. We walked around the city, went to the markets & visited lots of piazzas. We also visited the Molle which houses the Cinema Museum & did a walking tour of the tunnels underneath the city where centuries ago, the French tried to invade the city, but were thwarted in their efforts by some brave locals who blew them up with dynamite! That'll teach 'em!

Caroline, Glenn, Eileen & Simon

In the tunnels, 14 metres below the city surface

Torino Olympic statue

American humour section in the Museum of Cinema

Italy, Siena 11 October

We visited the city of Sienna which is a beautiful hill-top city about 80kms south of Florence. We enjoyed eating BIG pizza slices, visiting the Piazza del Campo & the beautiful marble Duomo (cathedral).

It's lunchtime!

Piazza del Campo (click photo for a closer look)

Siena Duomo interior

Siena Duomo marble floor

Italy, Tuscany "The Chinati Road" 10 October

We hired a scooter for the afternoon & explored the Chianti region just south of Florence. The vineyards & hill-top towns were gorgeous!

Tuscany by vespa!

Rolling hills of vineyards (click photo for a closer look)

The Tuscan postcard villa

Simon in the Spaceball helmet

Italy, Florence 9 - 11 October

Florence is a gorgeous, bustling city with beautiful buildings. We wandered around the streets & through the market squares. We loved the Duomo, the Ponte Vechhio & the Boboli Gardens.

Boboli Gardens (click photo for a closer look)