Marseille

I have had a couple of days alone in Marseille. Torea went off and did a Torea. I will say no more. She only just on our last night arrived in Marseille - a couple of days later then intended.

Anyway I have done lots of walking. I walked around the whole city centre on Monday and saw many a pretty building. The cathedrals here are quite stunning. They all look vaguely like they have zebra stripes on them. The vieux-port is the old port area - originally a port where the ancient Greeks came over. It is quite beautiful. I also walked to the Notre Dame. It's on a hill - So great vantage point. However this also meant getting up the hill. Only on my way down did i see the bus go past.. It was so exposed and so so so so hot!!
In the evening I treated myself to a fancy dinner and a fancy restaurant with a beautiful view over the port. Boulibasse - the dish Marseille is famous for. Delicious.

Yesterday I took the ferry to the islands near Marseille. I had to wait in the hot queue for hours - it was horrible! Very confused as well with what was happening - the boats werent where they would be when they said the would be. But oh my gosh was the wait worth it. Both islands were very beautiful. The island "If" has a chateau - which was really breathtaking. Used to be a prison and was made famous by the book "the count of Monte criste"- I think.  The island frioul was much larger. I ate at another fancy restaurant with beautiful views over the port for lunch then went for a walk. There was a main path to walk on, and everywhere little paths which clearly people scrambled down the cliffs to the sea. I found my own wee path, and was treated with my very own little cove to swim in. Given it was so hot it swimming was the most incredible part of the trip so far!! Absolutely beautiful - and so much stunning underwater life  (including a squid or something that was a little too close for my comfort).

Today we have left France for Italy. We spend most of the day on trains, taking us all the way from Marseille to Lake Como. In the middle of the day we stopped for a break from trains in Nice, and had a nice swim and some last French food. It was very very hot! Had a very long day and currently waiting for the final train at Milan...

Paris and Chantilly

Feels like a long time since the last blog. So we have left the United kingdom and have moved on to France! Our last day in London we visited the borough market, went to the globe (Othello we loved it) and went and saw a show in West end (Wicked - yes is was amazing).

We had just a short time in Paris. We loved the canal area where we were staying, really beautiful and lots of fun activities. Yesterday we walked to see many of the famous Paris sites, effiel tower, lourve, etc. Highlight was going into the Notre Dame - it really is a very beautiful cathedral.

In the afternoon Torea and I spilt ways. She has gone to Friedberg Germany and I am in Chantilly, France. We both went to see friends who happened to be in those places! I had a lovely day with Bekkie in chantilly today. We wandered into the town, ate lots of French food and went to the chantilly castle, which is absolutely beautiful. Tomorrow we will meet again in Paris and head to the south of France!

London

Yesterday we arrived in London. It was a lovely train ride down from Edinburgh (even with backwards facing seats) to see the sea and a bit of the English countryside. We arrived at kings cross and had to work out the subway to our accomadation. Turns out it's even easier then thought to get into, but you do have to choose the right train to jump on.. It's noisy, really hot and it makes my ears pressure weirdly. But impressively easy nonetheless.

Today was our first official day in London. We got off to a slow start, I am still a bit poorly and Torea was not hugely impressed at having to leave Edinburgh and go to a big city without fringeness.. We took the subway to Piccadilly Circus and walked through to Leicester square. Went to the national portrait gallery and had lunch in Trafalgar square. We wandered down to Westminster, and had a look at the parliament buildings and then on to Buckingham palace. In the evening we went to a service, evensong at Westminster Abbey which was really cool to see the inside - absolutely beautiful.

London was a bit hot and busy for us today. It was nice just relaxing in the gardens near the palace. We stopped for the most ridiculously overpriced ice cream I have ever had and watched as children played on a water monument. The fun police (literally the police on a horse) kicked them off though. :(

The highlight of the day by far was catching a boat cruise down the Thames in the evening. It was slightly cooler, there was a breeze and it was awesome to see everything from a different angle.

-H

Edinburgh and the Fringe

Tomorrow is our last day in Edinburgh - we'll be catching a train to London. We have had a busy few almost a week and seen some really awesome shows. Highlights were a really funny improv show, an amateur high school performance of Les miserables (which felt like professionals), a weird German mask physical theatre show and for Torea especially - seeing Amanda Palmer. Weird foreign germs have meant that we have been unable to do much the past two days - but the silver lining was we got to go in a double decker bus to a Scottish medical centre and see how they have a really good healthcare system.

We have loved the general vibe of Edinburgh. The streets are always full of buskers and people dressed up and just random things. Our fav was this person who was playing pots and pans as drums on the street. She was incredible!

I just asked Torea if there was anything particualr she thought i should put on the blog. Her mouth was still full of chocolate that she couldn't answer so I guess another highlight is the chocolate cafe I am writing this from. Best hot chocolate ever!

-H

Edinburgh

And we have arrived in Edinburgh. It is intense!
We arrived and it was pouring with rain and had to lug our luggage to the flat we are staying in, through the crazy that is Edinburgh! The fringe has just taken over the city. Art and shows and music everywhere you look. And people handing out flyers trying to advertise a show ALL THE TIME!! It's mental!

We went to a couple of fringe things on Tuesday. A really cool trapeze artist physical theatre dance show called You and I - it was amazing! And some free comedy shows which were mixed, some funny and some less funny. Also climbed up to the top of Arthers seat which gave a nice wee break from the hectic city. Otherwise just wandered around, and just let the vibe of the city wash over us (it was too much for me to take in, but Torea had a point where she was so excited and happy she laughed so hard she cried).
Yesterday we wandered around, had some amazing mocha/ice cream, climbed Carlton hill and just took in the vibes of the city. Highlight was going to a ceilidh in a bar with a bunch of Beth's friends. Remarkably similar to Whare flat - Though they dont call the dances! Awesome night though.

-H

Callender

Had a bit more of a quiet couple of days in Callender - and feel a bit more over jet lag for it. Beth has ben absolutely awesome to us! Yesterday we went for a quick walk up the wee crag in Callender, to see the veiws - though the Scottish weather is a bit dreich. After lunch (they have the cutest bakery just downstairs, haggis pie), we headed into stirling and had a look at stirling castle. It was awesome, large and very very old. The palace was built by James V, whos daughter was Mary Queen of Scots. Had a lovely dinner out with Beth and her family.

Today we went and climbed Ben Aarn a wee Donald, - and had some stunning veiws over the Lochs. The midges came out in force when we were eating lunch at the top however..  we then went to the only lake in Scotland (Lake of Menteith) and caught the ferry out to an island on it (Inchmahone parrie). Spend ages just roaming the island - was really cool because there were some ruins of a monastery on the island. Ended the day with a Scottish dinner of haggis, neeps and tatties.

Will be sad to see Callender go tomorrow - Beths family have all been incredible to us!

Leaving Glasgow for the highlands

Friday was our last day in Glasgow. So we wondered down to the big science centre. The centre was huuuge- and had lots of really cool wee interactive science exhibitions. Even had a decent Neuroscience section including a game of mind ball. However it was all open planned on just three floors, so all of the noises, sights, sounds were a bit much for us, who were still a bit tired and jetlagged. Very cool though- I could have easily spent all day there! We also went up the tallest point in Glasgow - the Glasgow tower, a completely freestanding rotating tower which sits entirely on a small ball berring. Awesome veiws - but for the first time the turbulence wasnt just in my head..
After lunch, caught a train out to stirling and Beth came and picked us up. Took us to wallace monument- the tallest part of stirling. Monument built in the  1800s to commemerate William Wallace, a Scottish hero from the war with the English. So old... Beth took us to her family out in Callender, and after dinner took a stroll out to the local pub for a pint. They were playing a singalong to traditional music which was fun, we even got to play the drums and washboard!

Yesterday, Saturday, Beth took us for a drive through Scottish country and into the highlands. Drove past some beautiful Lochs. We drove up to Glencoe, which had all the pretty mountains,and meadows, and bush. Stopped off for lunch and wondered off the road and down a track. Torea of course found a river to swim in..
After lunch we headed up the road again and stopped at Stalker where there was a castle on an island. Castle inaccessable so we stopped off to have a look at Dunstaffnage castle. We headed on to Oban - a very pretty town with a port to get out to the Isles. Had some yummy fish and chips and Langaustines. Went to the highest point (I sense a theme) which was a really cool monument circle thing that looked kinda like Roman ruins. Came back to Callender via another loch aiming for a swim but Scotland is cold..

-H

Lost in Glasgow

Yesterday Torea was feeling pretty unwell in the morning. "We'll take it easy today" we said.. After a trip to the pharmacy we went wondering through to Glasgow city centre. Highlights of the wonder included blthywood square (a square with do not enter signs), various pretty churches, George st square (where European championship vibes were), Glasgow gallery of Modern art. We stopped for lunch at a street food market in merchant city - and stumbled across a really cool street dance perfomance (urban astronaut by highly sprung). Went to the lighthouse for the beautiful views, then caught the subway out to Kelgrove park. Walked through the park to the art gallery/museum, But didnt didn't have enough time to really see it properly.

Torea is doing much better. Her highlight was the dance in the street in merchant city. Mine was walking through the gardens and hearing "moondance" being played and thinking that the band was doing a good job to sound like Van Morrison. Only to realise it actually was Van Morrison.. Tickets were sold out but we went back in the evening and listened, sitting on the Glasgow University campus. Beautiful!

-H

Arrived in Glasgow!

And we have arrived in Glasgow! At long last.

Had a pretty awful flight, so very pleased to be on solid ground. Torea unwell in the big 14 hour part to Dubai leg - resulting in us calling a medic at the Dubai airport. Eventful moment - we got in their wee airport ambulance and golf carted to the medical centre. After multiple people saw us, they gave her medication and gave all clear to board flight. Just one issue - the flight had already started boarding and the gate was the other end. We had to gun it through the terminal - sick Torea and asthmatic Hannah - and did I mention Dubai was 38 degrees? (Outside that is). We made it- if super sweaty (and Hannah got the random person security check.. again..) and then flight was delayed anyway. Whatever they injected into her helped for the glasgow leg at least.

And now we are in Glasgow both very tired and seems like the city has quite bad turbulence.. going to find some dinner and have an early night. First impressions: love the casual really beautiful churchs and old buildings everywhere. We can hear bagpipes from our room. Can understand most people so far - but some I haven't the foggiest. I feel like such a NZer because the whole time I am thinking about how much earthquake strengthening is required..

Anyway sleep

(This was written last night but I was too tired to walk the 2m to the wifi..)
-H

Welcome to our Blog!

Thought I would make a blog for ease of communication during our 6 week stint in Europe. Will try to write a little bit about where we are and what we are doing as often as we can but don't expect an update everyday!

Currently sitting in Christchurch airport all prepared for our big flight to Glasgow via Dubai. Bring it on!