A Weekend in Wales

My next trip had something a bit different about it.  This time it wasn't just me going.  Next trip was the first time I went away with my girlfriend.

We both like mountains and hiking, and given that it was only for a weekend away we didn't want to go too far.  So we packed up the car and drove to north Wales and Snowdonia.  Snowdon may be a bit on the touristy side as mountains go, but it was still something I wanted to share with her,

I've been up Snowdon before, but only once and only by the "tourist" trail.  This time I wanted to go up one of the other paths, maybe a little harder, but supposedly prettier.  We chose Rhyd Ddu.  And it didn't disappoint.

I always feel at peace in the mountains.  I think that is why I like them quite so much.  The walks tend to be enough of a challenge to keep you at least semi-occupied, and make you feel like you achieved something, and some of the views and scenery are spectacular.  Walking this time was a bit of a different experience, being the two of us, but if anything it was better for it.

While we were in the area, we went to lake Bala, and also hiked up Cadair Idris.  Unfortunately the weather didn't play ball for the second hike.  All the way up Snowdon we had great weather, and really good visibility.  There is always a risk that when you start getting high that the cloud will come in and you'll suddenly be stuck only able to see 10 feet in any direction.  It wasn't quite that bad, but it was pretty limited, and taking photos was out of the question.

I guess that means we'll have to go back!

Interrail

After I finished school, I went straight to university. I wasn't one of those students that took a year out to go travelling. It's not that I couldn't afford to,although that's true, but I was eager to get there and start studying. Yes I am that nerdy. It helps that with the subject path I took taking a break is really detrimental. With arts subjects taking time out and getting a better understanding of the world and all its intricacies can be really beneficial, but with physics and especially maths, if you aren't practicing you will forget tricks and techniques. Some people traveled during the long holiday before fresher's, and others did so between years at uni. Again, I wasn't one of those students.

But I was at least aware of interrailing. It's hard to be in that environment for a prolonged period of time and not be. I had friends from both home and university that did it. I heard of the places they visited and the memories they made, and I resolved that at some point I would do the same. The time when I felt I could finally afford to came after I had been already working several years.

Over that period, I had heard plenty of people say "you need to go here" about a variety of different cities. I had a few myself. Istanbul featured quite highly on that list, as did Budapest and Prague. I got a map of Europe, termed places as either have to go, nice to go, ora bit more indifferent towards, and started mapping out some routes. I'm lucky; my management is quite flexible and don't mind if I takes a three week break. This meant I had lots of options; you can go a lot of places in three weeks!

There's one piece of advice I was given by my friend Mat while I was planning that was really important. He was one of those guys that took a year to go travelling, so his advice was born from experience and worth listening to. Don't try to do too much.

I decided against doing a round trip, just going one way and flying home from as far as I got. It was so much easier logistically. My final route was fly to Prague, train to Bratislava, day trip to Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Zagreb, Sibiu & Bucharest, Sofia before finally Istanbul. Except its not quite that simple. As well as those cities there were some day trips planned. I love the mountains and nature too much to ignore Bohemian Switzerland, the Tatras, Plitvice lakes, Romanian mountains... That and my girlfriend was coming too for the first two weeks and she feels the same. Cities are nice, and they all have their individual feel. But after a while they get boring.

I guess I should start at the beginning. Prague. Over the years it has developed a rather mystical aura. Not the home of British stag parties, but an oasis of Eastern Europe. Oozing culture and class, the tagline of many other cities in recent times has been "the new Prague". But how does the original fare? In all honesty I didn't know much about it before this trip. I still feel that there is plenty I missed. But there are some things that you realise you've seen many times before going. The cathedral and especially its astronomical clock. The main square. The John Lennon wall. And for those sharp eyed amongst you, the Charles bridge is the one from the start of the first Mission Impossible film. But we went a bit further afield too. The cathedral at Kutna Hora is incredible, and the mountains in Bohemian Switzerland were beautiful and a fantastic first hike of the holiday. The variety we saw in the Czech Republic, the grace and style embodied by the architecture, and the *feel* of the place... Great start.

From there we went on to Bratislava. Not somewhere you think of as a holiday destination, but it is an hour on the train to Vienna, which is world renowned, and a nice little break point. Again, don't try to do too much. Vienna really is something else. We spent a day just getting a feel for the place, but I feel that we would need a week to do it justice. My knowledge of pre-20th century European history isn't the best but I know enough to know about the Austria-Hungarian empire, and how wealthy it was.  And Vienna was the center of that.  There was so much to see there, it definitely deserves more than the day we gave it.  Definitely worth a return journey!

I must admit that I wasn't expecting a lot from Bratislava.  It was more a stop off point so we could get to Vienna easily and buy a day or two before heading into the Tatra Mountains of Slovakia.  But it was fun, and the contrast to Vienna, so close yet a different country, culture and history, in terms of architecture and the wealth of the place was stark.  Not to disparage Bratislava too much, it is nice in its own way, and the castle overlooking it is very different to British castles, and very imposing.  Unfortunately it was shut so we couldn't get inside.  The main highlight for Slovakia, the main reason we went there was to get out into the mountains.  We spent a couple of days in the High Tatras, which were fantastic.  They are definitely worth a return journey, and a few extra days exploration.  We did cheat a bit; the consequence of limited time.  We skipped part of a hike and took a cable car.  I'm not quite as principled as some I know, who think you must earn the view at the top of the mountain.  But that view... Worth it

Next on the list was another city high on my list of priorities during the planning stage.  Budapest.  Back to the Danube, who we were kinda following as it winds its way through Europe.  We spent two days here, one looking round Buda, one for Pest.  There is so much to say about it, but I will only touch on a couple of places.  The parliament building is breathtaking from every angle.  So grand, so ornate; both inside and out.  A particular highlight is the view of it from across the river as the sun sets.  The other is the baths throughout the city, the one we went to was Gellert.  Spending some time relaxing and swimming was a great way to cool off from the heat of the city and unwind following a week of travel.

Following Budapest, we made our way to Croatia.  We didn't make it to the coast, Split and Dubrovnik, which are apparently incredible.  We spent a day in Zagreb, and visited one of the most unique museums I've been to; the museum of broken relationships.  I don't want to spoil at all, but if you find yourself there, then you should consider giving it a visit.  However the real reason for including Croatia was to see Plitvice Lakes.  I don't think I've seen lakes so clear, water so beautiful.  The fish you can see almost appear to be flying.  Its magical.

Then on to Serbia!  I was a little nervous about Serbia, and wasn't sure what to expect, but not very much.  But Belgrade surprised me.  It was great.  The church was staggeringly beautiful, the city was great, and we got to see the Tesla Museum which was a real plus for me and my physics background.  The only problems we really had was getting in and out of Belgrade.  Getting from Belgrade to Bucharest was a nightmare, the taxi we had booked decided they didn't want to play ball, and we ended up taking an overnight train with a few hours layover in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night.

But Romania was worth it.  We started in the Sibiu region and the mountains.  And they were beautiful too.  I may be biased, I've made my feelings about mountains clear in the past, but a fairly relaxed walk was just the peaceful respite we needed at this point!  After Sibiu, I went on to Bucharest, and it was this point we became I as my girlfriend flew home.  A day exploring Bucharest was actually quite sad.  The influence of the soviet era was stark over the city.  The old buildings were still there in their splendour, but new buildings had been put up between them, and it left the city feeling wrong.  Some things still stuck out.  Of course the People's Palace.  One of the biggest buildings in the world, when you get to the road leading to it, it will take your breath away.

After this I spent some time in Bulgaria.  One day in Sofia, and a day trip to the Rila Monastery.  Sofia had avoided the fate that had befallen Bucharest, the old city was much more in tact.  And the city was so much nicer for that.  But the true highlight of Bulgaria was Rila.  Up in the mountains it is a delightful setting, and the monastery itself is lovely, and aside from the other tourists was very peaceful.  I can't even imagine what it must have been like for the monks before it became so filled with tourists.

My final stop was Turkey.  Istanbul was as hectic as Rila would have been peaceful.  The call to prayer ringing out over the city, waking you up, the buzz walking through the Grand Bazaar.  The Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sofia staring across each other, equally impressive, but so hard to compare.  And one final treat to myself.  Day trip flight to Pamukkalae.  There are so many things to see in Turkey, you can spend weeks looking around (ignoring the current political climate!), but this was my pick to see on my final day of the holiday.  Go look at pictures, and you will understand why.

Having had years of people talking about their travels round Europe on the train, I'm glad I finally got round to doing it myself.  Experiencing a host of iconic cities, different cultures and sights was brilliant.  Trying to put it into words is far from easy.  In short, if you've not spend two or three weeks exploring different countries, if you can spare the time and a bit of money (hostels and air bnb mean its not that pricey!) it is definitely worth doing!  Pick some cities, pick a route and start planning for yourself.

Stockholm Syndrome

Have you ever played the skyscanner game?  Its great fun.  Pick some dates where you can travel, a home location and then look for flights to anywhere.  Sort by price, and see where you could go for cheap.  I played this game, and looked at my options.  Flights to Stockholm for <£40?  Why not!

So I went.

After my whirlwind trip of NY a few months earlier, I wasn't too phased about the prospect of trying to do this with little planning.  While there is plenty to do in Stockholm, it is not on the same scale as NY, so the few weeks planning time I had was plenty.

Prior to this, I knew next to nothing about Sweden.  The extent of my knowledge was drinking is expensive, its going to be cold and I needed to try some meatballs.

Flicking through the guidebook, a few things became obvious.  With all the islands and water ways, I would need to go on a boat trip.  Unfortunately it seemed that most of the islands of the archipelago, but not the city, were closed for the winter.  My desire to hike would not be sated.   Second, this is the home of Nobel, the Nobel Museum and Nobel Park.  I'm a scientist, and think I have a reasonable intellectual curiosity; Nobel is the ultimate, reading about the prize winners is inspirational.  Lastly, Stockholm had been an Olympic city.  I needed to see the stadium, even if I knew I wouldn't get inside.

These were my "goals", but I had plenty of time.  This wasn't going to be like NY, where I was rushed off my feet to try and see as much as possible.  I could be relaxed, see these things and then decide which of the other sights I wanted to do on a day by day basis.

Stockholm itself was interesting, and I do mean that genuinely.  The mixture of northern architecture and the water everywhere was unlike anywhere else I had been before.  I didn't go to many of the different Islands, but they all had their unique feel, which is strange for such a small city.  The museums were different and interesting to; from Nobel, like I already mentioned through, to one that includes an entire viking longship, with some restoration work admittedly.

Stockholm was a great city to wander around, taking my time to enjoy the view, pausing to warm up in coffee shops (and oh my god, the cinnamon rolls.  If only I could have them everyday...), and just seeing what there is to see was really enjoyable.  And the meatballs were damn tasty too.

So Good They Named It Twice (Nov '14)

After I got back from Iceland, my first day back in the office I found out I was going to the states two weeks later.  With work paying for a transatlantic flight, this seemed to good an opportunity to miss.  I booked some leave and so I could extend my stay in the states and started planning.  I have a list of US cities I want to visit, and starting to tick the ones I've visited off.  So I booked flights, and started planning a trip to the city most Europeans think of as The american city; New York, New York.

Planning a trip to New York in under two weeks is hard.  Especially when the trip will only be a few days.  There are so many aspects of the city that you know from popular culture, things that are famous and you just have  to see.  Icons of the country, some of the world's best museums, and sights that you have seen countless images of, but not in person.  How do you see as much as possible in 3 days?  What do you miss out?  What can you still get tickets for two weeks out?  And how can you plan it all in 2 weeks?

Some things were obvious.  I had to see Liberty, Empire States, Central Park, the Met.  Others were things I would like but less important.  MOMA, Time Square, Rockefeller, Guggenheim, Madison Square Gardens, Ground Zero.  The list goes on.

And this was before people started giving recommendations.  Turns out lots of people have been to NY, and they all have something else you have to try.

So I timetabled.  I prioritised.  I got the NY city pass, found a way to see Liberty, Empire, Met, MOMA, Guggenheim, walk over the brooklyn bridge, chill out in Central Park, see the best book shop in the city, Time Square.  Unfortunately the ice hockey at Madison Square Gardens was out of my budget, as was a broadway show.  Rockefeller I half forgot, half ran out of time.  But in the three days I had, I don't think I could have done much more.  I was rushing everywhere.  Now you may think that doesn't sound like a nice holiday, a relaxing time.  But this is New York.  The city that never sleeps.  Where everyone is in a hurry, and by rushing yourself you feel like you belong.  Where grabbing a coffee to go is normal, having a think pizza and cheesecake is something you have to try.  And its fantastic.

Chilling In the Land of Ice (Oct/Nov'14)

One of the things I want to see before I die is the aurora.  Borealis or Australis, but I want to see them.  With this in mind, I headed north, to Iceland to go hunting.

Now I know that you need a bit of luck to see them, and it needs the solar activity to play ball.  Thankfully, there are plenty of other things I wanted to see there.  The location of Iceland makes it unique, and gives it some very cool geology.  You can stand with one foot on the Eurasian plate, and the other on the North American.  You can see Geysirs and swim in natural hot springs.  So of course I did.

There's a tour that I went on that goes round something called the Golden Circle.  You see three of the countries most visited tourist spots, and they are worth it.  It is a land of natural beauty, and these are some of the highlights of places within a drive from the capital.  And that didn't seem enough, so I added a snowmobiling trip on top of a glacier to it!  That was ridiculously fun.  Got some good speed, about 50mph, and if you've ever been quadbiking, imagine that but better!

I spent a few days wandering around the city, looking at some museums, churches and the opera house.  There was a very odd exhibit at an art gallery that I just didn't get, and the inside of the cathedral felt a bit too empty, almost like a sports hall.  The view from the top of it was great though.  The houses are coated in corrugated iron which is then painted, so you get great colours.  And when the sunset lit up the opera house, it was just beautiful.  In fact everything I saw there was.

Unfortunately, the one down side was I didn't see the Aurora.  I went out searching for them three nights in a row, but there was no solar activity.  I got some great pictures of stars, but no green lights in the sky.  Think this calls for another trip towards the poles!

Belle Paris

Been a while since I had time to write, but I think its time to add in my next travel.  Last July I was in Paris.  Not only was I in Paris, I was also there for Bastille Day.

I was away with work, and then stayed on for a few days to enjoy the city.  Not too much to talk of about the first week, but there are a couple of things to highlight.  Bastille Day was something pretty special.  I went for a long run in the afternoon, saw a lot of the sites - Place du Bastille, Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, the banks of the Seine, the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumphe, and I ran down the Champs Elysee all decked out with the Tricolor.  It was pretty incredible, and one of the most beautiful runs I've ever done.

Then the evening came, and with it the fireworks. I think they might have been the first actually launching off Eiffel for several years, and the atmosphere was pretty special.  Afterwards we went for a few drinks and maybe the most expensive three drink round I've seen.  About 70Euros for three beers...  Only other thing I need to share is the social.  Dinner cruise on the Seine.  Thank you, I will do that.  Beautiful food, and great sights.

I didn't have much time afterwards to enjoy myself, but I did get a few cool things done.  I met some very cool people in my hostel; Elizabeth, Dasha, and the American guys.  The Louvre is possibly bigger than they say, and I was impressed I managed to get through about 2/3rds of it in half a day.  However I much preferred the Musee D'Orsay.  The art they have there is much more of the style I like; Renoir, Monet, Manet and Van Gogh.  I hate to imagine the insurance costs for that.  Versaille is just lovely, and the fountains were incredible.  Notre Dame, Sacre Couer and Saint Chapelle are beautiful.  The view from the top of the Arc, with the spidersweb of roads emerging from it is pretty impressive, but it all scales compared to the view from the Eiffel Tower.  It is about as recognisable a landmark as anywhere in the world, and there's a reason people flock to it.  Same as the Colisseum in Rome, people flock to it and you can't help it. 

You try, but you can't.

Cowboy Country (March-May '14)

Hot on the heels of the first, comes travel blog the second.  This time its America based, and is going to detail my time away in Albuquerque.

Last spring people that know me in real life will have noticed that I happened to not be around for a while.  There was kind of a Phil shaped gap where I would normally be.  And every now and again there would be some crazy photos appearing.  This is because I spent two months working in New Mexico, and not at home!

I'm not going to go into the details of it all, and I don't want to list everywhere I went, everywhere I saw.  I'm just going to go through my highlights.  And just because I was based in New Mexico, didn't mean I couldn't go elsewhere

Monument Valley
Every Western you ever see looks like it's set here.  Driving towards it makes you feel like you're on the surface of another world; the landscape is that alien.  Giant structures appear out of the earth, dwarfing you in their majesty.  It's a Navajo tribal reserve so everywhere you go there are people peddling their wares.  Meant I got a few people some cool birthday presents - about as authentic a dream catcher as you can get!  I also got the full Forrst Gump view in my wing mirror as I drove away from it.  Had to pull over and get a picture.

Bandelier National Monument
Bandelier stands out to me for a few reasons.  It was the first place I went when I was over there.  It has some history attached to it; its some native american ruins, and is a lot more advanced than I thought they would be, and there was some really good hiking there, that would be down to the Rio Grande if the paths were in good condition.

Grand Canyon
Any list would be incomplete without mentioning this place.  Everyone I know who has been there says that it is just incredible.  Normally when that is the case, it tends to be overhyped.  But not this time.  If anything it is underhyped.  By a long way.  The only thing I feel like I can compare it to is the Large Hadron Collider.  They are both so huge that pictures can't do it justice.  Consequently you try to describe them using numbers.  However those numbers are so big they quickly become meaningless.  I can't visualise a 27km circumference circle, or a ditch a mile deep.  You have to go to them and see them.  Can not recommend them enough.  Hiking down the canyon is the stuff that dreams are made of.