Explore with Fran

Tirana surprises

When we last spoke we had been exploring Prague and Bratislava. Both beautiful places. And were headed to our first airport in quite some time. Travel always throws you challenges. Curveballs. And this is the beauty of it. Life is unpredictable. Life on the road even more so. This is what builds character. Confidence. And life skills that you do not know you are learning and absorbing. Life skills and resilience that serve you well on your journey.

Albania becomes country number 61

Our journey today was to a country that had been on our list when we left Australia. A country I had been reading more and more about. Albania was to become the 61st country I have visited. The birthplace of Mother Theresa, I learned after a few days in the country. Seeing statues and her image in many places across Tirana.

What to expect of Albania, we had no idea. From what I had read it would be like travelling many years ago. No integrated travel infrastructure. A country relatively new to tourism. A cash only economy. A country with an interesting past. My thoughts turned to long trips through India and China. Very challenging, and very rewarding.

It was with trepidation that we disembarked in Tirana, The nation’s capital. Arriving somewhere new always presents challenges. Usually long lines at immigration. Questions about your stay that have a way of making you incredibly nervous. As though you are doing something wrong just by being there. 

Breezing through the airport in Tirana

I was wrong. I was projecting third world vibes onto Albania. What we experienced was a first world airport experience that is only rivalled by Bali. Another country that relies on tourism and understands how important first impressions are. Tirana airport also has automatic passport gates and with a quick scan, and no queues we were through in a matter of seconds. Literally. I was amazed. Collecting our bags and heading out to where the buses were parked. Following instructions I had found on a travel blog (we can be helpful can’t we?) we headed to the back of the car park, found “Bay 10” and there was a large bus quickly filling up with passengers. In fact, by the time we set off there were even people standing.

The next part of the day didn’t go quite as fast as the airport arrival experience. The traffic in and around Tirana airport is crazy. Gridlocked. One small road out of the airport. And that one road arrives at a roundabout meaning that only a few vehicles get to leave at a time. Time to sit back and settle in. We were going to be a while.

Bus stations in Albania

One thing I had read about travel in Albania was that bus stations were not very conveniently located. Often dropping you off a long way from where you want to be. This was something we were to experience all through our eight days exploring the country. That first day we got dropped off in central Tirana and checking Google Maps we saw that we had a 45 minute walk to the apartment we had booked for the next two days. We better get walking. Crikey, it was hot. And noisy. And busy. And the relief we usually experience when finally arriving at our accommodation was tinged with…well, a quizzical look.

“Is this definitely it?”

“Yeah, I think so,” I replied. “I am sure it is better inside than it looks on the outside.”

On the outside it looked a little like an apartment you see in those pictures from war ravaged regions. A building that had been shelled and was just standing.

It was much better on the inside. A modern, very compact apartment with everything we needed for two nights. Good air conditioning. A kettle. And a television for the World Cup matches. And, as we found out when the sun went down, we were in a very vibrant neighbourhood. Lots of supermarkets, cafes and restaurants. Tirana was starting to surprise me. In a good way. The city has a good, positive feel to it. Buzzy. Alive. 

Exploring Tirana

The city is a little low on what you would call tourist sites. Which is not a surprise. Tourism did not come to Albania until the 1990s. Before that it was closed to the world, under communist rule. When the communist regime started falling apart in the early 90s, tourism arrived in Albania. A civil war in 1997 set this back and now, years later, Albania is fully embracing tourists. 

You can see this in the proliferation of modern looking cafes. And the restaurants, many with a Greek influence. It was in Tirana that we started getting our fix of gyros. At Opa we had one so tasty that we went back the day after. We were practicing for when we got to Greece.

We stayed up til 11pm to watch England defeat Norway. We were headed to only our fourth World Cup semi final. The opponents to be the old enemy, Argentina. With a spring in our step we headed to the “bus station” the morning after in a taxi. I say bus station, but this being Albania, it was just a large patch of land on the outskirts of the city.

The bus to Berat

What you would call organised chaos. People shouting out destinations from across Albania, and pointing rather animatedly at the various buses. I shouted out the name of where we wanted to head and I was directed to an aging minibus with a “Berat” sign in the window. We had to wait until the bus had enough people before we set off on the almost two hour journey. At the speed we left at it could have taken us two days.

Crawling along, constantly tooting the horn, and stopping at every random person on the street and shouting “Berat” at them. Some we picked up. Many we didn’t. On arriving in Berat, again on the edge of town, we had the taxi drivers offering us scandalous prices for the short (but a little too long to walk) ride into town. No thank you. I had read that a local bus comes out to the bus station and drives you into Berat town. We waited.

This did get me thinking. About whether the location of bus stations was a deliberate ploy. Allowing the bus drivers and taxi drivers to work together. So they both get paid. It makes sense, from their perspective. And is a little annoying when you get dropped off far from the centre of town and told “last stop”, only to then see the minibus pass you as it drives right into the very town you are now having to walk to.

Berat city of a thousand windows

Today we waited for the local bus, and it was pennies for the ride into town. Berat is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is known as the “city of a thousand windows”. And at night it is a joy to behold. The white houses sat up on the hill, lit up. Overlooking the Osum river that splits the famous neighbourhoods of Mangalemi and Gorica. The Gorica bridge spans the river and makes for a great post dinner stroll. 

Day two saw us walking the steep incline up to Berat castle for breathtaking views across the region. It was a very interesting area to explore and well worth the exertion to get there. Burning off so many calories was a great excuse to once again get a delicious gyros for lunch.

Berat was somewhere that felt like being on holiday. A busy day walking and exploring. Then relaxing evenings wandering the old town finding a restaurant for dinner. And there were plenty. The Greek influence was unmistakable. That first night we had feta, moussaka, and a carafe of local white wine in a very scenic courtyard restaurant with views of the nearby mountains. 

Berat hospitality

On paying the bill the waiter brought out a bottle of local raki and two small glasses. Victoria wasn’t keen but knew that offering raki to guests was an integral part of Albanian hospitality. It could be seen as rude to refuse. When the bottle came out a second time we took some convincing.

“You will enjoy the second,” we were assured. “It is only the first shot that is strong.”

Still thinking of last night’s raki, I needed breakfast.  Most mornings in Albania this was my beloved cheese burek. Flaky pastry, warm from the oven and filled with soft cheese. Oh my. For our second morning in Berat we had something a little different. The night before we had a knock at our door. It was the lady owner, who didn’t speak a word of English. She had Google Translate open and showed me her phone screen.

“Would you like doughnuts for breakfast?”

A vigorous nod was all it took and then we had Google Translate asking what time.

So it was, at 8am the next morning, with another gentle knock at the door we were presented with a plate of freshly made small Albanian doughnuts and fresh strawberry jam. Just what we needed as we headed out of Berat, on the local bus to the bus station and then onto our next destination.

We were headed for the sea. We were headed for Vlore. And a much anticipated World Cup semi final.

Auf wiedersehen, Germany

The Ibis hotel in Berlin was certainly no frills. Comfortable, convenient, central and no kettle. I know, call me demanding. A kettle is one of the essentials I expect when booking a hotel. My perfect morning starts with freshly brewed coffee. There is a reason I always travel with my V60 pour over and a bag of fresh coffee. Thankfully I was able to get hot water from the machine downstairs and bring it up to the room so I can make my brew.

Today we were headed to another new country for Victoria, and one I have previously visited. Not being able to watch the previous nights football, England’s victory over Mexico we weren’t as tired as I expected us to be. And we had a relatively short travel day. Just a four hours and twenty minute Flixbus ride from the German capital to the capital of the Czech Republic.

Pulling in to Prague

We pulled into Prague at the bus station on the outskirts of town. With much development ongoing it looks as though the town is rapidly expanding. Thankfully, the historic centre of Prague is a UNESCO heritage protected site and thus will remain beautiful, historic, and charming. There is so much character around every turn. Getting lost amongst the old town is one of travel’s treasures. 

Another of travel’s treasures is getting to sample the local cuisine, and as such dinner that evening had me tackling the world’s biggest pork knuckle. Looking around the restaurant I did wonder why everyone appeared to be sharing it. Then it turned up at the table. And I saw why. As Victoria had ordered a schnitzel this was one beast I would have to conquer alone. I rolled home that evening with a sense of accomplishment.

Thinking I would never eat again, imagine how surprised I was the next day to find a huge hot dog in my hand. I know, I know, I would make a terrible vegetarian. Don’t judge me. We had enjoyed some very good hot dogs on our odyssey across Europe and the ones in Prague were no exception. Why do they always taste better with a cold beer?

Exploring Prague Castle

Trying to walk off some of the effects of all the food we decided to make the steep walk up to Prague Castle. Despite me visiting Prague several times previously I had never been up to the castle.  And it was a very steep walk that rewards you with some stunning views across the Vltava river and sweeping views of the city. We had a very enjoyable day exploring the castle and its grounds. Golden Lane was a highlight and we got to visit the very small house that Franz Kafka called home between 1916 and 1917 as he wrote the collection of short stories in “A Country Doctor”. 

Kafka in Prague

I have long been a fan of Kafka’s writing and I love just wandering the city and imagining the young Franz going about his day. Working as an insurance clerk and writing at night, Kafka died at age 40 as a relative unknown. He was a prodigious writer, very often torn between the necessity to work and earn a living, and the deep desire to follow his passion, which was writing. Who has not felt torn by this in life? It is only because his final wish to destroy his books was ignored that he is now known across the world as one of the giants of literature.

Whilst in Prague I love to try the traditional food. As with the gigantic pork knuckle mentioned earlier I also got to have a very good beef goulash. Despite Victoria protesting that it looked like something someone had brought back up after a bad meal it was delicious. And who can come to Prague without sampling a few of the rather excellent local beers. Despite being on a travel budget (as opposed to a holiday budget – the distinction becomes very real when travelling) we did manage a pint or three.

A curious point on the beer in Prague. The longer we were there the bigger the head on the beer seemed to be getting. It appears to be a point of pride for bartenders to get a really big head on the beer and it looked as though we were in danger of getting a glass full of froth.

Prague’s Astronomical Clock

Our AirBnB was excellently located, right in the Old Town, mere steps from the famous Astronomical Clock. A clock that Victoria stood and watched and asked “is it going to do anything exciting?” It doesn’t and yet on the hour, every hour, hordes of tourists congregate around the front of it, videoing I don’t really know what. I am sure they have seen everyone else doing it on Instagram and TikTok and they don’t want to miss out.

In and around the old town of Prague there are some excellent sculptures to hunt down. The most from an artist called David Černý. One of which you would miss completely unless you look up high. “Man hanging out” is reputed to depict the great Sigmund Freud. Černý has a number of other sculptures scattered about that make for great fun in finding them.

After a great three days exploring Prague it was time to hit the road again. Walking back to the bus station for our four hour Flixbus ride I was excited at the thought of adding a new country to my list. A new country for both of us this time. We were heading into Slovakia, and the capital Bratislava.

Beautiful Bratislava

Located on the Danube river, in the south west of the country, Bratislava is one of those cities that has flown under the radar for many years. And now, it is becoming increasingly popular. And from what we saw, for very good reason. We were only going to be in the city for one night. As happens whilst long term travelling plans inevitably change and pivot. Our original intention had been to go to Slovenia and visit Lake Bled. However, logistically, and financially (travel budget remember), it wasn’t feasible. It would just make it so much harder for us to achieve the rest of the travel plan. Slovenia will just have to wait for another year.

So, we found ourselves exploring the beautiful city of Bratislava. With an old town that is compact and full of restaurants and bars. Bars selling great craft beer. The place has definitely been discovered. Not that it felt over touristed but there were plenty of people milling around, taking photos and having dinner out on the sidewalk cafes and restaurants. The old town had a vibrancy to it.  I even indulged in my love for local food. This time trying the “pressburg crackling bun”, a strange little pastry made with bacon fat. I know, it sounds odd. And it was. A little. But I will never die wondering.

Sadly, we were only here for the day and overnight. We enjoyed a local dinner of pierogi with a glass of wine before strolling back to our apartment up by the train station. A location chosen strategically as the airport bus goes from right across the road. We would be taking the short ride to the airport in the morning for our next destination. And another new country for both of us.

We were bound for Albania. Our first airport in quite some time. There is a reason for this. More on that later.

And in to Hamburg

Our first visit to Scandinavia finished with us checking out of the Comfort Hotel and crossing Central Station to find the Flixbus stop. It was time to leave Malmö. And Sweden. We had a six hour journey ahead of us. On a bus. Not something to be savoured. Our next destination was to be Germany and we were headed to Hamburg, a city neither of us had been to previously.  Although Victoria will be adding a new country to her list.

Sweden had been very good to us with the weather. Sun. Blue skies. And warm. A few hours into the Flixbus journey we were once again crossing the border. Yes, that imaginary blue line again. Did the world know that this blue line existed? As if by magic, when crossing into Germany, we had dark clouds and light rain. 

Exploring Hamburg

The bus circled Hamburg Central Train station and shortly afterwards was dropping us off at the bus station. This part of town looked a little sketchy. And we had chosen not to stay at a hotel too close to here. This was further confirmed when looking at Google reviews of potential places to stay and some had photos of what people were claiming were drug drops right outside their hotel.

We widened our search and this is how we found ourselves 30 minutes later walking through the back streets of Hamburg to check into the Premier Inn. Something that felt familiar. Staying at a Premier Inn is something that many people in the UK will be familiar with. Yes, very generic. Not too exciting. And a great place to base ourselves for the next two days as we explore Hamburg. 

Leaving the hotel the skies had brightened. We even had sun. A perfect time to explore and we started at the town hall. Known locally as the “rathaus”, Hamburg Town Hall dominates the city centre. Built in 1886 to replace the previous town hall that had been destroyed in the great fire of 1842, it took a full 44 years before it was finished. We were able to walk in and through the courtyard, marvelling at the fountain dedicated to Hygieia as the goddess of health and hygiene in Greek mythology. The fountain was built in remembrance of the cholera epidemic of 1892.

Getting thirsty we headed across the square from the Town Hall looking for a beer. We sat ourselves in a little street side bar and had our first beer in Germany. Asahi, from Japan. We had hoped for something a little more local.  It would have to wait.

The Reeperbahn in Hamburg

Whilst in Hamburg we had read that a visit to the Reeperbahn was mandatory. What would be classed as the red light district we found the area to be more run down and tired looking than we expected. I found it all a little sad. One bright part of the visit though was discovering the football team based in the area, St Pauli. I hadn’t heard of Hamburg’s second team until our Flixbus ride. A guy on the bus had both a St Pauli shirt and baseball cap. Googling through the bus ride I discovered that they have a storied history. How many football clubs have a second “official” badge that is a skull and crossbones? 

Hamburg football rivalry

Whilst in the city I had to pay a visit to the club shop of the most famous football club in the city. A club graced by the one and only late Kevin Keegan. SV Hamburg. Hamburg have been a team in my imagination ever since Keegan played for them. Becoming the Balon D’Or winner. In consecutive years in 1978 and 1979, sadly losing in the 1980 European Cup final.  

Hamburg, like much of Germany, has a lot of history. A lot of it is related to the various wars. We visited the St Nikolai memorial and were in awe of how the tower still remains standing despite everything around it being destroyed in the second world war. What remains is now a monument to peace. When visiting these types of places around the world I always wonder why we need the atrocity before we call for peace. 

Berlin

You can’t travel through Germany without having these conversations. Our next destination, Berlin, was no different. I had previously had a very fleeting visit to Berlin. In 2006. When I flew in with a couple of mates to savour the atmosphere of the 2006 World Cup final, held in the city. I remember very little of that trip so I was seeing the city as if for the very first time.

What I do remember is the size of the city. And this hit home when our bus dropped us at Alexanderplatz. As the navigator for our world travels it was my job to locate ourselves so we knew where our accommodation was. I checked Google Maps. Then checked again. Almost a one hour walk to the hotel. A hotel I thought we had chosen for its excellent location. The problem was that the excellent location, near Berlin train station, was a long walk from where the bus had dropped us. And off we went again, trundling our bags behind us as we both tried to keep smiling.

Once at the hotel, almost an hour later, we were indeed in an excellent location. And it was our base for the next two days for us to explore Berlin. Brandenburg Gate was on our doorstep as was the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a very moving place to spend quiet time. 

The Berlin Wall

The Berlin Wall separated East from West Germany between 1961 and 1989 and no visit to Berlin is complete with a trip to the Berlin Wall Memorial. A time in history that in retrospect looks unbelievable. That someone would decide to build a wall to keep citizens of the same city apart from each other. Reading of the history of that period, the Cold War and Checkpoint Charlie, brings back memories of football tournaments over the years that have included teams from countries that no longer exist. Such as Yugoslavia. And how it broke down with the death of Tito as various nations proclaimed independence. New lines were drawn on the world map.

Being in Germany we had to visit a bierkeller. We were getting by on a steady diet of bratwursts washed down with strong German beer. How much fun it would be to be back later in the year to experience Oktoberfest. That bucket list item will have to wait for another trip. 

The longest World Cup in history continues

Coinciding with our stay in Berlin was the huge World Cup match between England and Mexico. I knew we couldn’t get it anywhere to watch, with the kick off being at 2am local time. I did set my alarm and woke up to listen on the radio. However, on waking up I heard that due to the weather conditions the game had been pushed back an hour. Bleary eyed, I just gave it up and went back to sleep. It was to be later in the morning when I discovered that we had a last eight match versus Norway.

We didn’t know where we would be for this next match, but we did know our next destination. It was back to the bus station. We had a four and half hour Flixbus ride to the capital of the Czech Republic. Prague, we are coming for you.

Scandinavia tour continues as we travel to Gothenburg

Cast your mind back to the end of June. Yes, the World Cup was still on. Remember that? If you are English, how could you forget? When we last spoke it was as we left Norway. After a seven hour train ride into Oslo, a quick overnight in a city centre hotel, we were off again. Trundling our bags through Oslo to Central Station. It was time to explore another new country. New for us both. Our destination was Sweden, and specifically the city of Gothenburg. In a change from our usual Flixbus, today we were on a double decker Vy, a local bus company, for the three and a half hour journey.

As long as I have travelled what has always fascinated me is the concept of “borders’. That in times gone by, someone (usually a man) looks at a map of the world, gets his pen out, and draws lines. If you are on one side of the line you are in country A. And country B if you live the other. Not only is this completely mind boggling, the fact that humans think they own mother earth and have the right to carve it up as they see fit. But, also the fact that whole swathes of cultural identity gets created depending on which side of an arbitrary line you are on.

You think you have too small a piece of the pie? Invade next door and re-draw your line. Ludicrous. And is happening as we speak. Across the world. I digress. What is very obvious when you travel the world is that there are no actual lines. No real borders. They are just a construct. Again this is brought into sharp relief as I track our bus journey on my phone, through Google Maps. Watching the blue line as the bus crosses the “border” into Sweden. A change of language. A change of culture. Different foods. Different currencies. Even though both Norway and Sweden are in the EU they both maintain their own currency, choosing not to adopt the euro. All this because we crossed an invisible line. It blows my mind.

And to think that for many years, Norway and Sweden were joined. Classed as one entity. It is a long and complicated history and in 1905 they separated peacefully.

Gothenburg

We arrived in Gothenburg to glorious weather and had an easy fifteen minute walk to Hotel Heden. Across the street from the Ullevi stadium where Manchester United were to play some weeks later. My timings were off, obviously. Built for the 1958 World Cup, Ullevi stadium has also hosted motorcycle speedway, second only to the old Wembley Stadium in London for hosting World Championships. Halifax’s own Kenny Carter won a World Pairs championship in 1983 riding with Peter Collins.

We weren’t here for the football or the speedway. We were here for our first taste of Swedish culture and the famed “fika”, the beloved morning coffee break enjoyed all across the country. Also, we were hoping that Sweden was a little less pricey than its neighbour. It turns out it was. 

How do you like your eggs?

Our base for a couple of nights, the Hotel Heden, a rather dated looking hotel that had plenty of charm. Unusually, we had breakfast included in our booking, something that I enjoyed a lot more than Victoria. I love seeing what mish mash hotel breakfast buffets have to offer. In hotels that are far from “top end” this often leaves a lot to be desired. My happy place is when I can get fried eggs and some toast. I had to settle for soft boiled in Gothenburg.

Gothenburg is a port city and we set off exploring. Walking to the water front through the many squares that litter the compact city centre. Stopping for a beer I couldn’t help but notice how many pubs seemed to have the same name. The “John Scott’s”. Researching it later it turns out that it is a chain of pubs, think of Wetherspoons in the UK, with each John Scott pub fitted out, or themed, slightly differently. Whatever the pub was called I was just glad to see that the price of a pint had dropped. Significantly.

Speaking of beer, like in Norway there are restrictions on buying alcohol in shops and supermarkets. And in Sweden it was even more restrictive. Beer sold in shops could only be up to a maximum of 3.5 per cent. What we would call “mid strength” at home in Australia. And just like Norway, you could only buy wine and spirits in government owned shops.

Gothenburg is best explored on foot and I highly recommend you walk through the historic Haga neighbourhood. If only for one of their famous kanelbulle. A pastry the size of your head. And definitely for sharing. Keep walking, to burn off the calories, and visit the Slottsskogen park. Beautiful large park with lots of wildlife.

We enjoyed Gothenburg, and our first taste of Swedish culture. As we watched England beat Panama 2:0 late in the evening our thoughts turned to the next day. A day that would see us on the move again. This time a shorter trip. And staying in Sweden. We were off to the home of Zlatan.

Moving on to Malmö

Malmö is a city I had almost visited a few years earlier. On a trip to Copenhagen with friends we discovered that Malmö is less than an hour from Copenhagen. We didn’t make it but I was about to make up for lost time. Our 11.15am bus had us into Malmö three hours later. Located right on the sea you have sweeping views across the water to Denmark. You can follow the bridge as it links the two countries. A bridge we would cross by train a couple of days later as we had a day sightseeing in Copenhagen.

So far the World Cup had been playing havoc with our sleep schedule, with the matches on late at night. The match against DR Congo was slightly earlier and we found a city centre bar to watch it in. A bar with more TVs than customers. The only other customers in there were cheering on Congo. After trailing 0:1 for much of the match we were perhaps a little exuberant with our celebrations at the end. We had a match against host nation Mexico to look forward to.

Copenhagen

We didn’t have breakfast included in our Malmö stay. The Comfort hotel near Central Station was indeed comfortable but we had to venture out each morning for food. Thankfully filter coffee remains a thing in Scandinavia. Something I got used to in Norway. Going out for breakfast croissants the bakeries have a station for filter coffee. One even had its own mugs for you to use. If life is about the little things, this is one of the little things in life that warms my heart.

After coffee one morning we jumped on the train to Copenhagen for the day. A ride of one hour with the  train dropping you right at Copenhagen Central Station. This was Victoria’s first visit and we ticked off the usual tourist sights. The colourful houses of Nyhavn. The excellent food markets at Reffen. The rather underwhelming “attraction” that is The Little Mermaid.

Moving on from Malmö

Back in Malmö we reflected on our Scandinavian adventure. We had seen a lot in a short space of time. Norway from coast to coast and up the fjords. And a side of Sweden that you wouldn’t see if you stuck to Stockholm. Now our minds moved on to tomorrow’s destination. Across another “border” and into Germany.

A different kind of trip and still a lot of walking

Last time we spoke I shared our proud achievement of completing the Camino de Santiago, walking the Portuguese route from Porto. A lot has happened since then. I’ll do my best to start from the beginning. 

Well, kind of the beginning. Sandwiched either side of the Camino we had a very good few weeks in England visiting family, friends, and eating fish and chips. Very good fish and chips. We did eat lots of other food, but those fish and chips, though. Our hire car got some mileage in as we made trips to Suffolk, Poulton le Fylde, London (to watch the tennis at Queen’s Club), and across Yorkshire. We even managed to squeeze in a couple of nights in a Shepherd’s Hut in Bedale, North Yorkshire, something that Victoria has yearned for for quite some time. 

All good things come to an end and after lots of laughs, warm hugs, copious amounts of Baileys, and even tears, we had to move on. Trust me when I tell you that goodbyes get harder as you and your loved ones get older. 

Our final goodbye was early one morning as we trundled our bags down Daleside and headed to Manchester airport to return our hire car. We had the M62 to negotiate and a Ryanair flight to catch. We were heading to a new country for both of us. Country number 58 for me. Norway was our destination, first stop Oslo. 

Almost. Ryanair being Ryanair means you often fly a long way from your actual destination. Which is why we landed at Torp airport and had a $100 bus ride into Oslo city centre. Almost 2 hours. By the time we had walked from the centre to our AirBnB the day was almost done and William had almost given up waiting for us.

Thankfully, he did and we still had time to do plenty of sightseeing. At this time of year Norway sees daylight until very late in the evening. In fact, due to us being early sleepers we found that for each of our 8 nights in Norway we went to bed in full daylight. Unless we stayed up until around midnight there was to be no star gazing in Norway. 

Making the most of the evening daylight we visited the Oslo Opera House and its unique roof design. Nestled next door to the Munch museum the Opera house roof is designed for you to walk on. So we did. Getting excellent views out across the fjords and around the harbour. 

This was our first visit to Norway and from the beginning we loved it. Even when our first pint cost $25. Yes, the rumours are true. Whenever we mentioned to people that we were starting the next leg of our travels in Norway I could have predicted what their first words would be. And I was never wrong.  If I had a Norwegian krona for every time I heard it I could probably, well, afford another pint.

Day two in Oslo and after a breakfast of coffee and a croissant we were off exploring the beautiful Botanic gardens and up around the Mathallen area, home to a marvellous indoor food hall. Nearby were some good examples of the colourful wooden houses Norway is famous for. Houses that we were to see a lot more of when we left Oslo. 

Our visit to Norway coincides with them competing in the World Cup for the first time in 28 years and they certainly know how to get behind their football team. The country sold out of Norway jerseys and the Viking row took over the country. 

It was just a shame it was so hard to get a bottle of wine to celebrate with them. We encountered the strange Norwegian laws around alcohol sales. Some of the strictest I’ve seen. The government applies high taxes to alcohol and has a monopoly on all wines and spirit sales. You can only buy them at official government owned shops. Beer can be bought in local shops but only until 8pm on weekdays, 6pm at weekends. Probably a good thing as our travel budget would have been stretched to the limits if we drank more.

And we needed the money as we may have been leaving Oslo but were staying in Norway. We were returning to my favourite mode of travel. Compared to the living hell that is travelling by plane just how good is travelling by train? Arrive 10 mins early, jump on your carriage, find your seat, and you are off.  Which is how we got to Stavanger, on the west coast of Norway. Just shy of eight hours by train.

And worth it. Stavanger is very popular with cruise ships, and it is very easy to see why. It is a small town packed with character. Wandering around the old town transports you back to a simpler time. The old wooden houses are beautiful.

What do you least expect whilst strolling around town in June? Yes, a Xmas shop. Yet, here we are, with Victoria keeping up her travel tradition of buying a decoration from every town in the world. We are definitely going to need a bigger tree this year. 

Thankfully, the local beer we had in Oslo, a juicy pale ale, has come down in price in Stavanger. Now only $20 a pint! It went well with an amazing burger but we could only afford the one. And as dinner finished after 8pm we had blown our chances of picking up a couple from the shop to take home and watch the Belgium v Iran World Cup match. 

We woke to the news that Norway had progressed in the World Cup. This football loving nation will be in a good mood today. As were we as we boarded our 9.50am Flixbus to Bergen, Norway’s second largest city and Europe’s wettest. Apparently getting drenched for 200 days of the year. 

The bus journey was over four hours and what we didn’t expect was to have two ferry crossings as part of the journey. Just how people travel in this part of the world.

Bergen has a lot to offer. And we had three nights in a very cute AirBnB loft apartment giving us time to explore. The first thing we explored was the food. At the local market I got to sample whale, moose, and reindeer. Whilst you may wince hearing about whale being on sale I was pleased to learn that only about 3% of Norwegians consume it. Mainly the older generation based in the northern and coastal regions. And that the whale in question is a specific, non endangered species. 

Dinner was much tastier, and better on my conscience. We ate at Bergen Street Food where we discovered they had a huge screen showing the World Cup. However, England on the big screen was not an easy watch, so we watched the second half against Ghana back at the apartment, with the game finishing just before midnight. 

Our second day in Bergen saw us going in a funicular. Up the hill to Floibanen which offers spectacular views across Bergen, and out to the fjords where we would shortly be going on a boat trip. It was up at Floibanen where we saw hordes of Norway football fans descend for a mass Viking row, something that I noticed made global headlines.

In Bergen we realised just how fast our small travel budget was dwindling. Norway will do that to you. So we reverted to a self catered dinner. Our trusty ham and cheese baguettes from the Camino made an appearance. We even hunted down one of the government wine shops and enjoyed a, relatively cheap, bottle of classic French white with dinner. 

Economising for lunch we found ourselves visiting Trekroneren twice. Self proclaimed “best hot dogs in the world” I am not sure I would disagree.

No trip to Bergen is complete without a cruise up the fjords and we were booked on the 10am boat. A three and half hour cruise up the fjords and onto Mostraumen. An amazing experience with some breathtaking scenery. Getting up close to the huge waterfalls and tiny villages is definitely a bucket list experience.

On the same afternoon we got even closer to the water. We were booked into the Heit floating sauna. A 55 minute booking with eight of us in the communal wood fired sauna, me being the only male. Spurred on by the locals we had a swim in the very cold fjord to cool off between sauna visits. It was very refreshing and a new experience for us both. Saunas are very common in Norway and are seen as just another part of life. Not the trend or fad that I see appearing all over Australia, and recently in England. 

After a busy day we relaxed in the evening in the AirBnb. We did some supermarket shopping and I made us a simple pasta dish for dinner that we enjoyed with a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc. We had a big day tomorrow. A long train journey.

It takes over seven hours and is widely regarded as one of the best train journeys in Europe. We were travelling from Bergen back to Oslo. A journey that took us across the top of Norway and through some amazing scenery. We saw snow and mist so thick we couldnt even see the names of some of the stations. we passed through Byrne, the home of Erling Haaland, although we didn’t recognise the large mural of a Borussia Dortmund player was actually him.

We rattled into Oslo central train station after 10.30pm and walked the short distance to our hotel for the night. The city was very quiet bearing in mind Norway had been playing football this evening. When we later saw the result from their game against France we understood why.

Our one night back in Oslo was to enable us to get a bus the next morning. We were headed to another new country for us both. 

Next stop, Gothenburg, Sweden. 

And those first words everybody said when they heard we were going to Norway?

“Ooh, Norway. It is very expensive there.”

One step at a time

Last time we spoke we had completed the first part of our Camino Portugues. Now for part two, and in to Spain.  We crossed the “border” at Caminha in Portugal, literally taking six minutes in a very small boat across the river, showing how ridiculous the idea of “borders” really is. We got out of the boat, moved our watches forward an hour an we were now walking in Spain.

At our first rest stop the change in country was very evident. One of the joys of travel is to experience the different foods of the world. And whilst it could be a while before we next snack on pastel de nata I was now feasting on bocadillo tortilla. A spanish omelette baguette. Delicious. We were now in the Galicia region of Spain and it only felt right that our beer of choice became Estrella Galicia. Or Mahou when it wasn’t available.

No Vino No Camino

Evenings saw us exploring the wines of the region. In Portugal we enjoyed our glasses of Vinho Verde. A white wine, a little lower in alcohol and with a bit of life to it. Very refreshing. Now we were on to a new varietal. Albariño. Another very enjoyable dry white wine produced in Northern Portugal and this part of Spain. Our motto of “no vino, no camino” continues.

Another great benefit from our crossing into Spain is that I’m a lot more familiar with the Spanish language then with Portugués. I immediately loved the opportunity each day to practice with the locals. This is the only way to improve. Immerse yourself and allow yourself to make mistakes. Lots of them. All done with a smile.  With the change to Spanish we now switch from our daily greeting of bom camhino to buen camino.

Questioning our life choices on the Camino

Our first night on the Camino in Spain was spent at A Guarda and the morning saw us throwing on our bags and heading out. Our destination was Baiona and we didn’t expect such a tough day of walking. Soon after setting off the rain arrived. And stayed with us for the whole day. It is miserable walking in the rain and when we had two very large hills to cross, on. muddy and slightly treacherous paths I was again questioning why we were here.

Not in a big existential sense, but here, right now, in Spain, in the rain, walking through mud, with only two Percy Pig sweets left to sustain us for the final 6kms push into Baiona. The sweets helped and we trudged down the hill into town and slumped into a seat in the first cafe we found.

“Tienes comida?” I asked.

“No, solo bebidas.”

Not what we wanted to hear. Food was not being served, only drinks. As we were too shattered to stand up again we ordered two beers. I checked my stats for the day on my Garmin watch and decided that after a walk of 31.49kms, 47,629 steps we definitely deserved them.

Broken eggs on the Camino

Dinner was worth waiting for. Victoria’s first ever huevos revueltos. Google translated as “broken eggs”, this is a classic Spanish dish of jamon, eggs, and fried potatoes. Paired perfectly with a couple of glasses of local wine. Wine that was cheaper than we thought. We must have been very tired reading the menu. The prices shown looked to be very expensive. But, we had a hard day and thought bugger it, we will pay 15 euros for a glass. Only when the bill arrived did we get the pleasant surprise that this was the “per bottle” price. Ah well, all part of the Camino.

Our accommodation that night was a guesthouse in a very quiet part of town. In the communal kitchen I shared a few travel stories with an Australian couple who had recently retired and moved to regional Victoria. This was their second Camino and seemed to be very enthusiastic about the whole experience.

A good night’s sleep was just what we needed and as we have discovered, however tired you are at the end of a day walking, your body feels so much better after a good nights sleep and you feel ready to go again. Which is good, as today was another long walk, to the town of Vigo.

Always check your walking distance on the Camino

At one point we thought we had arrived and were about to slump into a couple of chairs at a cafe and order lunch. A quick check of Google Maps showed that we had in fact quite a few more kilometers to walk. For the Camino we were using the “Camino Ninja” app, and it is very useful. Allowing you to work out how far you might want to walk each day and what town that will bring you to. The thing is, the distances are always a few kilometers short.

That final stretch was a killer. And our body knew it. I struggled even walking down the steps of our accommodation to go out for dinner. Thankfully we didn’t have to walk far. An excellent tapas dinner and some wine at a restaurant right across the street. Buenas noches.

Walk your own Camino

When you research the Camino you will find that everyone has an opinion on “how” you should do it. The very best advice is to do it however you like. By the time we arrived at the town of Pontevedra, after a night in Arcade, we were glad to accept a short walking day of only 14kms. Happy to see all the other pilgrims marching through town, charging to the next village.

On legs that weren’t as weary, the late afternoon beers in the setting sun were much appreciated. As was quite normal on the Camino, dinner was self catered from the supermarket. We bought supplies to make a ham and cheese baguette and a bottle of local red wine. The simple life is often the best life. 

Another day closer to Santiago

Rested legs and an early night, the start to the following day felt comfortable. We left early after a breakfast of yoghurt and a coffee and made the 24kms stroll to Caldas de Reis look easy. It really felt it today. Arriving not long after 1.30pm we treat ourselves to a glass of the rather quaffable Albariño. 

In the afternoon we headed to an outdoor hot spring. It seems most of the other pilgrims in town had too. We slipped off our trainers and socks and sat with everyone else, soaking our weary feet in the hot thermal spring. I can tell you, it did feel very good.

Early evening we strolled through town and stopped to have a glass of wine. Seeing that they had huevos revueltos on the menu, this time advertised as “grandma’s plate”, we stayed for dinner. The funniest translation for huevos revueltos that Google Translate threw up was “pissed off eggs”. To enjoy with our food we switched to red wine, enjoying a couple of glasses of Ribeiro which was one of the best reds I’ve drank for a while. 

Day 11 on the Camino

We are now at the stage of the Camino where we can almost feel Santiago. Day 11 saw us opting for another long day. We paused in Padron for a glass of wine and some more of their delicious local peppers. A dish we have become very fond of, as has the world, apparently. On a recent visit to London I think we saw Padron peppers on most menus.

Passing Padrón, through the bustling local market, we walked a further 8kms and had our final evening on the walk at a family run guesthouse. Very rural and very Spanish. Four bedrooms upstairs, sharing a couple of bathrooms. Dinner made by the family, eaten out in the large garden. We had Padron peppers, again, and a dish of pork loin. With a bottle of local white wine. A perfect evening. 

Completing the Camino de Santiago

As we had a longer day yesterday we knew that we only had about 16kms to reach our final destination. Yet, knowing you are so close to the end does strange things to the mind. Those 16kms felt as hard as any of our 30kms days and we were relieved to spot the spires of the cathedral in the distance. 

Walking into the plaza at Santiago, dwarfed by the magnificent cathedral it was hard to explain my feelings. Something I have thought about for so many years and here we were. Bumping into fellow pilgrims we had shared the walk, and often a guesthouse with. Congratulating each other with smiles as wide as the the square itself. It felt like seeing old friends even though we had only been on the path for 12 days. 

The Camino provides

We saw, and congratulated a few familiar faces. I even made it onto the video call of a Spanish speaking pilgrim that we kept seeing on the path. An older gentlemen who couldn’t have looked less like a pilgrim. Flat Cap. Blue overcoat. Slowly making his way towards Santiago. We first met him when I found a US passport left on a table where pilgrims had been getting a stamp on their pilgrim passport. 

A gentleman at the stall spoke in Spanish to the man and shared information about who he thought the passport belonged to. He took it and said he would try to find the owner somewhere down the path.  One day I passed the gentleman and asked him if he got to return the passport. He did. Yay. The path always provides.

280kms in 12 days. We paused and took it all in before heading to the pilgrim office for our compestela, the certificate which confirms you have completed the Camino de Santiago. We had registered online through the QR code printed on our pilgrims passport so when we turned up at the office we had less than 5 minutes to wait. The staff take a look through your passport checking that you had been walking each day, evidenced by the many stamps from all the little villages we passed through. 

Certificate in hand it was back to the cathedral square for more pictures and see if we could spot anyone else we knew. 

Signing off our Camino in Santiago

We had two nights booked in Santiago to take in the atmosphere. To revisit the square and see new pilgrims arrive. And we also knew that Santiago is renowned as a great little city and we wanted to explore the food scene.

Dinner on both nights was excellent. There are so many options in Santiago. It is a great little town. We found seats in a tapas bar and didn’t move. Drinking wine and selecting small dishes from the many on offer. It was very reminiscent of our time in San Sebastian. 

Each morning in Santiago we were both a little bit lost. For the first time we were walking up without a purpose. No yellow arrows to follow. What would we do all day. The Camino does simplify life and you get into a rhythm. I can see why people choose to do longer Caminos, and who knows, in the future we may.

After our stay in Santiago we got the bus back to Porto. And I have to say, it felt strange. After so long on the path to be covering such distances so quickly. Within a few hours we were back in Porto for our final couple of nights. 

What an experience. One that will live long in the memory. 

I will leave you with these wise words which I saw on a plaque about pilgrimages:

A pilgrimage bears the stamp of the pilgrim’s seven keywords: simplicity, slowness, silence, sharing, freedom, spirituality and light-heartedness.

Have you ever done, or plan to do a Camino? I’d love to hear.