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Caribbean

Curacao

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Curaçao is an island nation in the Caribbean (64km long and 16km wide) that is actually a territory of the Netherlands. Curaçao and the neighbouring islands are considered to constitute the southwestern arc of the Lesser Antilles.

The lesser Antilles are usually referred to as the ABC-islands (Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao) as they sit side-by-side (although not alphabetically). Curacao consists of two islands (Cuaracao and Klein Curacao) with the main island having the majority of its 160,000 population. The territory sits about 60 km north of Venezuela and the capital is Willemstad. Unlike Aruba the day before, Willemstad has retained much more of the Dutch characteristics.

The north coast of the island is characterised by a rough coastline with many limestone cliffs, while the southern coast is full of small bays, beaches and inlets. 

We landed in the capital, Willemstadt and fell back into our usual pattern of getting up early and hitting the tourist highlights.

The first thing that strikes you is the Dutchness of it all. From the clogs on the street to the narrow houses and colourful facades, the place just screams as to its roots.

The Queen Emma Bridge is a pontoon bridge across St. Anna Bay in Curaçao. The bridge sits on pontoons and is hinged at one end, opening regularly to allow vessels through. An operator controls two diesel engines that turn propellers that are mounted perpendicular to the length of the bridge and allow it to swing open.

The bridge was named after Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont, who was queen consort of the Netherlands during its construction. Due to the importance of the function of the bridge, the people of Curacao have found a good way of overcoming the ubiquitous Love Locks issue.

Love Locks are a ridiculous phenomenon that has been making their way around the world for decades. This is where people put a padlock with both people’s names on it and attach it to a local bridge, fence, gate, or monument and throw the key into the water…to symbolise their love.

Originally thought to have begun on the Paris’ Pont des Arts it has now spread globally. The issue is that the combined weight of so many locks compromise the structural integrity of the bridge, which is a risk for the bridge and anyone who walks across it. The practice has been banned in many places for this reason. The people of Curacao have built love heart shaped frames on the banks of the river that keep the heavy locks off the functioning bridge.

The main thing that gets you about Curacao is the brightly coloured narrow houses lining the waterfront. True to their dutch roots it is very reminiscent of the Amsterdam canals. The main heart of town is relatively unremarkable with the usual tourist and jewellery shops dominating. That said, it feels safe, is clean and everybody is very friendly.

Curaçao is the home of the oldest continuously inhabited Jewish community originally formed in the 1500 by emigrants from Portugal. The Mikvé Israel-Emanuel Synagogue in Willemstad was completed in 1674.

The Chichi is a colourfully painted, vibrant female figure. She represents the eldest daughter of the family, who binds the family together in a loving and caring way. She is a much-appreciated female role model in the Caribbean community of today and a very live part of its colourful heritage.

If you are brave enough to venture beyond the usual tourist blocks you will find yourself in some of the back blocks where the local street art scene tends to kick in.

Curacao was nice. Our ship stayed here overnight which gave us two full days in port which, based on what we saw was probably a little long. But we did not venture out to find or explore some of the beaches. By all accounts the snorkelling and diving around Curacao is amazing and if that is the case then maybe the extra day should have been spent exploring those sort of options.

What was clear to us, was the water. On our second day we did some computer work on the 6th floor of the boat. From up here Jill was still able to get footage of this turtle swimming in the crystal clear waters 6+ floors below.

Curacao Mark II

The second time on Curacao we decided to bum around on the beach so for the post we decided to summarise some of the beaches that are around. The first thing that you must realise is that many of the beaches are private and therefore come at a cost. They have all of the cool things that you would expect if you were paying for the service. But my Australian sensibilities remain offended at the thought of private beaches.

Avila Beach is one of the closest to town but is privately owned. The palm trees offer plenty of shade and parasols and palapas are available (for a price).

Bluebay Beach is the other way from town and for another fee you can avail yourself of the palm trees, lounge chairs, umbrellas, bar, restaurant, water sports center (diving and sea kayaking!), playground, pool, and showers.

Caracasbaai Beach is not as nice as the first two but it is free. The beach is made of coarse sand and pebbles and is popular for snorkeling and diving because its part of the underwater park.

Daaibooi Beach is again close to town (with a fee), but this beach has good snorkeling along. Pergolas provide shade and there is a snack bar. To the west of the beach, a small trail leads into the countryside.

Klein Curacao is another island about 2 hrs away with white sandy beaches and diving. While it is free, you will have to pay for a boat to get there and back.

Mambo Beach is the most popular and most equipped beach on the island. While there are fees here they are reasonable with it only being around $4 for entry with chairs etc extra.

There are many more beaches on the Island but they involve going much further afield and would be best explored with your own vehicle as the public transportation is infrequent and unreliable.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria

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Bulgaria is a southern Balkan country bordered by Romania (north), Serbia and North Macedonia (west), Greece and Turkey to the south.

Bulgaria is renowned for its diverse terrain that includes the Black Sea coastline, a mountainous interior and rivers, including the Danube. Based near the European crossroads it has long been a cultural melting pot with Greek, Slavic, Ottoman, and Persian influences.

Before I get into the exploring, I need to talk about first impressions. This place is fantastic. We got off the plane and onto the Metro for a run into town for our hotel. A slight mishap with the ticket scanning saw me through the barrier and Jill stuck on the other side. Seeing the dilemma some random woman came up and swiped her card, letting Jill through and just wearing the cost.

We then got to our hotel and were met by the friendliest and most helpful dude that we have come across thus far (and that bar has been set pretty high). This friendliness was genuine and extended the entire time through our stay. So much so that on the morning that we were due to leave he even offered to wait around for us (after his overnight shift) and drive us to the bus station, so that we didn’t have to lug our heavy bags.

Our room had a fridge so we popped out to the shop on the corner and bought 4 large beers (2x500ml and 2×1 litre) and a soft drink each and got change from $12 Aussie for the lot.

I’m really gonna like this place.

Sofia

Sofia is the capital of the Balkan nation of Bulgaria. It’s in the west of the country, below Vitosha Mountain. The city’s landmarks reflect more than 2,000 years of history, including Greek, Roman, Ottoman and Soviet occupation. When doing our early research it looked a bit light on, but on arrival we were happy to see that there was much more on offer than the tourist blurbs suggest.

Hopping off the Metro we landed right on top of one of the listed landmarks, the Lions Bridge.

Well that was easy.

It is a bridge over the Vladaya River that was built 1889–1891 and connects the Central Railway Station with the city centre.

It has 4 very large lion statues on it.

Just around the corner from our hotel, we randomly happened upon the Church of St Paraskeva which is the third largest church in Sofia.

It is a Bulgarian Orthodox church dedicated to Saint Paraskeva,

We were aiming for something else but sure enough this popped up and was pretty cool.

St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral was what we were actually aiming for. It is one of the 50 largest Christian churches in the world taking up an area of 3,170 square metres and being able to hold 5,000 people inside. Construction started in 1882 but most of it was built between 1904 and 1912. The cathedral was created in honour of the Russian soldiers who died during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 when Bulgaria was liberated from Ottoman rule.

Virtually across the road, you find the Saint Sofia Church which is the oldest church in Sofia. The floor of the church is covered with Early Christian flora and fauna-themed mosaics. 

Just down the hill a bit and you come across Saint Nikolas Russian Church (Tsurkva Sveta Nikolai).

It was built in 1882 on the site of the Saray Mosque, which was destroyed during the Russian liberation of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire.

Having ticked those boxes we hunted for dinner but were rejected from the first place (Armenian) as I was dressed like a grotty backpacker. They claimed that they were full but really they didn’t want the likes of us in there. So we went somewhere else, got online and made a reservation for the next night, where we dressed similarly. Having done all of that, their snootiness did not translate into good enough food to justify the price (it was OK) and as a protest, they made sure that their service sucked.

A later check of reviews from other people found many similar experiences.

On our walk back from dinner (the first night) we stumbled upon the Opera House that we had walked right past and completely missed on the way up the hill (it was tucked around a corner).

Also on the walk home, we came across roving packs of teens and 20 somethings in the park looking for things to do. Some were drinking, but for the most part, they were just hanging out and discussing the issues of the day. Not protests as such, just exchanges of ideas.

National Museum of History is Bulgaria’s largest museum and was founded in 1973. Set at the end of a very nice park with some lovely fountains it was worth the short journey to get here.

St. Nedelya Church is an Eastern Orthodox cathedral dating back to the 10th century. It has been destroyed and reconstructed many times through the ages. 

The Rotunda Church of Saint George is buried in a courtyard behind other buildings. It dates back to the late 3rd and early 4th centuries.

It was originally built as Roman baths. It is the oldest surviving building in Sofia.

The Regional History Museum is another landmark in the centre of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It was built in the early 20th century near the former Turkish bath and was used as the city’s public baths until 1986.

Almost across the road you will find the Banya Bashi Mosque. This was built in 1566, during Ottoman control of the city. It was built over natural thermal spas and at times you can see the steam rising from vents in the ground near the mosque walls.

The mosque has a 15m diameter large dome and prominent minaret.

The Sofia Synagogue opened in 1909 in the presence of King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria.  Buried away in a backstreet it is tough to get a good camera angle for better photos, sorry.

And just down the road and around the corner you will find the Gypsy Markets. The description that we got from our hotel dude was it was a bunch of gypsies selling the things they had stolen or found in the trash that day. He also suggested not eating there as the meat was likely to be cat or dog.

We were here on a Saturday and Sunday and for the most part, the place was closed. Shops and restaurants worked normal hours, none of this I must be open the whole time. It was an interesting throwback to when people had lives.

A little inconvenient at times but hey.

The only places that were always open were the alcohol and tobacco shops.

As with everywhere, the place had a bunch of statues dotted all over the place. But these ones seemed funkier and edgier than the usual ones that typically haunt big cities.

This is the Eastern Europe that we had been hoping for all along. The place is fantastic, cheap and friendly. The food is good and the sights are worth seeing without being mind-blowing. But mostly it is about the atmosphere. The place feels right. You could happily settle in and spend a month here just soaking up the culture and getting a sense of the place, and importantly you can do so without destroying the budget.

Slovenia

Slovenia

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Slovenia is a country of a little over 2 million that is known for its mountains, ski resorts and lakes. 

Getting here, for us, involved an 8 hour train ride from Budapest through to the capital of Ljubljana. Now this train ride, while long, was relatively pleasant and the scenery out the window was very nice indeed. The Slovenian countryside is fantastic with scenic landscapes popping up virtually every kilometre of the journey. And the tourist shots below (not ours sadly) really show it well, but Jill did manage to get some great bridge and church shots from out of the train window.

Ljubljana  – The city of dragons

The dragon is the symbol of Ljubljana and has pride of place on the city coat of arms and throughout the city.

Legend has it that Ljubljana was founded by Jason (the hero of Greek mythology who stole the golden fleece and fled) with his comrades (the Argonauts). They came across the Black Sea, up the Danube and the Sava until they reached the Ljubljanica. There they dismantled their ship to carry it overland to the Adriatic coast, where they rebuilt it and set sail back to Greece. On their way to the coast, they were forced to stopp (for winter) at a large lake in the marshes near the source of the Ljubljanica. There a dragon was said to dwell, whereupon Jason fought, defeated and killed the monster.

Ljubljana today is Slovenia’s largest city (280,000 people). Car traffic has been restricted in the central area making Ljubljana one of Europe’s greenest and most liveable capitals, not to mention ideal for pedestrians. The Ljubljanica River flows through the city’s heart and in summer, cafes set up terrace seating along the river.

The main show in town is the Ljubljana Castle which sits atop the 375 meter hill overlooking oldtown. Originally a medieval fortress, it is thought to have been constructed in the 11th century and then rebuilt in the 12th century. Most of it today dates to the 16th century after it was again rebuilt after an earthquake. Over the centuries, the castle has played an important role and remained a symbol of the city.

Because it was not a home of a ruler or another important noble person and because a fortification in the area was no longer required, the castle started to lose its importance. The maintenance costs were too high so the castle began to crumble. From the top there are some fairly spectacular views over the entire city.

The easiest way to get up to the castle is by using the 70m-long  funicular.

 It goes from Krek Square near the centre of the old town and the Ljubljana Central Market to the Ljubljana Castle.

It is a one minute ride up or a 6 minute wait between trips. About 30 can ride at a time and there are massive queues at the bottom if you wait too long to get up and get moving.

The Dragon Bridge is a vehicle bridge that is adorned with four giant sheet-copper dragon statues.

There are also sixteen smaller dragon statues that can be found on the bridge.

It was built at the beginning of the 20th century when Ljubljana was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The Butchers’ Bridge is Ljubljana’s love bridge. It is a place where countless couples have symbolically padlocked their love and dropped the keys into the river Ljubljanica, which flows underneath.

The Triple Bridge (Tromostovje) was built to open up the city to both vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Today vehicles have been banned and is now solely for pedestrians.

The Cobbler’s Bridge is the oldest bridge in Ljubljana, connecting two areas of the medieval town. In olden times, cobblers would display their shoes on this bridge.

And all around the old town area are the usual mix of funky bridges, statues and old buildings (that have now been repurposed into banks and shops etc).

Slovenian waiters are amazing. Over two different nights we saw two different groups behave atrociously in the restaurants that we had gone to. The first night was a big storm that took away the ability to seat people externally and a Spanish group of 4 parents and 4 children demanded to be seated inside, while around 30 other people waited patiently. Needless to say they had failed the attitude test and were sent away to find another place to eat.

The second night was at the oldest restaurant in town (started in 1776) when (another Spanish group) four older people came in demanding the world from a table that had only just been vacated but had not been cleared yet (maybe a 30-45 second window). We had finished eating by then and were ready to pay, so we warned our waiter of their entitlement and he just smiled.

His response was that in Slovakia, they did not put up with poor customer behaviour and can and are encouraged to be worse to bad customers.

In Slovakia, there is an abundance of brown bears, so much so that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning has approved the culling of 230 brown bears (in 2023).

The aim is to gradually reduce the country’s brown bear population to prevent major damage and keep people safe.

The meat from the brown bear cull does not go to waste and is harvested for use in restaurants, primarily for the making of bear goulash.

Ok…that was an overly long and politically correct way of saying I ate the brown bear goulash.

Ljubljana was nice. There was plenty to see and do and it was well priced. Not as cheap as Budapest but around 20% of the cost of Switzerland. If you push hard you could probably do the whole tourist run in a day. We were here for two and a half days and enjoyed the leisurely pace and still found enough to amuse ourselves. The people are really helpful, but do not suffer fools lightly. And don’t even try being an entitled westerner at restaurant or who knows what may happen to you.

Slovakia

Slovakia

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Slovakia is yet another landlocked country in central Europe, with a population of over 5.4 million.

It is bordered by Poland (north), Ukraine (east), Hungary (south), Austria (southwest), and the Czech Republic (northwest). The country is mostly mountainous (Carpathian Mountains) offering views of wine-growing valleys, picturesque castles, and historical cities. 

In 1536, Bratislava was declared the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Getting to Bratislava from Austria was a breeze, a tiny puddle jump of a bit more than an hour. We hopped off our train and did the 600m walk to our hotel, dropped our bags and hit the streets. Our day started and ended in a sunny manner, but at around 4pm all  hell broke loose as rain tumbled from the skies and flooded the roads, for about an hour.

Bratislava

Bratislava sits on the Danube River by the border with Austria and Hungary. It is the capital of Slovakia and at its heart lies the pedestrian-only, 18th-century old town. This has all of the usual mix of old buildings and churches along with the tourist shops, cafes and bars.

As usual, the big show in town is Bratislava Castle. The first written reference to the city was in 907 but the castle hill was thought to be populated as early as the late Stone Age. The first known inhabitants were the Celts, who founded a fortified settlement here called ‘Oppidum’. In the 16th century, King Ferdinand ordered the rebuilding of the castle in the Renaissance style.

Michael’s Gate is the only preserved 14th century gate of the city fortification system.

The 51-metre-high tower provides a great view of the Castle and Old Town. The tower houses the Museum of Arms.

The SNP Bridge was built in 1967-1972 as a symbol of the Slovak National Uprising. It has a UFO restaurant on top of the 80 metre tall pylon.

The bridge is 432 m long and 21 m wide.

Old Town Hall is the oldest city hall in the country with the tower being built around 1370. It became the town hall in the 15th century when three townhouses were connected.

St. Martin’s Cathedral was the site that ten men were crowned king between 1563 and 1830.

The first reigning king was Maximilian from the Habsburg Dynasty, while the famous era of coronations came to an end for Bratislava with the crowning of Ferdinand V.

Primates Palace was built in the 18th century and today serves as the seat of the Mayor of Bratislava.

It also houses a gallery of 17th century English tapestries.

Grassalkovich Palace was built in 1760 and is now the official residence of the President of the Slovak Republic.

The Blue Church is officially known as the Church of St Elizabeth of Hungary.

The blurb tells me that “It is Bratislava’s most appealing art nouveau building”.

Not sure if I agree.

The Slavin is the largest war memorial in Central Europe. It is 52m tall.

It commemorates the 6845 soldiers who died during the liberation of Bratislava in World War II.

Sadly, due to a tight schedule we never got to Devin Castle. It is a castle ruin on the border with Austria, built on a high rock towering above the merging of the Danube and Morava rivers.

As our luck has been running, we jag being in town for the Bratislava Coronation Celebration, where ceremonies are reenacted by actors and enthusiasts wearing period costumes. It runs over multiple days with events such as jousting (featuring knights in armor), theater and music performances, lectures and exhibitions, and guided tours. We were sadly only in town for the procession.

Bratislava was great, however given its proximity to Vienna and the ease of access, we could easily have done this as a day trip. Hopping a train each way would give you plenty of time to see everything in Bratislava and get back to Vienna in the late afternoon/early evening thereby allowing you to spend more time in Vienna.

Luxembourg

Luxembourg

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Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a tiny landlocked country of around 2500 square km and a population of under 650,000.

This makes it both one of the smallest and least populated countries in Europe.

It borders Belgium (west and north), Germany (east) and France (south).

Luxembourg’s recorded history dates back to Roman times but the modern day version is considered to begin in 963. The House of Luxembourg was a royal family that ruled in and around the region for centuries.

There is evidence of primitive inhabitants dating back to the Paleolithic or Old Stone Age over 35,000 years ago. The first real evidence of civilisation is from the Neolithic or 5th millennium BC, from which evidence of houses has been found. 

Originally, the City of Luxembourg was originally built in the mid 10th century as a small fort (the castle). It was built on a steep rocky outcrop at the junction of the Alzette and Pétrusse Rivers. Due to it’s strategic position it has been occupied and controlled by the Italian, Spanish, Belgian, French, Austrian, Dutch and Prussian. With each iteration and rule various engineers contributed to the fortifications stronghold. The fortress was so strong that at one point it earned the title of “Gibraltar of the North.” 

Luxembourg was one of Europe’s greatest fortified sites between the 16th century until 1867, when its walls were dismantled. The fortifications and the old town have been classified as world heritage sites by UNESCO since 1994. 

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg became a founding member of the United Nations in 1945 and in 1949 it also became a founding member of NATO.

This is a catch up as I published this one out of order, we were actually in Luxembourg, before Switzerland but I got the two L’s (Luxembourg and Lichtenstein) mixed up in my head and only just realised (3 countries later) that I had missed this one.

Luxembourg City is modern and the capital of Luxembourg it has done an excellent job of blending history and modern progress. The modern city is a highly efficient and functioning centre of commerce (particularly banking) while the Old Town area has kept the history and beauty of the city alive.

The first thing to know about Luxembourg is that all public transportation is free.  

From our hotel (in the red light district near the train Station) we did the tourist walk towards the Old City to check out what Luxembourg had to offer.

The first thing that we aimed for was the Pont Adolphe Bridge. Originally built between 1900 and 1903 during the rule of Grand Duke Adolphe, the bridge had the biggest stone arch in the world at the time. The big double arch spans more than 85 metres across the Pétrusse valley at a height of 42 metres, and a total length of 153 metres.

Crossing the bridge you come to the Monument of Remembrance, officially known as Gëlle Fra. It is a war memorial dedicated to fallen Luxembourg soldiers. 

At the top of the obelisk is a golden statue of the Greek goddess of victory, Nike. She is holding a wreath and looking down on a fallen soldier laying at the base of the pillar.

Constitution Square, or Place De La Constitution is next.

This is a lovely garden built on the site of a former bastion or fortress wall.

At the center of the square the Luxembourg flag waves, towering over the green space.

Across the road is the Notre Dame Cathedral. It took more than 300 years to construct and is free to enter. Looking nothing like the more famous Cathedral with the same name, this one has three towers, stained glass windows, intricately carved pillars, and a vaulted nave.

Place Guillaume and Place d’Armes are the two main squares in Luxembourg City.

Place Guillaume is home to the Luxembourg City Hall. A statue of the former Grand Duke William II riding a horse dominates the eastern half of the square. 

Place Guillaume and Place d’Armes are the two main squares in Luxembourg City. Place Guillaume is home to the Luxembourg City Hall. A statue of the former Grand Duke William II riding a horse dominates the eastern half of the square. 

Place d’Armes is in the heart of the pedestrian zone of Luxembourg City. It is lined with cafes, restaurants, and shops. During the holidays, the square hosts a Christmas market and every other Saturday there is a flea market in this central square. 

Grand Ducal Palace was originally Luxembourg City’s first town hall that was built in 1418.

It is the official residence of the grand ducal family.

During the summer months, the Luxembourg City Tourist Office runs exclusive guided tours of the Palace. These 75-minute tours are booked out months in advance. They allow visitors to take a look behind the scenes, including the Grand Duke’s office, the dining room and the “Salon des Rois”.

The money raised from ticket sales is used to support a foundation that supports humanitarian and solidarity initiatives to assist vulnerable people and those in distress, both in the Grand Duchy and in developing countries.

Luxembourg is lovely, there is plenty to see and do but in real terms, you can do the lap within half a day, perhaps a little longer if you do the palace tour. I feel this may be the case for many of the smaller European countries. The train in and out is a breeze, and the free transportation around town makes this place a dream for a quick pop-in and look around.

Luxembourg food

Luxembourg is a very international country, as over the years people have moved here from all areas of the world. Their food is a mix of French, German, and Belgian cuisines, but other countries also feature strongly in restaurants across the country.

This actually blew us away, Luxembourg has delivered the best food that we have eaten all trip. Strangely enough we did not eat traditional but rather we had Syrian and Italian and both were exceptional. We did not eat in flash hotels or restaurants, we picked the local small joints (as we usually do) and were totally blown away with the quality, taste and service that was on offer.

Traditional Luxembourgish cuisine however is deeply rooted in local farming and seasonal produce that include meats, sausages, cheeses, potatoes, cabbage, and beans. Wine, honey, and mustard are also traditionally made throughout the country.

The traditional stuff is a bit more basic and includes things like:

  • Bouneschlupp and Gromperenzopp (Green Bean and Potato Soup),
  • Gromperekichelcher (Potato Pancakes),
  • Bouchée à la Reine (vol-au-vent),
  • Letzeburger Kniddlelen (Luxembourg Dumplings),
  • Wäinzoossiss mat Moschterzooss (Sausage with Mustard and Wine Sauce)

Given that the local stuff was a bit stodgy, I had not planned to do a food section here. But the stuff we ate and the service that they gave was phenomenal. Having come out of North America where you are expected to pay a minimum of 18% extra for service as a tip, not one lot of service (that we paid for) came close to what we got here in Luxembourg as part of the experience.

There is real pride taken in both the service and the products that are brought to your table. In fact, even at our dodgy neighbourhood Italian joint, we were served with a porcini mushroom mousse as a free appetiser while we considered the menu. If there are any foodies reading along, put Luxembourg on your list.