Carisbrooke Castle (part 3)

Carisbrooke Castle is my favourite of all of the castles I have visited on the British Isles.  The castle is in an excellent condition and it has the most incredible views when you reach the top of the motte and keep.

There are 71 stone steps leading up the motte and it was built around 1100.  The steps are really steep and you need to be quite fit to make it up there!!  I love this photo of Stephen as it reminds me of the Visit Kent adverts (you would have to visit London to see the posters of the little children climbing the castle steps).

The well in the keep is 48 metres deep and I have to admit, I got pretty dizzy looking into it.  That was nothing compared to the feeling of vertigo I got when taking some of the photos from on top of the wall around the keep.

It felt like you could see forever from on top of the keep.  The village below was so picturesque and it looked like I was looking into another time and place. 

The best views were definitely of the castle itself.

I wasn’t joking about the vertigo though!  I always forget that heights make me slightly queasy until I suddenly look down and felt the earth tilt.  I stumbled down from the top of the keep and Stephen had a good giggle at my expense as I held on to him and tried to get the world to stop spinning.

Carisbrooke Castle has the most excellent wall walk that goes right around the whole castle.  It was starting to rain though so we just took a short walk to look around the back of the ruins of Carey’s Mansion.

I think these ruins are quite exquisite and have to wonder how they fell into ruin.  The mansion was built in the late 16th century for Carey who was governor of the island and cousin to Elizabeth I.

 

Not long after receiving the Death Stare from Stephen, we decided to go home.  I’m sure the bloggers amongst you have received death stares from significant others before – the look that threatens untold fury and vengeance unless the bloggers puts the camera away!

The Moon in Africa

 

still looks like the moon.

It is strange.  I had just begun to really feel that London is ‘home’ and now I have come back to Johannesburg and it is amazing and I feel at home again.  So much has changed here in approximately 18 months and it is all for the better.  Crime is still a major problem and there is currently very little work available so I guess that every silver lining has a cloud.  I have very little Internet access at the moment and have spent all my time with family and friends who no doubt appreciate their privacy so I’m afraid that there is little that I can post on my blog at the moment.  I’m certainly enjoying the technological break!

Backpacking Guide to Eastern Europe

I fell in love with Serbia earlier this year and cannot wait to explore more of the Balkans and Eastern Europe.  Of course, I have to convince my rather reluctant husband that Eastern Europe is the place to go.  To help me out, the kind people at HostelBookers.com agreed to write a guest post on Eastern Europe.

Prague Castle by Night (uploaded on Flickr.com by vlastula) 

Eastern Europe is a popular backpacker’s destination. Not only is it often cheaper than the rest of Europe, it has plenty of up and coming cities that everyone is talking about. Check out our route from Prague to Krakow, Vienna, Budapest and Dubrovnik on a map of Eastern Europe. You can travel in either direction, but we’ll be going north to south – somehow it feels like going downhill. And of course, if you are visiting in the summer months Dubrovnik makes an ideal last stop where you can relax on the beautiful beaches for a few days. You might want to put aside a few weeks to do this trip. Why not get an InterRail pass and travel by train? To save money en route book hostels in Eastern Europe.

 Prague, Czech Republic

Prague Castle From The Charles Bridge (uploaded on Flickr.com by Jim Linwood)

For an alternative sightseeing tour with a local spin, hop on tram 14. You’ll have great views of Prague castle when you cross Štefánik’s Bridge, a vista across the water as you ride alongside the Vltava river and past a Gothic church before climbing a steep (steep!) hill. For a mere €1, this is a bargain. Browsing is a particularly cheap thing to do on holiday – in bookshops especially. Anagram Books (Tyn 4) is close to Old Town Square and has plenty of English titles to peruse. Prague has many teashops; in fact it claims to have the biggest number of them per capita in the world! Čajovna Jedna Báseň (Pod Zvonařkou 14) has that little something extra, it’s cosy, has two cats padding around the place and also hold little concerts on their small wooden stage so check out what’s going on and time your visit. Don’t think you’ll end up in the sticks as a backpacker on a low budget. You can find a Prague youth hostel right in the historic centre close to all the nightlife.

 Krakow, Poland

Stajnia cafe, Kazimierz, Krakow, Poland (uploaded on Flickr.com by Jerzyw)

It’s easy to find green space in this city. Once you’ve explored the picturesque old town, head in any direction and you’ll hit one of the parks that surround the centre. You can track down some of the film scenes from Schindler’s List in the Jewish quarter of Kazimierz. The area is also the place to grab a huge open sandwich, called zapiekanke, for as little as €3. Here, the queues speak for themselves. You could certainly wile away an afternoon exploring some of Krakow’s beautiful Baroque churches but people also visit Krakow to make the most of the cheap drinks on offer. If you’re looking for a hostel Krakow boasts some stunning properties.

 Vienna, Austria

Belvedere Palace in Vienna (uploaded on Flickr.com by Tobi_2008)

A good place to mingle with students is to head to the university neighbourhood. Not only will you pick up a few tips of upcoming gigs and events but the University of Vienna (Dr. Karl Lueger Ring 1) is a particularly beautiful building with a pretty park in the centre and a good value cafe. For old-Austrian charm, head to the famous Café Hawelka (Dorotheergasse 6). Furnishings and customs have hardly changed – they even continue to sell single cigarettes out of a glass on the counter. Visit on an evening and order Buchteln, a delightful dessert. The heated open-air pool on the Danube is the perfect place to cool off in summer months and it’s open until midnight! You can continue the party at Badeschiff Wien both a bar and dance floor playing electro, and your favourite indie tracks. You can book a Vienna youth hostel or cheap hotel close to the river, train station or the city’s buzzing nightlife.

 Budapest, Hungary

Művészetek Palotája, MűPa (uploaded on Flickr.com by Birtalan Attila)

Everybody wants to find something special off the tourist track. Gerlóczy Étterem is not far from Deák Ter but it is located in a small square nearby. Don’t be put off by the well-dressed waiters, for as little as €5 you can enjoy a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner in this quaint spot with outdoor seating. If you have the midnight munchies after a night on the town, head to Szeraj (Szent István körút 13). This Turkish eatery which serves warming Turkish tea and hearty fast-food is popular with locals and is open 9am until 4am. Művészetek Palotája, MűPa (Komor marcell utca 1) is a centre for culture and because it is not located right in the city centre, it is often overlooked by visitors. Take tram 2 for a 15-minute ride to Millenáris Kulturális Központ. You’ll find a contemporary art gallery, concert halls and the national theatre all housed in the spectacularly modern building. Don’t forget to visit one of the beautiful bath houses such as Gellert or Szechenyi, as much for the architecture as for the relaxation. You can find a Budapest hostel in a historic building with plenty of character.

 Dubrovnik

Saturday in Dubrovnik (uploaded on Flickr.com by dediva)

There are lots of lovely nooks and crannies to explore in this beautiful walled town on the gloriously blue Adriatic coast. Days on the beach are always cheap so pick up picnic treats from the market on Gunducileva Square. To escape the city, you can make a day trip to Locrum for a spot of peace and quiet, and yet more lazing on beach. The ride will cost you less than €5. If you are looking to stay in a youth hostel Dubrovnik offers limited choice inside the city walls, it will also be more expensive.

Madeleine Wilson is a travel writer for the budget accommodation website, HostelBookers. She specializes in guides and low-cost travel solutions for destinations around the world.

The Seaside Town of Cowes

There is something almost other worldly about visiting seaside towns outside of the summer months but that is just what we did on a rainy afternoon during our trip to the Isle of Wight in March.  We’d been blessed with some gorgeous weather on our arrival in the Isle of Wight and on the day we took a ride on the Isle of Wight steam railway and we certainly hadn’t let the weather dampen our visit to Carisbrooke Castle but that was about to be put to the test!

Stephen could not have parked further away if he’d tried and we had quite a walk into the little seaside town of Cowes.  I immediately liked the old-town look of the place that was maintained even thought some of the buildings were quite new.

We took a walk along the promenade.  The sea and sky were similar shades of steel grey and it was a really windy and chilly day. 

 

We found a pebble beach which I found quite intriguing.  It looks like quite a struggle between nature and humanity as people have obviously been trying to control the drift!  Stephen thought he’d be romantic and picked up a shell for me.  It was pretty bashed up and scratched but I guess that is what you get with a pebble beach.  I think I might just prefer the sandy beaches in South Africa with their shiny shells!

  

 

There was a lot of lovely Art Deco architecture and Victorian features and I imagine that Cowes was quite the place to be back in Victorian times or in the interbellum period.

I found this forlorn looking chap sitting on a bench after a visit to a public convenience and we decided it was definitely time for something warm to drink.  We went to Chocs Away for a cup of hot chocolate.  It was literally a cup of melted chocolate and it was absolutely divine.  Yum. 

After that, we walked back through Cowes.  It really is a picturesque little town and must be really pretty and vibrant in the summer months.

Chilling in Agadir

Like I said earlier, we haven't done much else than relaxing lately. Still waiting for the gale to move on up North so we can leave towards the Canary islands and get on that Atlantic crossing asap. We're dying to get started with it. Until then we'll continue with what we do best right now. Chilling out, eating, surfing (in dirty water), sleeping and reading... we're getting a bit restless over here yeah, but what to do.

Goodbye Morocco

The lunch is eaten (grilled turkey with rice cooked in garlic and red pepper).

The dessert is enjoyed (my delicious nutella cheescake - will post the recipe here one day if you'd like to try it).

The autopilot is repaired for now.

 

 

Rods and reels are prepared. Planning on catching some big mamas this time. Will keep you posted.

The wash is dried.

 

 

And we're ready to leave Africa and head towards the Canaries, por fin. It was a very pleasant stop, but now we're more than done with Morocco for this year and this time around. We will spend our Christmas eve on the ocean battling some 3-4 meter (9-13 foot) seas from the NW that are forecasted for the next 48 hours, but rather that than having to wait here for a longer time. We're ready to move on and so is our boat. Have a beautiful Christmas eve tomorrow if we do not speak before then. Will keep you updated from the sea when I have the chance.

Safety Equipment

 

What was that fashionable bracelet I had on the last picture, you might ask. So I'll tell you: It is actually not a thing with a fashionable purpose, more with a surviving one. This wrist transmitter from Navicom is connected to our radio which is connected to our GPS/Chart plotter and in case any of us would fall overboard, this will transmit a distress signal to the radio and GPS. This armband is for us a necessity during night watches, as it will awake the person sleeping if the one of us two on night watch would fall out of the boat. Obviously we will in every way possible avoid falling overboard in the first place (life vest attached to lifelines) - but would it somehow happen - this armband will immediately send out a high sounding distress alarm awakening every living person onboard and at the same time indicate on our chartplotter exactly where the person fell out and we will have a higher chance of finding the person in the water. One of those security things we find invaluable for our trip on the seven seas