Tag Archives: Round Up

Naples Round Up

Leave a Reply

What photo takes you right back to Naples?

Vesuvius from across the Gulf of Naples

Although we didn’t get to climb Vesuvius it loomed over many of our activities in Naples, often surprising us as we rounded a corner, or appearing in an artwork, not to mention seeing its effect on Pompeii.

Summarise Naples in three words.

  • Pizza – It had to be didn’t it!
  • Scooters – There are almost as many zipping through the cobbled backstreets of Naples as there were in Vietnam
  • Rain – Sadly we weren’t blessed with great weather during our stay – it rained on all but four or five of our sixteen days in the city

You really know you’re in Naples when…

…there’s laundry hanging to dry from every balcony along the street. When it’s raining the local ladies hang a tarpaulin over the washing line.

What one item should you definitely pack when going to Naples?

Headphones. We found them really useful for listening to audioguides in museums and historic sites leaving our hands free to take photos or stay warm and dry in our pockets.

Sicily Round Up

2 Replies

What photo takes you right back to Sicily?

Temple of Concord

There are many, many layers of history in Sicily. One of the oldest sites that we visited was the Valley of Temples in Agrigento.

Summarise Sicily in three words.

  • Theatrical – Not only is the island littered with old Greek and Roman teatros, but the people are pretty dramatic too – we had to laugh on our first day when we saw a guy having a loud, flamboyant conversation waving both arms around while driving his car!
  • Melting pot – Sicily’s location in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea means that it has been occupied by many different peoples and their influences are still visibly mixed together – from Greek temples in Agrigento, to Arab geometric patterns on the tiles in the Stanze al Genio, to Byzantine decoration in the Norman cathedral at Monreale and Roman mosaics at Villa Romana del Casale
  • Patriotic – Sicilians are proud of their island, its history and its delicious produce. Fortunately they love sharing it with visitors too – we were constantly offered free samples of food and advice on places to visit.

You really know you’re in Sicily when…

…you have to watch your step to make sure your shoes stay clean. Unfortunately the streets are full of litter and, even worse, dog poo.

What one item should you definitely pack when going to Sicily?

An empty stomach. The food is fantastic, whether in fancy restaurants, on the streets or from the markets.

Malta Round Up

Leave a Reply

What photo takes you right back to Malta?

There were so many historic highlights of our trip to Malta, but our morning of touring the northern coast of Gozo on Segways was so much fun that we’ll always remember it!

Summarise Malta in three words.

You really know you’re in Malta when…

… you can see the Mediterranean Sea no matter where you are, and in a few higher places on the islands it’s possible to see the sea in all directions!

What one item should you definitely pack when going to Malta?

A torch for when you visit all of the underground caves, catacombs, and wartime bunkers

Istanbul Round Up

Leave a Reply

What photo takes you right back to Istanbul?

We visited so many historic mosques in Istanbul and Blue Mosque was one of our favourites.

In the courtyard of the Blue Mosque

Summarise Istanbul in three words.

  • Strolling – Our guidebook of choice is usually the Lonely Planet but Strolling Through Istanbul was perfect for us – we love walking tours, it covered the main sights in much more detail than the LP and was extensive enough that we could use it to get off the beaten track as well. On the downside it wasn’t at all helpful with information on how to get to the start of the walks and the maps could have been clearer.
  • Mosques – It feels like there’s a mosque around every corner in Istanbul and their domes and minarets (towers) are easily spotted landmarks. When we thought about it though, the density of churches in London, Paris, Venice or York is probably just as high.
  • Steep – There are lots of hills in Istanbul and streets are often cobbled which makes the going even harder. Most of the places we stayed were accessed only by spiral staircases (no lifts).

You really know you’re in Istanbul when…

…you can spend the morning in Europe and the afternoon in Asia without even leaving the city.

What one item should you definitely pack when going to Istanbul?

Ear plugs. With so many mosques in the city you’re bound to be sleeping within range of one and the first call to prayer is at dawn, which was about 4.40am after the clocks went back. We quite liked the sound of it but maybe not so good if you’re a light sleeper.

Uzbekistan Round Up

Leave a Reply

We really enjoyed Uzbekistan. The people are warm and generous, the food and fresh produce is amazing, and the sights, oh, the sights..

What photo takes you right back to Uzbekistan?

Early morning at the Registan

Jo, Julie and I enjoying the early morning Registan in Samarkand all to ourselves

The Registan in Samarkand – the sight that put Uzbekistan on our radar was even better in real life.

Summarise Uzbekistan in three words.

  • Wow – First said out loud when we walked through the back streets of Tashkent’s Old Town which abruptly opens up into Khast Imom Square, it became synonymous with Uzbekistan
  • Turquoise – Not only the beautiful tilework on the mosques, minarets and medressas, but we were blessed with fantastic weather too
  • Welcoming – We were a little apprehensive of our reception before we arrived in Uzbekistan, as some other travellers experiences included overcharging, but to our delight we found it was quite the opposite – everyone we met was friendly, curious and were happy for us to take their photo. We were also given more fruit than we could carry in the Fergana market!

You really know you’re in Uzbekistan when…

… the £20 you’re carrying for your daily budget won’t fit in your wallet and you’re paying for everything in notes worth 20p!

$100 US Dollars exchanged on the black market to 300,000 Uzbek Som!

$100 US Dollars exchanged on the black market to 300,000 Uzbek Som!

What one item should you definitely pack when going to Uzbekistan?

Lip balm. Uzbekistan is a desert country which means everything dries pretty quickly. Great for clothes, not so great for health, especially around the Aral Sea where the climate is not only dusty but salty too.