Europe’s hidden gem: Montenegro

The sun is setting behind the mountains, it’s 6pm and I’ve been here for an hour just watching the sun move across and down the sky peeking out before it goes below the high mountainous faces. Alex and I dangle our feet over the wooden jetty with a cold cider and pack of salted peanuts nestled in the space between us. We came to Kotor bay on a whim after hearing it was beautiful from other travellers, and it doesn’t disappoint.

Just two hours south from Dubrovnik is the small bay of Kotor in Montenegro. It feels like Dubrovnik’s cousin; smaller and less touristy. The bay is ringed by mountains stretching high into the sky, the water is crisp and clear and every pebble is defined. Fish dart around the shallows and disappear as we plunder in to cool down. There’s a small old town with plenty of restaurants, hotels and cafes. From the back of old town you can hike up the old fortress walls, which has the most beautiful view!

It is a lot harder than Dubrovnik’s fortress wall but about ten times better. The rocky path goes up and up and up and up. About halfway is a small church where locals sit selling cold water. We stop to rest and take photos of the beautiful lookout before we start climbing up again. It’s a hard slog, a solid hour uphill and though we left early, around 7:30am, the sun is just starting to rise and the sweat is already rolling down our backs. At the top of the walk you can actually climb into the old run-down stone buildings. Weeds smother the stones and huge parts of walls are missing. Our legs are wobbly by this point and when we finally reach the very top all we can do is sit, rest and stare. There’s about 1300 stairs to reach 1200m above sea level and the view is incredible. From here we can look down over the town, see locals starting their day and unpacking chairs and tables for incoming guests, people starting the climb and boats coming in. The view is just an expanse of land, ocean and mountain.

  

If there’s one thing to do in Kotor, it is to climb the fortress walls. And the only thing to do after is to take a dip in the cool water and wash the sweat away. Then go find a café along the waterfront and enjoy a well-deserved breakfast. We spent 3.5 days in Kotor, walking around, swimming and eating. It was a break from the craziness of continuous movement and travelling. It is peaceful and visually stunning.

There is a club that rages in the wee hours of the night for intense partygoers, beaches for sun and sea lovers, restaurants for all the foodies and peace to enjoy some time alone. Take a stroll through old town to pick up a pastry, ice-cream or enjoy the special $10euros 3-course meals from pumping restaurants.

Or pick up some takeaway food, a cold drink and a snack and sit along the waters edge with your makeshift picnic. You don’t need to pay for restaurant service when the view is free. But if you do feel like a fancy meal, try the café/bar/restaurant on the corner of the beach. It’s cheap and good value. The stuffed squid and seafood salad went down a treat. About 10 minutes walk down the beach, away from old town, is a series of restaurants, which all specialise in fresh seafood and from others reviews were fantastic.

 

The list

• Stayed at Montengero hostel 4 u (approx. $18 euros a night pp)
• Ate at beach side café and a lot of picnics! (approx. $4-6 euros a meal)
• Approx $20 Australian from Dubrovnik to Kotor on a bus
• Fortress walk (around $3 Aus, or free if you go before 8am!)
• Beach – free!

Sunday snaps: Floating in Kotor

Everyone has heard about Croatia and how beautiful Dubrovnik is. It’s flooded with tourists every summer all craving some sun and diving off the rocks into the refreshing blue ocean. Yet just a few hours south lies the bay of Kotor in Montenegro. It is very similar to Dubrovnik, minus all the tourists and hustle and bustle. It is absolutely stunning! I’ll even admit I liked it better than Dubrovnik, and it was cheaper and quieter. This little gem is for now, an off the radar place as few venture further than Dubrovnik. Climb the steep fortress walls, stroll around old town, enjoy local fresh food and relax in crystal clear waters – before the hoards of people arrive.

See more photos on Instagram: madeleine.curby

Sunday snaps: Bondi beach

 

It may be a little late, but better late than never right?! After ending my 8month trip in Europe, coming home and settling into a routine was a little boring. I craved adventure and being somewhere unknown. To get a small fix, I took a Saturday off work and went to Bondi beach, arguably one of Australia’s most famous beaches. It was a perfect day to be near the water with the sun shining and sending the promise of a hot summer.

It’s hard to find a beach as glorious as this in Europe.

To see more pictures, find me on Instagram: madeleine.curby

The 5 towns of Cinque Terre, Italy

Being lucky enough to spend 3 nights in Cinque Terre we saw a lot of the 5 beautiful towns along Italy’s rugged coast line. Here’s my favourite part about each one.

Riomaggiore
This is the first town, where we stayed and also coincidentally our favourite. It was less busy and touristy, had some great food and a beautiful port for swimming, reading in the sun and taking photos of the gorgeous little town. It feels Italian and locals can be seen tending to their lemon trees or vineyards in the late afternoon. We stayed in an apartment, called Cinque Terre holidays which was 2 rooms crammed with 8 beds each but we were lucky and virtually had the place to ourselves. The apartment had a small balcony where we sat every morning to have breakfast and watch the sun rise, and every night for dinner to watch the sun set over town.
Things to try:
– sea food cones. There’s a small take away shop on the Main Street that sells cones of fresh hot seafood. They are delicious so make sure to grab one.
– fresh pesto. Pesto is sold in literally every shop and restaurant. We found a small deli that made their own and had pesto pasta with seafood one night. It was scrumptious!
– focaccia. Cinque Terre is the birthplace of this divine delicacy and Paulina’s bakery is a small shop near the top of the street that sells slices for cheap. Once you have one you can’t stop.

Manarola
Manarola is the 2nd town in line, and while lovely, it’s not a great place to take a dip. It’s very small and the Main Street leads you straight down to the port. The water was always very rough and difficult to get in and out. Instead cool off with some gelato and tuck into some local food. A small restaurant called Porticcioli serves the most amazing seafood spaghetti I’ve ever indulged in. The pasta was silky and al dente, the tomato sauce rich and bursting with flavour and the seafood tasted fresh. It was divine, I could of eaten it every day.
Things to try:
– the most incredible walk starts here and ends at Corniglia. It is a mountain walk, not coastal so it’s rather hard but worth the views.
– eat seafood spaghetti. Words cannot describe how delicious it is. I think I may of even licked my plate.

Corniglia
Set 365 steps up from the train station, the 3rd town offers some spectacular views given its higher location. Again it’s a tiny town clustered with houses and restaurants. We didn’t stay long in this town as we ended our big walk here and were exhausted but walk along the perimeter as well as through town to see gigantic mountains awash with greenery that descends down to a deep blue ocean. It’s a great place to stop and admire the view. Around the back of town is a small organic bar that sells their own wine and vineyards creep along the outdoor setting. It is a great spot to relax and enjoy the local products.
Things to try:
– relaxing and admiring the view.
– enjoy a glass of wine, or two.. No-ones watching and your on holidays!

Vernazza
The second last town is the best for swimming. The narrow road takes you straight from town to the water which is actually a little bay and perfect for taking a dip, then lie on the sand to dry off. Unfortunately it was hit by a flood in 2011 and signs of damage are still evident. Near the beach are tons of gelato shops so get yourself a scoop!
Things to try:
– swimming. No other town has a bay so enjoy the water.
– gelato. Pile scoops of fresh homemade gelato into a cone and enjoy. Italian gelato is like nothing else.

Monterosso al Mare
This is the last time and the most touristy and busy town of them all. It has a few beaches, the main ones being dotted with red and yellow umbrellas that are for hire. It has more than one street, and alleyways are filled with people browsing the shops and eating at the restaurants. There are also resorts here, which is unlike any other towns so be wary if you don’t like lots of people.
Things to try:
– more gelato. You need to try every flavour don’t you.. Treat yourself and enjoy one by the water
– varied selection of restaurants and accommodation. Want some luxury, or have a fussy travel companion that can’t decide on food.. Monterosso has the greatest selection of food and accom so there’s something for everything.

 

Our picturesque trip to Cinque Terre

Want to swim in aqua coloured water so clear you can see your toes? Or hike up lush mountainside to reward yourself with awe-inspiring views of a deep blue ocean stretching out in front of you with the sun casting its golden glow across the water? If none of them sound appealing, how about trying focaccia in its birth town, or munching on some of the best pesto pasta you’ve ever had.

A string of 5 towns on Italy’s rugged coastline is becoming well known for its beauty and is a perfect place to relax. Known as Cinque Terre it is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. The 5 towns stretch up the ragged coastline, having been built into the rocks. Each one is quite small, consisting of one main street that runs on a vertical hill into the mountainside, and away from the water. Connecting these towns is a series of both coastal walks and mountain walks as well as trains. Trains run regularly enough and are incredibly packed but make an easy way to get around.

Four out of five of the coastal walks were closed due to landslides taking out the paths, however the mountain walks were all open. To walk the coastal walks you need to purchase a walking pass for €8 or a walking and train pass for €12. The lady at the information center in Riomaggiore, the first town, told us the mountain walks were too hard, she shook her head and muttered in heavily Italian accented English ‘no no, straight uphill, 1 hour of stairs, too hot, too hard, can’t do it’. And that was the first walk, which was meant to be the easy one! Feeling put off and not keen to walk an hour up stairs in Italy’s summer heat we bought the double pass for the train and coastal paths.

Feeling excited we were about to set off when three kiwi women overheard our conversation and told us they had done the mountain walks and were worth it. They exclaimed “If we could do it, you young kids can walk it to’… Needless to say we felt pretty lazy at this point. If middle-aged women were hiking up some stairs two 22years old should be able to as well. But we decided to do it the next day and start off early to avoid the blasting sun.

We are staying in the first town, Riomaggiore and from here catch the train to the 2nd town, Manarola. The narrow road from the train station snakes its way down to the port, which is not ideal for swimming, however there’s a small restaurant on the right that serves the most divine seafood pasta I’ve ever eaten. From here we catch another train to the 3rd town, Corniglia, which is 365, steps up from the train station. The next town is a minute ride away, Vernazza that was hit by a flood a few years ago and shows signs of the destruction still.

The only coastal walk open today was the walk from town 4 to 5, Vernazza to Monterosso al mare. It’s a relatively easy 1-hour walk along uneven terrain and winds its way along the cliff. The track is popular however not over crowded and overtaking slow walkers is easy enough. The walk offers gorgeous views of the coastline, and you can smell the salt in the air and hear the aqua water bashing against the rocks below. There are tiny deserted coves that poke out from the cliff face that would make a perfect private beach if you could ever reach them. The walk takes around an hour and a half and as the sun rises and burns the back of our necks we ache to pull off our sweaty clothes and go for a dip in the wondrous blue water.

As the path ends it widens to a road that leads down to the 5th town, Monterosso al mare, and we both start stripping off our shorts and tops and dive into the cool ocean. The water is clear and you can see every speck of honey-coloured sand. I duck dive again and again and again, relishing the cool water flowing over my hot body. The water darkens to a light blue, aqua then deep blue until you can no longer see the bottom. Pretty soon the hunger kicks in and we’re off in search of a classic Italian dish: pizza!

Most of the restaurants serve pizza and in a little alleyway are rows of tables and chairs stacked neatly against the stone wall. We take a seat and order a classic margherita. It’s so good it’s hard not to lick our fingers as we happily munch our way through an entire pizza while watching all the tourists walk through town. We spend the rest of the day exploring town, eating gelato and lounging by the water.

Pesto is famous here and for dinner we make mushroom flavoured pasta with a fresh homemade pesto sauce bought from the local market with some fresh seafood. We sit eating it in our apartment, which has a view over the whole town, and boy it is delicious! Fresh pesto just bursts with flavour.

The next morning we’re up early to start off on our mountain walk. We start at Riomaggiore, town 1 and walk to Manarola, town 2. Turns out the lady at the info center exaggerated and the walk takes us 40 minutes up and down! Not too hard at all. The view is spectacular from the top and we can look down on Riomaggiore, spotting the locals in their gardens, restaurants packed with tourists and people jumping into the water from the rocks. There’s a slight breeze that cools us down and the faint sounds of birds and rustling leaves echo around us.

 

Feeling inspired we decide to tackle the next walk to Corniglia, town 3 and set off. This one is a lot harder. We descend up hill, walking step after step for 45 minutes. Our legs are burning and shaking and sweat is dripping off every visible body part. All I’m thinking is what have we done to ourselves.. The slight breeze we felt before is gone and the near-midday heat is blasting down. After what feels like forever the path finally flattens out and we reach a small town. Following the directions we go around the left of the town, past a small church where other walkers sit in the shade catching their breath and continue along the small well-trodden path. We snake along the cliff face, with locals tending to their vineyards on either side of us. The mountainside is dotted with vineyards and lemon trees that give off a wonderful citrus smell. We weave through people’s property admiring the view of the great big ocean against the grey cliff face and lush green mountainside. Birds fill the air with small chirps and the wind sweeps up the cliff face. This view is worth the steps up and is my favourite walk of them all.

Overall it takes us 2.5 hours to climb up, along and then down to Corniglia. Our legs shaking, we perch on a ledge overlooking the water on the edge of town to rest and have a drink. Below us looks like a totally different place, it’s lush and green. Trees and shrubs have taken off and cast a lively green glow that stretches all the way to the water. It is so serene and so beautiful. For us the day is over and we catch a train back to Riomaggiore to spend the afternoon swimming and reading in the sun – our slice of paradise.

 

Sunday Snaps: The beautiful Cinque Terre

We spent 4 amazing days in Cinque Terre walking along the coast, hiking into the mountains, trying fresh seafood and pesto pasta as well as enjoying icy cold lemoncello. This if the 1st of the 5 cities, and our favourite, Riomaggiore.

Beaches in Morocco

Six hours from Casablanca by bus is the beach side town of Essaouira. As we leave the bus station we are assaulted by cries of ‘taxi’ as locals fight for our business. They crowd the pavement trying to get our attention and promise the best rates. It is much cooler here and the smell of salt in the air is evident with the fresh breeze that is rolling in. We jump in a cab with an American girl we met on the bus and head towards the medina.

This medina is directed towards tourists, unlike the one in Fez, and sells leather goods like bags, jackets and shoes. Boards of jewellery hang on the walls and buckets of shoes line the pavement. Stand too long looking and the owner will be offering you his best price, which instantly gets quartered as soon as you walk away. It is much cleaner and much nicer than Fez with a better array of goods to buy for the serious shoppers. Unfortunately I’m really sick and my 2 nights spent here consist of me sleeping from about 3pm to 9am the next day. On the first night I don’t want to leave bed so Alex is forced to find food and eat alone.

In the morning I force myself up and we end up walking to jimmy Hendrix ville a few kilometres away from Essaouira. It’s a small forgotten little town that dusts blows through and whips into your eyes. It feels like a ghost town. We walk along the beach to get there and are harassed by offers of camel rides. The beach starts to get hilly and more deserted the further we go along. Wind blows the sand against our bodies whipping our faces and forcing our hands over our eyes. Rolling dunes seem to stretch out forever in front of us while the ocean seems infinite on our right. It’s a beautiful sight and so peaceful with no one around.

After the steady hour walk there, we leave after only 5 minutes as another girl has lost her phone. She heads off to the police station and Alex and I go back to find some food. We walk past a cute traditional looking restaurant with low chairs and tables and brightly coloured red cushions. Lunch is a 3 course meal of soup, tagine and fruit. The tagine is absolutely scrumptious! The chicken falls off the drumsticks and tastes divine when scooped up in bread with olives and baked lemon. It’s like a flavour explosion, although 5 minutes later by tummy starts cramping and I think I’m going to regret eating it.

We stroll through the medina again and end up on the outside walls. A local walks behind us and sneakily unzips Alex’s bag and starts grabbing things. He manages to escape with an empty sunnies case and bottle of hand sanitiser before we notice him and yell out. He runs off but we count ourselves lucky as his iPod is still lying on the bottom of his bag.

We head towards the beach dodging the people streaming past and yelled offers of fresh fruit, bags and shoes. The water is brown and uninviting despite the heat and humidity. A group of young boys draw lines in the sand and start a soccer match while we perch on the stone wall that cuts off the beach from the pavement. They run, kick and dive in the sand yelling at each other and having a friendly jostle. The sun is setting and washes the sky in a pale yellow. Faint murmurs from the medina can be heard in the background and the sand sticks to our skin. No-one bothers us while we watch the seemingly life or death match and once the sun disappears we move on.

The next stop is bed and I definitely regret eating. It’s an early night again for us. My desire to leave Morocco and go somewhere cleaner is growing by the day. The next day is a slow morning and we find a small shop where a French man has set up selling fresh juices. A big cup is cheap and we devour it on our way to the bus stop, leaving Essaouira for the next city and our last pittstop in Morocco: Marrakesh.

Bali Beauty

Bali is a popular destination for Australians looking for a quick, cheap and fun holiday. The young, the old, couples and families flock to its crowded streets, cheap markets and peaceful beaches to get away and relax.

Gilli Islands is about 4 hours boat ride from the mainland and is a haven of white sand and tropical blue water. The whole island can be biked in 2 hours and is perfect for lying on the beach, snorkelling or swimming. We hired bikes one day and rode around the island finding gorgeous isolated spots where we could strip off and enjoy a dip. The water is so much cleaner than Kuta or Legian beach and is crystal clear, plus it’s warm yet cool enough to refresh you on a hot bali day. Its also incredibly quiet once you move away from the main strip with the gentle sound of water crashing up onto the sand and wind rustling the leaves.

 

Have you been bali? Let me know in the comments below.

Boating, Manly and the Long Weekend

This long weekend has been fantastic. Spent time with family, friends eating chocolate eggs, boating and a late beach run (trying to burn off the chocolate eggs). On Sunday I went out on a friends boat, the day was gorgeous. The sun kissed our bare skin, making it warm to the touch and the wind streamed through my hair leaving knots in its wake. We dived off the back of the boat the water fresh and cool on our burnt skin. It straightened out the knots and left salt streaks on our arms and hair. We lay on the nose of the boat and listened to music while the warm air sent us to sleep. Such a blissful day!

 

Then on Monday, I went for a nice 45 min run along Manly beach. It felt good to be out in the warm Autumn sun, plus the view was fantastic.

Exploring Sydney: Dee Why and Collaroy

Living on the Northern Beaches is pretty spectacular. We’re local to some beautiful beaches and on the other end, lush green forests. While I’ve mainly focused on food outlets for my last two Exploring Sydney posts our coastline is definitely worth a mention. On this beautiful Easter Friday I went for a long walk along Dee Why Beach, up to the headland and around the rocks to Collaroy Beach. This sun was shining and warmed my skin as I watched the waves crash along the shoreline. There were lots of other people too, some with dogs, prams and young kids played in the sand. We walked barefoot along the sand, the water often gushed up to meet us and sprayed over our feet and ankles. It took us approximately two hours but it’s not a hard walk. Its fun and free, and the warmth of the sun on your bare skin is enough to make me smile.