The Travel Thread

[Raiders Lime Milk]

Definitely looking forward to the food. Mind you I look forward to the food every time I leave the culinary wasteland that is the Netherlands (so yes Michael, heed GE's advice when you're in Amsterdam and avoid native Dutch food like the plague! ) Dutch staples include raw herring, fries with mayonnaise (yes it's nice the first few times, but one starts putting on the kilos if one indulges too often!) and fried donut hole things.

What about FEBO? I was in Amsterdam for five days and I hardly ate anything else! I ate the fries and mayo a few times, but I became obsessed with FEBO. I wouldn't eat it if I lived there as the stuff is a nutritional black hole (and saturated-fat sponge) but when visiting for a few days, the convenience and novelty of the deep fried goodness can't be beat. But a round meal it ain't.

[Michael]

Are there any areas anyone can think of where I can get good, fresh food relatively cheaply? (amazing inquiry I know). Essentially the European equivalent of the market food you get in Asia, where it costs next to nothing, looks like its being cooked in a toilet bowl in front of your eyes, but is hot, fresh and usually pretty damn good.

[Raiders Lime Milk]

I left out Barcelona,

Barca is another place I would hire a bike and check out the city that way, people say you either love Barca or Madrid but not both, Ive been to Barca three times it is a pretty fun place. without doubt check out Gaudi park it is awsome and def a must see. Go look at the Lafamilia but as someone said it is unfinished but a real cool building all the same. The bikes are cool to check out all the little tiny winding streets in. if you want a good night out there are some touristy bars along the street but i would reccomend just taking cash out with you, wallets are a target for pickpocketers which i found out on my way home at 8:30 in the morning (it was a massive night and i had no cash left so it was all good). If you want to go clubbing they really dont get started until 2-3 in the morning so dont do the aussie thing and start drinking early or you will never make it. The beaches in town are pretty crap I think compared to home but there is heaps of topless spanish chicks which kind of makes up for the lack of waves. There is a food market off of la rambles that has awsome tappas in a sought of bar that you sit along the baby octopus was awsome.
The olympic area is pretty cool to check out the pool is awsome.

Anyway like I said if you have any questions feel free to ask, it gets me out of working.

oh and ftr record i also would probablly go to rome or florence over vienna.

I reckon the fact that Sagrada Familia is unfinished is part of its charm. The fact it has taken over 100 years to partially build such an ambitious design (that is potentially decades from being completed) adds to the wonder of the place.

I thought the Olympic precinct was cool, but sadly very dilapidated and run down. It appeared very neglected as there were weeds everywhere, broken pavers, things not working, temporarcy fencing everywhere, etc. This is defintiely a Spanish thing (from what I observed and what I've read). Everywhere you go, there are coutless construction sights but never any workers. Literally, every major sight I visited in Barcelona had scaffolding on it. You should see all my photos, cranes and scaffolding everywhere. I became a running joke while I was there. But that's Spain, and I still loved the place. Can't wait to see more of the country.

And I agree, bikes are a great way to see many Euro cities.

[Raiders Lime Milk]

I've been to Paris stacks since I've been over here Michael - GE's advice is very good. St Germain de Pres is where it's at, the cafes are awesome. And the Musee d'Orsay is outstanding, I preferred it to the Louvre too (make sure you pick up an audio guide, it's well worth it if you're not too well versed in art). Personally I'd avoid spending too much time near the Eiffel Tower, there are crap loads of gypsies pimping various scams, and hordes of American tourists. It's a bit of a cultural Disneyland in summer, that part of Paris.

It's hard to believe anyone would actually buy the crap they peddle to the tourists on the street. Rubbish with blinky lights, crap string bracelets, etc. But then again, the American tourists around there are pretty annoying so I can imagine them lapping it up.

Michael, considering it'll be summer when you're there you'll definitely face lengthy Eiffel Tower queues, and the Yanks will get on your nerves (well, they got on mine), but you gotta go up the tower anyway and tick it off the list. I went up by foot, which I preferred (and meant I bypassed the overweight Seppos ).

[-LG-]

What about FEBO? I was in Amsterdam for five days and I hardly ate anything else! I ate the fries and mayo a few times, but I became obsessed with FEBO. I wouldn't eat it if I lived there as the stuff is a nutritional black hole (and saturated-fat sponge) but when visiting for a few days, the convenience and novelty of the deep fried goodness can't be beat. But a round meal it ain't.

You ate FEBO and survived?

Are there any areas anyone can think of where I can get good, fresh food relatively cheaply? (amazing inquiry I know). Essentially the European equivalent of the market food you get in Asia, where it costs next to nothing, looks like its being cooked in a toilet bowl in front of your eyes, but is hot, fresh and usually pretty damn good.

Well FEBO (vending machines that dispense things like hot dogs and hamburgers) are cheap enough, safe to consume, maybe not!

There really isn't the equivalent of the Asian market food over here, certainly not in the Netherlands anyway. There's the occasional cart selling herring, Vietnamese spring rolls, or fritjes (fries). Mostly you'll probably end up buying Turkish Shoarma or Surinamese Roti if you're trying to eat on the cheap, neither is much good IMO. In Amsterdam I'd recommend going to one of the pannenkoeken (pancake) houses. Dutch Indonesian is okay, but it's chock full of MSG and oil so I'm not much of a fan.

On a serious note I have had bad food poisoning several times over here, attitudes to food handling are very lax in Benelux compared to Australia.

Germany is better for market style food. Beer and Curryworst (delicious!) are never hard to find.

[T_R]

Are there any areas anyone can think of where I can get good, fresh food relatively cheaply? (amazing inquiry I know). Essentially the European equivalent of the market food you get in Asia, where it costs next to nothing, looks like its being cooked in a toilet bowl in front of your eyes, but is hot, fresh and usually pretty damn good.

If it exists, I've never seen it.

Think of what you expect to pay for food, then double it.

If you're really on a budget, bread and some meat from the local supermarket is your best bet. Otherwise, save or go hungry.

[RTW]

Last year I went on a 90 day road trip, I ate a baguette with some kind of cut meat, cheese and tomato and a piece of fruit nearly every day somehow I never got sick of it and it saved me heaps of money.

[T_R]

Are there any areas anyone can think of where I can get good, fresh food relatively cheaply? (amazing inquiry I know). Essentially the European equivalent of the market food you get in Asia, where it costs next to nothing, looks like its being cooked in a toilet bowl in front of your eyes, but is hot, fresh and usually pretty damn good.

In Milan at the moment, and one thing I have noticed pretty consistently on this trip is that as far as prices are concerned, you pay in Euros pretty much what you'd expect to pay in dollars back in Australia.

Not a bad rule of thumb for working out your budget.

[-LG-]

In Milan at the moment, and one thing I have noticed pretty consistently on this trip is that as far as prices are concerned, you pay in Euros pretty much what you'd expect to pay in dollars back in Australia.

Not a bad rule of thumb for working out your budget.

An excellent rule of thumb. Exceptions are probably Spain which I've found cheapish for food as well as the UK, where the pound definitely goes a bit further. With the euro and pound so close together these days, the UK starts to look cheap compared to the eurozone. I was over in London for five days last month and it was amazing how cheap everything felt compared to here. And I was staying in Mayfair.

How is Milan T_R? Are the weather gods smiling on you?

[DavidBoyle]

I spent a month in Europe last year. I flew into Frankfurt.

Frankfurt makes Canberra look like a hub of excitement. It's a city built for business, I found it really boring.

Berlin is just awesome. One thing about it, is that things that are generally "underground" are just mainstream there.

I went to Prague, it was quite beautiful, but I didn't feel that safe there. I didn't feel the same way anywhere else.

I had an incredible time in Vienna, I had a few friends there, stayed for a week, it was good fun.

I went through Switzerland as well, which was great (but expensive). I don't think you're going there though.

I'm going on a trip next month- Canberra>Melbourne>Malaysia>London>Cambridge>Bratislava>Vienna>Barcelona>London>Brisbane>Canberra

I'm only going a couple of weeks, but it should be a lot of fun.

[T_R]

I spent a month in Europe last year. I flew into Frankfurt.

Frankfurt makes Canberra look like a hub of excitement. It's a city built for business, I found it really boring.

A couple of years ago, I flew FinnAir from Japan through to Switzerland. On the way back, the plane broke down and I was stuck for two days in Finland. God, it was awful.

It was the peak of high season and every flight for weeks was booked solid. There was absolutely no way out of this nightmare.

I showed up at the airport and made a prick of myself until they decided to get rid of me. I needed to get back to Nagasaki, and they eventually found a route Helsinki - Frankfurt (14 hour wait) - Beijing - Tokyo - Nagasaki.

To make me feel better, they gave me a free tour of Frankfurt. Half an hour in, I stopped the bus, got into a taxi, drove back to the airport, check in, walked through to the gate and spent the next 12 hours drinking.

Frankfurt truly is the worst place in the world. You know you've bottomed out as a city when an extended drunken stupour at an airport gate is massively more attractive than a free tour of your cultural attractions.

[DavidBoyle]

without the Finnish airport section, that's pretty much what I did on the way home from Frankfurt. I had a bit of a wander, was bored, then just went to the airport and smashed down a few overpriced beers.

[Raider47]

I've... I've... been to Wagga Wagga.

[-LG-]

I really like Frankfurt.

Yeah it's a business city and pretty modern compared to most big European cities thanks to the war, but it's laid back and a picnic by the river in Spring or Summer is a nice way to wile away an afternoon.

It's not exactly a happening kind of place in a clubby way, but I'm too old for that crap anyway.

[T_R]

All flights out of Europe cancelled. Looks like I have an unexpected 8 days in Zurich coming up

[greeneyed]

All flights out of Europe cancelled. Looks like I have an unexpected 8 days in Zurich coming up

Don't stay in Zurich! Get a car and go travelling! Lots of good things to see in Switzerland or Austria.

[T_R]

All flights out of Europe cancelled. Looks like I have an unexpected 8 days in Zurich coming up

Don't stay in Zurich! Get a car and go travelling! Lots of good things to see in Switzerland or Austria.

I might pop over the border and meet a couple of our suppliers in Austria.

With this many people grounded, by the way, chances of securing a hire car are about zero. Struggling to find accommodation!

[The Naked Zombie]

A very popular member of the Greenhouse is living it up on a houseboat right now... word is that he was asked to perform a musical number and was VERY good at it

[Raiders Lime Milk]

What was so bad about Finland, T_R? I've always wanted to go there.

[The Naked Zombie]

Sorry, that conversation is Finnish.

[T_R]

What was so bad about Finland, T_R? I've always wanted to go there.

Nah, nothing so wrong with Finland. Was more the circumstances - delayed flight, dodgy hotel, surly staff and shocking food. Dinner was meant to be included by the airline, but as it was late all they managed - in a four star hotel, allegedly - was some rice with gravy poured over the top. Seriously. To make the pain go away, I had two small beers, for which I was charged $30.

And those are the high points.

Would have been hard for anywhere to look good under the circumstances.

[Canberra Milk]

Hey Michael, I just got back from a bit of a Eurotrip, went to Barcelona, Paris and Greece. Being half Greek and proud of the beauty of the Greek islands I really have to give them a mention. If you have time to go there I doubt you'll regret it. Other than that I don't know what else I could add that others haven't... I think the pickpocketing thing about Barcelona is overrated - it's pretty easy to spot a dodgy looking person so just don't walk near them. In saying that, I never got blind drunk so I had the advantage of being conscious. My favourite part of Barcelona was probably the Born, which is the area around the Picasso Museum. It's just got a wonderful feel to it. I also thought Gracia near and around Cinema Verdi was beautiful but perhaps that was made more so by the fact that it was snowing when I went there. I also walked from the Sagrada Famila to the waterside where the casino is which probably in theory should have been unspectacular but I really enjoyed it. One thing: as in Paris, people in Barcelona like to be classy and dress nice so don't walk around in a t-shirt and thongs if you can avoid it. La Ramblas... the charm is in its sidestreets, not the main street. Even then, its more of a place to go at night rather than the day in my opinion, compared to the likes of Born or Parc Cituadella.

Paris is of course amazing and it will top your expectations, however, maybe not for the reasons you think. I found the Champ-Elysses to be an anti-climax (unless you're particularly fond of brand name shopping), while still of course being a must-see, as were Les Deux Magots and Cafe Flore which despite their history are really nothing special in my opinion. I love how in Paris, though, intellectual and art culture is everywhere - even in the metro they had this little art exhibit. And you can take a photo on every corner, everywhere you look it's just so aesthetic. The people are not rude but don't speak English much.

And gee, going by what people have said, too, I'm kinda disappointed I didn't get to go to Berlin, I reckon I would have loved it.

Anyway very jealous mate! You said you're going with a chick so I don't know what the situation is there, but Spanish women are pretty hard to top I reckon.

[Michael]

Cheers dude, I'll be sure to check out those spots in Barcelona and Paris. I won't get the chance to head to Greece, but I'm planning in doing a world trip including Europe again sometime after I graduate, so I'll be sure to check it out then.

For the record, she's a Kraut - I'm not sure how that rates...

[Canberra Milk]

Well put it this way - I'd be keen to visit Berlin one day, but certainly not for the women, so what does that tell you. Although I'm sure your girl's lovely

[Michael]

Well put it this way - I'd be keen to visit Berlin one day, but certainly not for the women, so what does that tell you. Although I'm sure your girl's lovely

Snap. You can decide for yourself, look up **** on my facebook. Cracking name I think you'd agree!

[Raiders Lime Milk]

Well put it this way - I'd be keen to visit Berlin one day, but certainly not for the women, so what does that tell you. Although I'm sure your girl's lovely

Snap. You can decide for yourself, look up 'Johanna Oppenheimer' on my facebook. Cracking name I think you'd agree!

Curiosity got the better of me and I did a Google search for that name. If she's the blonde one who comes up first in Google Images, she's a babe. Nice.

[Michael]

Yes it is.

Also, you're a creep.

[Raiders Lime Milk]

Yes it is.

Also, you're a creep.

Was thinking the same thing as I was typing that post. At least I didn't make a print-out.

It is almost too ridiculously easy to find info about people these days.

[Nick]

Yes it is.

Also, you're a creep.

massive creep... btw next time you speak to her ask her why she hasnt accepted my friend request

[Michael]

Alreet lads, exams are over and I fly out for my euro-trip tomorrow night.

Thank you all for your sage advice.

I'll try and keep you guys posted on my travels.

Until then...

[Raiders Lime Milk]

Alreet lads, exams are over and I fly out for my euro-trip tomorrow night.

Thank you all for your sage advice.

I'll try and keep you guys posted on my travels.

Until then...

It's such an awesome feeling when exams are done and dusted.

Only four weeks till I'm also Europe bound. Can't wait.

Have an awesome trip, mate. Enjoy.

[Nick]

Alreet lads, exams are over and I fly out for my euro-trip tomorrow night.

Thank you all for your sage advice.

I'll try and keep you guys posted on my travels.

Until then...

Enjoy the "sights" and "sounds" mate

[Sossman]

Michael, you're a disgrace.

But somehow, I feel you'll come back even more disgraceful.

Make sure you declare your crotch when you hit customs on the way back.

[DJ89]

Anyone know if they play league games on Foxtel/Austar in Indo?

[RTW]

Anyone know if they play league games on Foxtel/Austar in Indo?

Yeah my mate lives in Bali and he said that he still watches games. I am not sure about anywhere else in indo.
I would guess he watches them at a place called waves bar in Kuta but I could find out where exactly he watches games if it is Bali you are going to?