The Haircut

This is what happens when you give your wife a pair of scissors...

The Haircut from Ryan messer on Vimeo.
- Ryan -

Kings Landing?

After a surprisingly comfortable overnight boat ride from Bari, Italy, we arrived in Croatia's tourism capital, Dubrovnik. With its old city walls and almost perfectly intact medeival township it was almost like stepping back in time. Walking through the main gate and onwards through the stone lined streets we immediately got the sensation that we had somehow been here before. Was it that most if Italy has similar style towns..., perhaps some crazy medieval dream..., or maybe it was that Dubrovnik is in fact Kings Landing. For those who don't understand this reference Kings Landing is one of the main settings for the hit book and HBO tv series Game of Thrones. Now having finally witnessed this amazing castle its no wonder why the directors chose it to shoot the show.

While in Dubrovnik we wanted to slow down a little and enjoy some time at the sea. Although the beaches were not as nice as back home, with rocky entrences and a significantly cooler water temperature we still managed to spend a lot of time in the water. We also spent a day on a small boat, where we cruised some of the Dalmatian coast and sunned ourselves on the islands. Another evening we also organised a sunset dinner cruise which cruised around the old town as the sun sank slowly behind the buildings, an amazing experience. The old city was also great to wander around with an excellent aquarium and of course walking the city walls. We also managed to find an amazing photography exhibition which showcased pictured from the 1990's war. Whilst many of the images were terribly saddening, it gave us a great insight to what it was like back then and fueled our desire to learn more about the war.

One thing we were particularly looking forward to, was visiting the small town of Ston and the peninsular that the town is on. Ston itself is famous for its oysters and the small walled city. We arrived at lunch time and quickly found a restaurant serving fresh oysters and other seafood delights. Afterwards we strolled around the town and sampling some of the local brandy - two were added to our bar on wheels, walnut and fig. We then drove out onto the peninsular to visit the Croatian wine country, where we sampled some of the local wines, Dingač and Plavav. We enjoyed Ston and the scenic drive so much that we returned later in the week for more oysters bought fresh from a local family.

*A small warning* slightly explicit picture below. A particularly interesting restaurant on the upper city walls of Dubrovnik was a strangely appropriately named place called Lady Pi Pi, see photo below and make up your own mind. While the fountain at the front and the name are probably enough to draw the curious crowds, the view from the restaurant was also quite spectacular, situated high up at the back of the old city, with the balcony overlooking the entire old city. To the important stuff - the food - we shared a large plate of grilled squid and a mixed grill which we watched cooking over a coal fire as we relaxed in the late afternoon sun. The food was delicious and even though they were huge we managed to finish everything! On another night in our culinary tour of Dubrovnik we went to a small place near our apartment which was highly reviewed, after much deliberation we settled on the mussels and lamb chops, both very tasty but the mussels were a stand out - perfectly cooked in a garlic, lemon sauce. We followed this up with a bourbon vanilla ice cream which did not disappoint.

On our final night in Dubrovnik and our last night with Sharon and Rodney, we decided to book into Kanoba Dubrava, on a recommendation from friends. We had to go up to the restaurant a few days in advance to order, as the traditional dalmation dish takes three hours to cook in a dome over hot coals. Again by recommendation we got the mixed peka of lamb and veal. Arriving at the restaurant we ordered drinks and a platter of Dalmatian smoked meats and cheeses while we waited for our main. After checking out the domes cooking over the coals we were excited when our dish was brought out. As anticipated the meat was cooked beautiful with the potato, almost mashed they were cooked so long.

Waking up the next morning, it was time to say goodbye to Sharon and Rodney before continuing down the coast to Montenegro.

- Louise and Ryan -

Do as the Romans do

Feeling refreshed from our sea scape holiday in Cinque Terre and our week in Umbria it was final time to take on the monster that is Rome. With its hectic traffic, bustling touristic crowds and numerous attractions, it was hard to fathom how we would fit everything in, in only one week. Fortunately enough for us, being the 'seasoned travelers' that we are, a little planning, a lot of walking and a gelato here are there we managed to fit everything in. So here is how we did it:

Day 1:

First up we checked in and met our host, Guiseppe, who's apartment we loaned out for the week from Airbnb. After his very detailed 45 minute tour of the surrounding area, and almost half of Rome, he handed us the keys and we then headed straight down to the train station to meet Sharon and Rodney (Ryan's parents). As it had been over 6 months since our last catch up, there was obviously a lot to catch up on. So with the sun setting we headed out for a stroll in the cool evening air to swap stories and watch the Colosseum being lit up.

Day 2:

The next day was spent wandering through the city getting our bearing. Along the way we visited Capoline Hill, Piazza Novena, the Pantheon and as it was State of Origin, the boys stopped off at an Irish pub while the girls shopped. Unfortunately, the boys were not too happy with the games result, however the girls were happy with their purchases.

Day 3:

We were pre-booked into the Colosseum, so not only did the ticket included an underground tour of the massive sporting arena, the Forum and Palatine Hill, but it also meant that we conviently got to bypass the ridiculous line spewing out of the main gates. Starting from the bottom up, we worked our way through the 4 main levels of the magnificent site, all the whilst learning so much about its gory history. After a relaxing lunch break in the Jewish quarter we then braved the intense sun to wander through the ruins in Palatine Hill. As most of the ruins were in fact that... ruins, it was a little hard to picture what exactly you were looking at. However just being able to walk through the original location that was the birthplace of Rome, was just truly amazing.

Day 4:

Possibly one of our longer walking days, we started the day by heading straight to the Spanish Steps and the Tivoli Fountain to beat the crowds and get a picture without 1000's of people in it. We were lucky to get to the steps to see locals doing their morning exercises, boot camps, push ups and jogging. We then walked on to the fountian to find that it was turned off for cleaning. As we watched in interest as they vacuumed up all the coins, which is estimated at €3000 a day, we soon realized that this was going out take a while. So after contributing our own small amount, ensuring our return to Rome, we set off towards the Appian Way to see the ancient catacombs and ruins along the beautiful cobblestone road.

Day 5:

With the day before being quite big, we all decided to have a much deserved sleep in before hitting the sights once again. Once rested and fed, we hit the pavement and made our way to Castel de Angelo, all the while admiring the back street beauty that is Rome. In the castle we learnt the history of its origins and previous usages, such as secret escape ways for the pope, and from the top we were treated to breath taking views back over the city. After that we then hiked up to the Villa Borghese gardens, but decided to skip the gallery as we were all feeling a little tired.

Day 6:

Being a Sunday the traverse markets, a flea market that I remembered from my first visit to Rome, was on so we thought we might go back for a second look. While the merchandise was mostly rubbishy clothing and jewelry, I did manage to pick up a bargain or two in the smaller flea market section. We then walked over to Aventine hill to get another view over the city and then took a long stroll back to the apartment with yet another gelato.

Day 7:

We fortunately had tickets booked to Vatican City as the lines were about 4 hours long! After a few hours of marveling at the magnificent art and the shear volume of works, we stopped in at the Sistine Chapel to see Genesis painted on the ceiling. We then went out for a quick gelato before heading to St Peter's square to line up to get into the catherdral. Entering the catherdral was an awe inspiring experience as there was a mass on and the choirs were singing with the sunbeams streaking in through the stain glass. After admiring the beauty of the catherdral and visiting St Peters burial place Rodney, Ryan and I took on the challenge of climbing to the top of the grand dome, 120 m over the alter. Of course we didn't feel that catching the elevator up half way seemed like enough of a challenge, so we opted to save the money and walk the whole 551 steps to the top. The view from top were spectacular - worth every step. While we didn't see the pope we had a great day of international travel!

Day 8:

After some pretty hectic days we checked out of our place in Rome and sardined ourselves into the car for the trip down to Bari to catch our overnight ferry to Dubrovnik. As it was only a short detour, we planned a stop half way at Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii to see some of the most well preserved Roman ruins in Italy. The mountain was a little easier then some of the others we have experienced along our travels, but with our decline in fitness and hot summer sun we still managed to work up a pretty good sweat. At the ruins we were all truly blown away by how amazingly well preserved everything was. Walking through the ancient streets, you could actually picture how the city actually look and viewing the petrified corpses you got a real sense of how frightened the people would have been.

So after a massive week in Italy's capital its time for some rest and relaxation, and what better place than the famous Croatian coast.

- Louise and Ryan -

The monsters!

With 6 nights between leaving Cinque Terre and heading to Rome to meet up with Ryan's parents we decided to get a small place on the boarder between Umbria and Latium. On our way there we included a few stop overs in Pisa to see the leaning tower, Lucca to see the massive ancient walls and Assisi to see San Francesco.

After researching and finding a bargin on booking.com we found ourselves at a small town called Montebuono at a small boutique bed and breakfast where the owners spoke no English but cheerfully greeted us we a bottle of wine and olive oil from the trees and vines that surrounded the homestead. A small afternoon walk revealed that less then a km away was the ruins of an old castle - in the picture below - and that the locals were all very friendly, giving us big smiles as we walked past. From here we decided to do day trips in the surrounding areas, driving through fields and fields of sunflowers. First up we did a day trip to Tarquinia to see where the ancient Etruscan built tombs underground and visit the beautiful local museum and then on our way home stopping at a small hot spring. On the drive to the hot spring we were happy to see the clouds gather and break out in rain, cooling down the 35C heat to a chilly 21C and thankfully emptied the small springs so that when we arrived we were the only ones there. We quickly jumped into the warmest pool and covered ourselves with the therapeutical - apparently - mud and relaxed for half an our or so.

One place I was looking forward to going back to was Orvieto, so to make the best day we researched what day the local markets were and set off. Getting there nice and early was a great decision as we well and truly beat the tour groups from Rome. We were some of the only tourist in the large crowd of Italian Nona's trying to get our groceries for the week and getting our morning shot of coffee! After dropping off our fresh fruit, veges, wild boar sausages and cheese in the car we started exploring the town itself. Perhaps one of the most beautiful facades of a duomo in Italy is that on the one in Orvieto, but we also enjoyed the small winding streets, smaller duomos and the friendly people. On our way home we decided on a quick stop in Todi, a small town in Umbria, with yet another beautiful ancient city but devoid of the massive tour groups that haunt Umbria and Tuscany in summer. A nice little place to stop for a second coffee of the day and enjoy the breeze in the rose gardens behind the duomo.

Another recommendation from our friends Tara and Caz was the garden of the monsters in Bomarzo. Again they proved to be excellent tour guides, with us entering the almost empty complex and wandering through an almost deserted garden of statues commissioned in the 16th century by Pier Francesco Orsin for his wife Giulia Farnese when she died. Artists who worked on it included Pirro Ligorio, and the sculptururer Simone Moschino. The garden was abandoned in the 19th century then rediscovered and restored in the 1970s. Not only was it a beautiful tranquil garden but under the shady trees it was a welcome relief from the scorching heat.

On our final day we decided to day trip to Tivoli to visit Villa Adriana (Hadrian's villa). The villa was built by the roman emperor in the 2nd and 3rd century as a retreat from Rome. Adriana was said to have built it due to his dislike of the palace in Rome on Palatine hill and in his later years as emperor actually rule from this villa in Tivoli. Now Villa Adriana is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an impressive attraction. Ryan and I both enjoyed walking through the ruins imagining how life was for the emperor when the villa was used by Adriana himself. We then drove up to the Georges town of Tivoli and enjoyed a slice of pizza and a gelato while exploring the town itself.

- Louise -

Eat = Italy

How could we go to Italy and not include a small taster of everything we ate while here!

Firstly we spent a week in Tuscany sampling the local delicacies and some of Tara fantastic cooking. Caprese salad, wild boar meet, stuffed zucchini, cherry tart, truffle and porcini mushroom with chocolate pasta, free range chicken stuffed with mascarpone and lemon, juicy steaks and a not so local Black Forest cake!

Inspired by the dishes we had been eating and staying at a great place in Prevo, Cinque Terre, we decided to eat in for a few meals. Despite the basic kitchen I was able to whip up a couple of tiramisu's, stuffed zucchini with salmon and truffle, egg plant ragout pasta, spinach and ricotta cannelloni and a scrumptious (even if I do say so myself) breakfast of crepes with raspberries and mascarpone. I'm not sure Ryan has ever eaten so much!

Ryan also got quite inspired during one of our visits to the supermarket after seeing some particularly meaty ribs, which tasted even better then they looked.

On our way down to Latrium we stay a night in Assisi. After exploring the town in the afternoon we wandered into a popular little cafe and were quick to decided on the truffle local pasta (small version of gnocchi) with beans and the wild boar stew. Both meals were incredible rich but tasted amazing! We needed another walk before Ryan dragged me into a dessert place he had seen with panforte where I also discovered a fig and ricotta ice cream - a perfect sweet before heading back to our campsite.

A week in Rome would never be enough to taste everything that this great city has to offer, however we did attempt to taste as much as we could. One great meal we had was not too far from our hotel (recommended by our host) was the Machiavelli's Club, where we had an excellent ricotta, fig and salmon capriccio as appetizers followed by seafood alla puttanescaand an excellent gnocchi. Another place again recommended by our host was a seafood place where we had exceptional grilled squid and mussel pasta.

We also ventured to the Jewish quarter in the search for stuffed zucchini flowers, a dish I remember from my first trip to Rome. While we had no luck in regards to the zucchini flowers we did enjoy an artichoke a la romana, bruschetta with olive and tomato, lamb in rosmary and beef tripe (although we were not sure if it actually was tripe). Fortunately later in the week we were eating in the bohemian area near our apartment where I discovered they had the stuffed zucchini flowers - yum! - fried olives, peasant pasta (mozzarella, tomato and brazil penne) and roman style pizza. On our final day in Italy we traveled via Naples to visit Pompeii on our way to the ferry in Bari. Of course we were quick to seek out a pizza, and also had a beautiful octopus capriccio which was one of my favourite meals yet, combining two of my favourite - octupus and capriccio.

Rome wouldn't have been complete without sampling a gelato place our two during our stay. Taking this quite seriously I enforced a 1 or 2 a day sampling regime to ensure We tasted some of the best gelato in Italy. Firstly, my task required research consisting of reviews from our friends Tara and Caz, trip advisor and our host in Italy, Guiseppe. Perhaps my favorite was the place recommended by Tara and Caz - La Romana - the very friendly staff were quick to translate and give us numerous tastings, I settle on mascarpone with coffee and chocolate and crema de 1947 with chocolate whipped cream. The ice cream was so good I went back for a second helping of pesto and dark chocolate. . . Maybe not the best for the waist line but when in Rome. Another easy favorite was one Ryan found on trip advisor called La Rivareno where I sampled the creme a la balsamic, I've always been a fan of vinegar so I took a leap and ordered this strange flavor, surprisingly it was exceptional using more of a balsamic glaze, so it was more sweet then vinegary. Finally, another place we visited a number of times was near our apartment in Rome called house of ice, recommended again to us by our host, full of locals and tourists. While the ice cream itself was not as interesting, just a large selection of the 'regular' Italian flavors, it was experience to jostle with the locals and tourist to enjoy possibly the best value ice cream in Rome.

Another interesting drink we had seen numerous people drinking in cafe's was an Aperol Spritz, a bitter aperitivo mixed with orange, Prosecco and soda. After our first one it quickly became a new favorite and quickly added to our bar on wheels - to get 'on the spritz' as we travelled through Italy.

- Louise -

Prevo

Right smack bang in the middle of the Cinque Terre is the small community of Prevo. Made up of mostly holiday houses, this half way point was our home for 3 nights whilst we relaxed with the breathtaking view of the Mediteranian coast beneath us. Our host Pierre, greeted us warmly at the gate and showed us into his lovely villa, which he rents out to passes by like us. With its sizable outdoor area over looking the water below and vege patch terrace out the back, we quickly realized that we made the right choice.

Waking up bright and early on the first morning we set off east, towards the rising sun, to the little town of Corniglia. With Prevo in the middle of all the towns, it was also on one of the highest points of the trail, so the walk was fairly steady with a nice down hill gradient most of the way. About an hour of walking we reach Corniglia, the small ancient fishing village was bustling with locals preparing themselves for the daily onslaught of tourist trade that would soon be apon them. After a morning tea of gelato we got back to the trail to go check out the next village. Unfortunately for us though, due to last years storm and subsequent landslides, Manarola was out of reach via the trail. Feeling a little discouraged, but happy for the extra exercise, we decided to double back and check out the town on the western side of Prevo. With the sun already high in the sky we started our 2.5 hour trek full of enthusiasm, however that soon faded as most of the walk back was all up hill and in direct sun light. With our backs heavily drenched in sweat we finally reached Vernazza, possibly the 'truest' fishing village left in the Italian Rivera. As we entered the small town from the track above we were treated to an impressive view of the whole village, with its terricotta roofed buildings and winding cobblestone streets. Entering the town was a little different though, just like most places in Italy in the heart of summer it was packed to the brim with zombie like tourists, straight off the train snapping their memories with their iPads. So to escape the hassle and busses of the crowds, and because we had only had ice-cream so far that day, we headed to a small cafe to order the speciality of the region toasted panini's made from chickpea flour. Of course we followed our panini up with some more gelato, we are in Italy after all. With our bellies full and legs well rested we headed back to our accommodation for an afternoon martini, we still have some Portabello Road Gin left from the Ginstitute, and to watch the sun set out over the Mediteranian.

As we spent the pervious day trekking through the Cinque Terre in the 38+ degree heat, we thought that we would treat ourselves on our last day and just stay in, this is meant to be a holiday you know! So with our deck chairs stragically placed so we wouldn't get too sunburnt, we both set ourselves up for a relaxing day filled with reading, eating some home cooked food and getting our lobster on. Of course I got a little carried away on the last one and ended up a bit more fried than I would of liked, but hey what's a holiday without a little sun burn? So having recharged our batteries in one of the most beautiful places in the world we were then ready to head off to our next adventure.

- Ryan -

Under the Tuscan sun

Before arriving in Europe we had only booked in two things, La Tomatina, and a week in Tuscany with our good friends Tara and Aaron to go a see Il Palio in Siena. Needless to say we were looking forward to seeing friends and staying in one place for more then one night or so. After arriving in the evening, we caught up over a wine or two and swapped stories, as they had spent the last 6 months in North and Central America and Europe.

The next morning after a slow start, possibly due to the small amount of wine consumed the night before, we made our way to a town called Panzano to go to the local market for supplies. Fortunately, Tara's grasp on Italian was near to fluent in comparison to ours, so she navigated our purchases of fresh produce, cheeses and meats, while the boys enjoyed taking some photos and looking into the wines.

After getting home the boys fired up the BBQ, whilst Tara and I organised the salads and marinated the steaks. Loving having the full kitchen and BBQ over the week we enjoyed truffle, porcini mushroom and chocolate pasta, Capese salad, cheese boards, wild boar, free range chicken stuffed with lemon and mascarpone, mixed berry pie, Black Forest cake with a Chanti or two.

On the Tuesday of our stay the day had finally arrived to head into Siena for the famous horse race. Il Palio is a pageant of the 17 contrade (districts) which ends with a bare back horse ride between 10 of the selected contrade to win the silk banner or Palio. The horses are random assigned to each contrade with a single rule of the race - the jockey cannot pull the reins of the horse. Siena's main piazza is transformed to a race track with sand, seats and mattresses (bound to corners to cushion impact).

Surprised by snagging a great park right on the city walls we walked though the old city, chatting with friendly locals, picking up souvenirs, deciding which contrade we would each barrack for and having a relaxing lunch. As we had heard that you need to get a spot early we then went to the main piazza to claim our spot track side.

A few hours wait in the sun the pageant part of the day began, where each contrade paraded around the track in medieval garb complete with flags, trumpeds, wigs and of course their horse (if they were lucky enough to be racing). They stopped at certain points (with one conviently located right in front of us) for a flag throwing display before the next contrade moved them on. While it was interesting the first few times we were quickly itching for the race to begin. Once the parade was over we excitedly thought that it was about to beginning, however, the jockeys had other ideas, as cheating is an old pastime. One tactic is that if your starting position is not desirable they continue jostle the other horses while lining up and to false start to put the other horses off. After at least ten lining up attempts and 2 or so false starts the race was under way, living up to the excitement!

The whole race only lasted about 2 minutes but you could feel the excitement and anticipation of all the locals as they cheered on their contrade. As the first horse crossed the finish line the excitement then began, as the winning contrade and the contrade that felt the victory had been stolen from them spilled onto the track - despite the oncoming horse still completing the races! Then . . . the biff began, think hundreds of worked up Italian men and women swinging punches (mostly air punches)' yelling and screaming at the opposing contrade and moving as a wall along a long track. It was one of those moment you can describe but left the four of us all agreeing - the 5 hour wait in the sun was more then worth it, even though we weren't really sure what was going on!

Sadly, none of our contrade won the race, which also put us in the dilemma of who got the 3L bottle of Chanti? After rigorous discussions and numerous Youtube video replays it was determined that Ryan's horse was second, so he had the honor of opening and serving his very own 3L 86 point Chanti. Which was actually very good considering.

Also during the week we made a day to head into Florence to go to the Uffizi gallery, enjoy the sights and fit in a spot of shopping. After a coffee at the same place were we did our class we brave the large wait at the door and went into the Uffizi. We spent a few hours enjoying in the Medici family collection, in particular one of my old favourites - La nascita di Venus, The birth of Venus. We then wandered over the Ponte Vecchio to have lunch at a small osteria, deciding on the stuffed zuchini and wild boar pasta. The girls then had a quick shop before walking over the Piazza de Duomo, to admire the marble work and excellent painted ceiling of the cupola of Santa Maria del Fiore.

After a long day of galleries, shopping and sight seeing we the found a little seafood restaurant and settled on a beautiful seafood linguini and an octopus gnocchi.

Another day during the week we set out early to a small town called San Gimignano dubbed by the Lonely Planet as the medieval Manhattan, due to the 11th century towers that make up the historical centre. After a counter breakfast of pastries and coffee we wandered the little streets, browsed the shops and indulge in a gelato before the day trippers from Rome descended. Next we drove to another town with a beautiful historical center - Volterra - which I confess interested me as a Twilight movie was set here. Despite the towns lack of vampires, Volterra was possibly my favorite town we visited in the area, with its small street, piazza's, gorgeous views, hilltop gardens and ancient castle. Although we were a little surprised after hiking up to the castle that it is now a state prison. Again we did a little shopping, ate a slice of pizza, a cannoli and a gelato before heading back to our villa.

- Louise -

Getting a coffee education

Whilst Italy may not be home to the worlds best coffee it was the birthplace of the first espresso machine, so naturally whilst here we thought we would test our skills out at one of the barrister schools in Florance. Having our own machine at home proved to be no help at all, in fact we quickly learnt that we were definitely doing it wrong!!!

The coarse started out naturally with an espresso straight up, followed by a brief yet descriptive looking into the world of coffee. From growing to grinding, location, climate, good bean spotting and even some insight into the worlds best baristas, with Australian being up there in the top 3, we were pretty well educated in the short time we had. With everyone's heads in a bit of a spin from the knowledge overload we all then took a short coffee break (sorry bad pun but it really was a coffee break). Once our legs stopped shaking from all the caffeine we went over to the bar where Gabriel took us through the ins and outs of a proper world class espresso machine. After a few demonstations we each took a couple of turns at producing the 'perfect' Italian cappuccino along with our own version of the latte tulip. Now whilst I must admit initially I thought I would have a natural talent for latte art and drawing a flower with some milk would be a piece of cake, this was most certainly not the case. Louise on the other hand proved to be quite the artist with a milk jug, where on her second attempt she produced a very Melbourne hipster-esk worthy cafe shark. Whilst neither of us will be searching the wanted adds for cafe jobs upon our return we still managed to have a heap of fun and learn a great deal about the world of coffee. So when we get back feel free to drop by and let us show you our barista skills...

- Ryan -