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Holiday Thread 2012


zander

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Sounds like burgers, french fries (aka chips) and huge bowl fulls of Momma's apple pie....

 

 

How will that fit in with training to climb your mountain?

well a wee weeks off training will be ok.... altho i have packed my running stuff... up early morning running every morning (weel thats the plan)

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I love Melbourne. It's a great place to visit, particularly because it has everything Perth doesn't have and vice-versa. I could never live there though. There are no beaches (you cannot call St. Kilda beach, a proper beach!) and the weather is crap. It's certainly an atypical Australian city and it's something the Victorians wear as a badge of honour. In my experience Victorians definitely look down their nose at the rest of Australia.

 

That being said, there's a bit more culture in Melbourne than the rest of Oz, and as good bar, nightlife, restaurant scene as any major city I've ever visited. You need a bit of local knowledge to source the best places, but I'm sure your friend can sort you out with that. The city is famous for it's laneways and cafes/pubs tucked away out of sight... but there is also heaps going on in various suburbs. My favourites are St. Kilda, Richmond and Fitzroy. Carlton has a fair bit going on too and Lygon St has some of the best Italian food you'll find outside of Italy!

 

My favourite thing about Mebourne is the sports... a visit to the MCG would be in order, however, as LGIR says, you just miss the footie season and it's too early for the cricket too! Also, you have the Grand Prix, Aus Open tennis and the Melbourne Cup at Flemington race course. However none of this during October!

 

If you are there for a while, I'd suggest organising a wine tour through the Yarra valley. Also, I'm told a tour through the Great Ocean Road is also brilliant. There are organised tours, which will take you away for a few days, or you could rent a car yourself. I've never done it myself, but I'm told, by anyone who's ever visited Victoria, that this is a particular highligh.

 

Great summary particularly about food and drink options. Also try Southbank and there's a pretty vibrant live music scene. Recommend going to the Espy hotel on a Sunday in St Kilda and watching the world go by. Worth the drive down the Great Ocean Road-spectacular. Personall I think it's one of the best cities in the world. Enjoy!

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I want to move to Barcelona. Has anyone ever stayed outside the city (say half an hour or so out)? I'd love to go and stay somewhere and get a real sense of what it would be like living there with commuting into the city and things. Plus, I'd really love a holiday! Taking in an espanyol game doesn't sound too bad either!

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When in Barca, go to Parc Guell. Just do it. Then go to La Sagrada Familia. That's a day that will blow your mind.

That's one of the reasons I want to live there. Absolutely gorgeous! We were over about a year and a half ago and I just didn't want to leave. The severe culture change was amazing and I couldn't believe how much art was embraced and encouraged. This is the first time I've really narrowed down where I'd like to shift to but they're in an absolute hole at the moment work wise. We shouldn't be moving for a good few years but I want to know if it's even worth looking into financially and get some sort of timescale.

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just booked flights to go to london for a long weekend next year, just wondering if people can give me advice on hotels and hotel locations as i have never been!

 

thanks in advance

 

Stayed at the Cavendish a couple months ago when I was down. Bang in the centre of town. Decent hotel too.

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<br />That's one of the reasons I want to live there. Absolutely gorgeous! We were over about a year and a half ago and I just didn't want to leave. The severe culture change was amazing and I couldn't believe how much art was embraced and encouraged. This is the first time I've really narrowed down where I'd like to shift to but they're in an absolute hole at the moment work wise. We shouldn't be moving for a good few years but I want to know if it's even worth looking into financially and get some sort of timescale.<br />
Barcelona's great, was there last month and was still in 30's, so pretty decent beaches too. Was Catalunyan Independence day, something like 2 million folk marching down the street I was staying on, class.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thank you for all your advice re: Melbourne.

Got back yesterday and had an amazing time, my first trip to Oz and already planning to return in July.

I think I got through all of your recommendations. I did manage to attend a sporting event - BMW Caufield Cup. I loved it. I've always wanted to go to the races and I really enjoyed it. I did the Great Ocean Road which I also enjoyed although I paid extra for a helicopter flight which was a waste of money. Seeing Loch Ard gorge and London Bridge from the ground was stunning and much better. Went to Sydney for a few days but just did all the main tourist stuff there.

I loved the Aussie way of life. My mate stays on the Mornington Peninsula about an hour away from the CBD. It seems everyone has a detached home it seems in the suburbs and lovely garden. And she was close to the beach.

I was a bit anxious about all the poisonous insects and the likes but didn't see anything of any worth really. We had a lizard in my mate's bathroom, came across washed up puffer fish (wouldn't like to stand on one of them) on the beach and I shit myself walking back to my mates in the dark when I came across a possum. More so because I didn't know what it was when I seen it.

In July I'm hoping to go up north and maybe to Perth to visit friends. Bloody expensive place to visit though.

 

Nothing abroad for me booked now but I've a weekend in Gleneagles and a weekend in London over the next month or so.

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just booked flights to go to london for a long weekend next year, just wondering if people can give me advice on hotels and hotel locations as i have never been!

 

thanks in advance

 

I stayed in Greenwich when I was down a few weeks back, Novotel hotel, was right next door to a tube station, couldn't recommend it enough, Greenwich is a really nice area and Central London is not far away, you can even take a boat from Greenwich into the centre. It was a good bit cheaper than similar hotels in central London.

 

Book a 2 day open topped bus tour, really worth it, includes free river cruise as well, book before you go for best deals, great way to see London.

 

http://www.bigbustours.com/eng/london/custompage.aspx?id=london_sightseeing_tour&gclid=

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Aye the Royale we're going to mate. Good to hear :thumbup1: Any recommendations? Also what's in the free mini bar in the room? I plan on doing my best to empty it everyday :cheers:

 

The place is massive btw! So you might be in a different spot from us.

 

It was a beer called tecate that was in the mini bar. Was very nice. I had a couple of coronas over there and they didnt compare to any of the other Mexican beers available. There was soft drinks as well, but no spirits. However, that's not really an issue when you see the options at the bars!

 

Try all the restaurants - the Asian one is superb, but very popular. The one near a pool (I forget its name) did excellent Mexican food at lunch time.

 

I found a couple of dollars to the waiter early on the beach/pool resulted in constant attention...

 

We went into cancun ourselves one day to see what it was like. Quite enjoyed it. Food was great in the couple of places we found. We also went on a tour to see the ruins...it was not that great a tour and was a 12 day.

 

I'll have a think re anything else and let you know

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The place is massive btw! So you might be in a different spot from us.

 

It was a beer called tecate that was in the mini bar. Was very nice. I had a couple of coronas over there and they didnt compare to any of the other Mexican beers available. There was soft drinks as well, but no spirits. However, that's not really an issue when you see the options at the bars!

 

Try all the restaurants - the Asian one is superb, but very popular. The one near a pool (I forget its name) did excellent Mexican food at lunch time.

 

I found a couple of dollars to the waiter early on the beach/pool resulted in constant attention...

 

We went into cancun ourselves one day to see what it was like. Quite enjoyed it. Food was great in the couple of places we found. We also went on a tour to see the ruins...it was not that great a tour and was a 12 day.

 

I'll have a think re anything else and let you know

 

Cheers for the info. Aye looks massive, I heard there are wee guys in golf carts going about the place and will you up and run you about? Is there anything near the hotel, shops etc?

 

Yeah we are going to Cancun for a night. Staying at the newly opened Riu Palace Peninsula, looks class.

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Cheers for the info. Aye looks massive, I heard there are wee guys in golf carts going about the place and will you up and run you about? Is there anything near the hotel, shops etc?

 

Yeah we are going to Cancun for a night. Staying at the newly opened Riu Palace Peninsula, looks class.

 

There didnt really appear to be any shops nearby. Seemed to be a massively long road with loads of huge hotels tbh. i might have missed something though. A couple of wee shops on site, but sell mostly tat and your must haves like sun cream and such. Cancun wasn't far though if you are wanting to get some shopping done.

 

Yeah, there is guys zipping about on golf carts and longer things offering lifts. There are 'bus stops' dotted about where you can jump on...

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