Trip dates: Jun 29, 2023 - Oct 19, 2023
A memoryA near 4 month trip through Europe with Ericka and Jaxon. Amazing!
Trip activity
On our way
After months of planning, visa applications, hours spent on Expedia, AirBNB and various other booking sites we are leaving Adelaide for the adventure of a lifetime!
Leaving KL already
We made it to KL and our little man is already sleeping. Here's to a quiet flight to Istanbul!
Istanbul Airport
Istanbul airport is very impressive and we found a quiet spot for an expensive coffee.
Welcome to Europe Ericka and Jaxon!
Arrived safe and sound in Vienna after over 29 hours of travel. We're all tired but really really excited too!
District 1 in Vienna
It's been great to walk around District 1 and enjoy the malls and architecture. The people here are so friendly, every time we look a little lost somebody asks if we need anything! haha
St Stephen'sย Cathedral was very impressive although Jaxon started yelling all his planet names at the top of his lunch while a service was being run ๐คฃ
Museums Quarter (MQ)
Walking around the museum's quarter and getting a questionable history from Ate Rose. Luckily we met up with Alen later to correct all the misinformation.
The twin palaces were amazing; imagineย building matching palaces just to stop two sons from arguing?
A day at the Vienna Zoo
The Vienna Zoo is one of the oldest and biggest zoos in Europe. The exhibits were great and Jaxon had a great day!
Bundesbald Alte donau
We visited Alen's work today for a chilled afternoon by the river. I hadn't realised that this part of Vienna was artificial, it was built on the ruins of past wars.
A train ride away from Budapest
We left Vienna and after a short train trip arrived in Budapest, where we met up with Lorant and walked around town.
Budapest has captured Ericka's heart with it's clean streets and beautifulย architecture.
Shoes on the Danube Bank
The Shoes on the Danube Bank is a memorial constructed in 2005 to honor the Jews who were massacred by fascist Hungarian militia in Budapest during the Second World War.
I hadn't realised that soย many of the Jews killed in the holocaust were Hungarian. It's a terrible part of our humanity's history.
Little walk to grab a coffee
We're enjoying our time in Budapest and I'm especially enjoying the coffee!
Buda castle and more walking!
So Jaxon and I got sick! We were so unwell that we hadn't left the apartment and after a chat with Lorant and a kind offer, we decided to extend our stay and crash on their couch!
We've reallyย enjoyed the extended days and time with Lorant.
We had a day with Lorant walking around the city and surrounding areas. This is such a beautiful place โค๏ธ
On our way to Cluj Romania
Our time in Budapest has unfortunately come to an end but we're excited for the next step on our adventure. 8 hours on a train to Cluj, Romania!
The train trip was its only adventure with an on/offย AC, fights at the Hungarian / Romanian border, and a little random chaos ๐ but we got there
A day in Cluj
Well we were picked up by Uncle Bogdan and have spent the day exploring the coffee shops, parks and country side. Romania is as beautiful as I remember it and we're impressed with Cluj and itsย food/coffee culture!
More fun in Cluj
We have been loving spending time with Bogdan and enjoying the coffee and treats at Acadeea
Building a candie bar for Acadeea
This morning I helped Acadeea set up a candy bar for a wedding. It's surprisingly nerve-wracking putting all the tasty-looking cakes and sweets together for the wedding while not even eatingย anything...
Lunch on the lake with Uncle Bogdan
Uncle Bogdan picked us all up and took us for a scenic, tasty lunch for the lake
Szerelyko Kuria - Conacul Secuiesc
We were again toured around by Bogdan and he took us to the most amazing spot for dinner.
Cluj has captured our hearts
Jaxon's connections with Bogdan and Gia was just beautiful and I even got to catch up with other colleagues like Horea
Onwards to Manchester
Our time in Romania has sadly come to an end. Jaxon made amazing connections with Bogdan and Gia, it was lovely to watch.
We left Cluj and our first of two stops on our way to Aberdeen was back inย Istanbul where we accidently spent $80AUD on Burger Kingโฆ. PRO TIP always check the conversions even if you're super hungry!
Ericka was let into the UK
A short trip in Manchester and a lot of waiting around. It's a pretty chaotic airport and security is really keen on holding everybody up between insisting on every little bad having its own tray andย letting Jaxon play with the X-ray machines.
Aberdeen we are here โค๏ธ
We have officially arrived in Aberdeen, Scotland and are excited to connect with Alan, Vanessa, Chloe and Jasmine!
Family time with the Gordan's
It's been great to spend time with the Gordan's again; it almost feels like we're back in Manila meeting every week for coffee!
Amazingly the kids have been getting along so well, Chloe's being veryย patient and kind to Jaxon.
Scones and coffee
Off to Edinburgh for the day
On our way to Edinburgh for a little day trip. Ericka nearly set off the fire alarm in the first class lounge too. How fun!? haha
Day trip to Edinburgh
Really cool city! We definitely should have spent a night or two here but it was last minute and the accommodation was just insanely expensive (400 pounds for a hostel bed type expensive)
Jaxon lovedย the museum, especially the animals and of course space section!
Urquhart Castle and the Loch Ness
Of course, we needed to see more castles and Urquhart was a great place to visit. As hard as I looked I didn't find the Loch Ness monster.
Castle Frasier
Today we get to have a drive around; I booked a car rental and did some driving with the Gordan's in their own car.
Was nice to drive again after a month+ although why are the indicators on the leftย side of the steering weel? Especially given the number of roundabouts in the country haha
Balmoral
Another driving day and Balmoral was our first stop. An amazing spot and the gardens are beautiful. Ericka was imagining herself in "The Crown" for a little bit ๐ธ๐ป
Stonehaven
Next stop was the coastal town of Stonehaven. We really take our beaches in Adelaide for granted haha
What has been amazing so far is that the weather here in Scotland has been absolutely perfect forย us!
Itโs good to be back in London
We caught the train from Aberdeen to London and there's something about London that is hard to put into words for me. It feels so good to be back and exploring the South Bank area with Ericka, Jaxonย and the Gordan's for a few days!
Buckingham palace
Ericka's "The Crown" tour continues with a visit to Buckingham Palace. It's so good to be walking around long again
British museum
It's started to rain a little but that wont dampen our moods! We caught the tube to the British Museum and had a walk around. There was people absolutely everywhere which is a challenge with twoย strollers but we made the best of the situation.
I was really interested in the Rosetta Stone that was on display; this find was largely responsible for what we know of the Egyptian language that we know today. Amazing history ๐ฟ
Around London
More walking and a quick-fire snapshot of London from the London Eye to Big Ben to Trafalgar Square and more.
I have been especially surprised at the cost of living since my last visit. It feels likeย everything is double the price as it would be in Australia. It does make me wonder how locals are surviving on a minimum salary when a coffee is 5 pounds (of course coffee is my financial measuring stick โ๏ธ)
London eye
Every time I have visited London I've thought of doing the London Eye experience but was always put off by the queue and the cost.
This time is different because we're travelling as a family and Iย wanted Ericka to enjoy her time so we decided to just do it. Unfortunately we had some rain so the view was somewhat limited but still amazing.
Natural history museum
Today is for the kids (and me) but starts with a trip to the Natural History museum. We went along with the Gordan's but that didn't last long as Chloe bolted as soon as we got inside haha
Jaxonย enjoyed the dinosaur exhibits and robotics so much and the mammal section too.
Science museum
Second stop was the Science museum but unfortunately we didn't get past the space exploration area haha Jaxon was just in absolute heaven with the large planet display - ensuring that everybody aroundย knew what planet, moon or star was being displayed the whole time.
The White Hart
There was absolutely no way we were going to visit London and not have a pub meal! Ericka found this cool little pub around the corner and the meal was great.
The beer was questionable (room temp forย starters) but loved being there with my family for sure.
Grandaaaaaad! Nonnnna!!!!
Yesterday we left London and caught the train out to Clacton-on-Sea where I have family (that I've never met). Most importantly though; this is where we will connect with Grandad, Nonna and Nannaย โค๏ธ
This day we surprised Jaxon and had an amazing moment where he saw Grandad and Nonna as we walked past a cafe.
Relaxing with family
This part of the trip is all about family; I'm excited to meet this side of the family because I've heard stories and names but haven't had the opportunity to meet them.
I am struggling a little withย the coffee so far though haha
Visiting family in Maldon
Got to visit our family in Maldon; such a cute town and a great spot for a garden coffee and treat
Hide and seek and other games
Jaxon loved meeting his cousins and learning how to play hide and seek! Was so special to see all the kids running around together.
Didnโt quite make it to Rome
Today we left the UK and made our way to Rome, Italy. It was just special to meet the family; I have always loved my time in the UK in the past but I can say that I have a much stronger connection toย my roots there now. I hope to get back and spend more time with the family in the future.
Jaxon nearly made it to Rome but crashed with about 30 minutes to land.
Chrisโs walking tour of Rome part 1
I was so excited to get back to Rome and even though we only had one day there I wanted Ericka to experience as much as possible so I planned a walking tour to hit all the importantย spots.
Chrisโs walking tour of Rome part 2
We finished off our walking tour and Ericka really enjoyed herself (I hope)
Quick trip to the Vatican
We just had to include a visit to the Vatican on the walking tour; another country for Ericka to visit but we will need to return and spend more time.
Loving Rome; even if just for a day
Ohhhh my coffee... thank goodness โ๏ธ๐
Our first stop in Sicily is Palermo ๐
After a fast-tracked, tiring visit to Rome we caught the overnight train from Rome to Palermo.
We had a little trouble with Google Maps taking us to a "shortcut" that resulting in some very roughย cobblestone roads for our luggage and stroller ๐งณ
Palermo is amazing though; it has already captured Ericka's stomach as the seafood is calling to her ๐
Agrigento
Our next stop in Sicily is Agrigento; it's a bit of a sleepy town but the Apartment was really cool and the town is lovely.
Still enjoying the coffee and the food is good (when it's open). We'reย learning fast that Sunday's are just not good days to be exploring a city/town in Italy haha everything's closed.
Valley of the Temples
A short bus trip from Agrigento is the Vally of the Temples; you can almost feel the history here. It's an amazing site and we were fortunate to do our tour during dusk; it was just beautiful!
Jaxonย slept through 90% though haha
Arrived in Catania
Catania is a very big city in Sicily and we found a great 3EUR pizza! I had mine with pistachio which was a first.
Castelmola and Taormina
We caught the train for Catania to visit the coastal towns of Castelmola and Taormina. We could see how this has become a holiday location for the rich and famous, unfortunately we're neitherย haha
Great spot and wonderful scenery
Overnight in Reggio Calabria
We are now officially on the mainland and no longer in Sicily. A short ferri and we have an overnight in Reggio Calabria on our way to Bari; a cool little town and Jaxon enjoyed a playground we foundย too.
Getting work done on our way to Bari
Something that hasn't really been mentioned so far is that this is a working holiday for me; I have been working early morning and in the evenings while we've been travelling and it's been rough atย times. You can see me here sneaking in a couple of hours of work while the opportunity was there ๐จ๐ผโ๐ป
Bari is a nice city so far
After some drama with our AirBNB yesterday having an unsafe staircase and having to find alternative accommodation weโre all settled here for a few days.
It's a really cool city and the food andย coffee is as great as expected!
Stroll around Bari
Ericka is in love! Seafood everywhere is making her hungry 24/7 - unfortunately the same can't be said for Dad and myself who struggle with seafood at times haha
Sassi di Matera
Sassi di Matera was once known as the shame of Italy due to the amount of poverty witnessed there but it is now one the biggest tourist attractions and UNESCO-listed sites.
The Sassi originate from aย prehistoric troglodyte settlement and are suspected to be among the first human settlements in Italy. There is evidence that people were living here as early as the year 7000 BC.
Unfortunately, due to the steps Ericka and Jaxon missed out on this part of the trip so I made sure to take a lot of photos for her.
Trulli di Alberobello
The origins of Trulli di Alberobello are really interesting. The signature houses were originally designed to avoid a Roman tax on residential establishments by making the look "uninhabitable".
Day trip to Lecce
We caught the train to Lecce and it was a really cool city. It was nice to explore the town and sites. Jaxon made more friends as well; it's really cool how kids can work out their differences andย have fun irrespective of background or native language.
Last night in Bari ๐จ
We loved our time in Bari; it is such a cool city and the coffee and gelato has been positively addictive hahaOf course we needed to finish up with a walk around and a gelato ๐
Naplesโฆ crazy but cool
We have arrived in the famous Naples and it's been a little shock.
We survived a taxi trip through the city; and I quote "stop looking at me, look at the road" and walked around the city. There'sย something comforting in knowing that I can stop anytime for an espresso or macchiato at a bar and know that it will be good ๐
The food is amazing and the sites are great as well but the crowds are not very empathetic when you have a stroller and I think that my neck is going to sore from all my *tut tut tut* *shake head* combined with the cobblestone paths and crazy scooter drivers it feels like we're always on edge haha
Naples Porto
We walked down the Naples Port and explored some sites of this huge chaotic city
Top of Naples <3
It's our last night in Naples already and we had to check out the view from the top of the hill. We caught the funicular (cable car) to the top of Naples and was rewarded with these spectacular views!
Ischia
Our second Italian island, we have arrived in Ischia; a holiday destination full of the expected cobblestone paths we've grown to expect on this trip.
Procida
Another short ferry trip and we're exploring Procida which claims to have the most beautiful port in the World."Self praise isn't praise at all"
We've arrived in Tivoli
The home of the best gelato in the World as tested and voted by me!
Thermal pools
We spent the afternoon relaxing at the smelly but refreshing thermal pools. It's a thing to do apparently ๐คช
Villa Gregoriana
We took a bus to Tivoli itself and visited Villa Gregoriana, a beautiful waterful surrounded by relaxing gardens. It was a good workout for everyone and Jaxon was so good walking down and up again for most of the adventure.
Hopefully this means that we don't always need to bring the stroller with us going forwards?
Hadrians Villa
Another short bus from Tivoli and we are at Hadrian's Villa. It has a lot of history and ruins to explore... amazing
Villa DโEsta
Another stop on the days outing to the garden of 100 fountains and they weren't exaggerating! Beautiful gardens and Jaxon loves the drinking water fountains because the water is so clean and cold.
Arezzo our newest place we could live
What a pretty city and has captured Ericka's wallet - the shopping looks amazing!
Florence
This morning I got up early and caught the train to Florence so that I could get some work done before meeting up with Ericka, Jaxon, Grandad & Nonna later.
Florence is definitely one of the culturalย centers of Italy and you can feel the buzz when you're walking around.
Pisa
When we decided that we were going to Italy again, one of my "must-do" items was to visit the Tower of Pisa and it was great to see this historical site.
Is this the most celebrated engineering errorย is history?
Lucca a fortified town that feels cozy
Oh my, what another great location. Lucca is a fortified town with a rich history.
We were surprised at the number of American tourists here; they seemed to outnumber the locals.
La Spezia and day trips
Another coastal city La Spezia was a very scenic city and we had a couple of day trips out to see some of the scenic spots as well.
Milan! ๐
Milan was another city that I missed on my last Italian trip so was excited it was on the itinerary for this one. We only spent a couple of nights but I enjoyed the energy of the city and definitelyย want to visit again in the future and spend more time.
The trip is starting to feel like it's rushing to the end at this point; we're only here in Italy for a few more days ๐ญ
St Moritz
I don't know that I've ever seen such a pretty scene or expensive little town haha we caught a bus up through the Swiss Alps and were very excited to arrive in St Moritz.
Looking forward to the trainย trip back to Milan though!
Wowwww I am speechless
The Bernina Express left us all speechless. We were lucky that it had snowed 2 days earlier so we managed to capture the alps with their snow caps.
We were left wanting more of Switzerland though;ย another location on our list to explore more in the future!
Day trip around Milan
It is our last day in Milan and we are taking the opportunity to explore the city, duomo, and the famous cemetery.
There were sculptures in the cemetery that would not have looked out of place inย Victoria Square. The craftsmanship and beauty are such a contrast to the morbid nature of a cemetery.
A night in Venice
Unfortunately, we only have time for one trip into Venice on this adventure. We couldn't be so close without exploring though and the beautiful canals and buildings really made Ericka smile!
Not aย bad way to wind up this European adventure though; tomorrow we leave for our visit to the Philippines! We're excited to settle into a routine and spend time with the Filipino family there ๐
Istanbul on our way to Philippines
We're part way there already and Turkish Airlines has been great. They gave Jaxon this little pilots hat and while it's not an astronauts helmet it's a good first step!
One night in Malaysia
There's something about Malaysia that will always resonate with my heart. I have a lot of history here; it was the first country I visited outside of Australia and I lived and made many friends thereย when I was younger. Maybe more than all of that; I miss the food! haha
We just stayed near the airport this time as we need to be back at the airport around lunch time but it still feels nice to be back!
Family time in Lipa
We arrived safe and sound in the Philippines and I made some rookie mistakes on this trip!
1. I booked a hotel connected to Terminal 3 thinking we could just walk using the connecting bridge BUTย since booking all of this Philippines airlines swapped from T3 to T1 - meaning we couldn't walk. That left us fighting with taxi drivers who wanted to scam us and waiting for a Grab driver to accept our request. After nearly 2hrs we made it to the hotel
2. I cancelled my alarm and slept in; we were only woken up by the hotel staff calling to ask us to leave haha
3. We trusted that we could arrange transport on the day without realizing that Grab no longer operates outside of Manila. That left us with a very expensive option of paying for a Grab and then negotiating to pay them in cash to take us all the way to Lipa.
4. I booked a nice house but didn't realise how far out of town it was. The host was also very unwilling to compromise on house rules so it did leave us feeling a little isolated.
In saying all of that; it was great seeing Jaxon spending time with his aunties and cousins!
Officially 100 Days on our trip โจ
What an amazing time we've had so far as we pass the 100 day point of this once in a lifetime adventure!
BGC we meet again!
We have now moved from Lipa to BGC and I feel like I'm back to civilization! I can walk around and explore the city without worrying about trikes and we can push Jaxon around in the stroller too!
Awesome Motive meetup
Today I met up with the Thrive Themes / Awesome Motive team at St Louis for a coffee and some churros.Was great to meet the team to spend some time with them and also to gift them some AM kit that I had arranged for them.
Family fun in BGC
Jaxon is really enjoying his time with the family especially his lovely Aunty Iris
It's beautiful to watch
These connections he has made despite not seeing his Filipino family members for two years is heart warming. It makes us all happy to witness and you can just feel the love that every freely offers him ๐ฅฐ
Time with Aunty Iris โค๏ธ
Our last night in town is of course spent with Aunty Iris. We're happy to have you in our lives and a part of our family
Our final step home
We get to spend another night in KL but this time we stayed in the city. Took Ericka to explore Bukit Bintang and KLCC. Of course we must take the typical tourist photo ๐
Meeting another brother on our trip
Today we got to spend a little time (not enough) with Razlan which was great. It's amazing to think of everything each of us has done since I lived in KL and we hung out weekly playing cards!
Weโre home
After 114 days, 12 countries, countless friends made or met, amazing moments with family, and a lifetime of memories for us all, we are home.
We all have mixed feelings about our return but we areย grateful for the opportunity we've had to take this trip and are happy to be home and able to settle back into a routine.
