London - Our new home!

We fly from Venice into Stansted airport where we change from being poor hungry backpackers to being picked up by our own private driver whos holding an ipad with our names on it! What a great way to end our trip. Thanks to Peter Nickerson and his connections. We get driven to Peters friends house in Wandsworth where we have this amazing little 3 story english style house. You look at it from the outside and think it would be maybe a split level apartment then once you enter that front door you are thrown by how big it is. It was newly renovated Huge lounge room WITH A TV IN ENGLISH!! and a huge dining room and kitchen and has a little court yard/backyard. The second level had two bedrooms and a bathroom (with a bath that we couldnt wait to use) the third level was split but had a bedroom with two single beds and up a couple of stairs was the double bedroom and bathroom. We were given the choice of the top room or the room with two singles but even after 4months of being with each other 24/7 we opted on the bedroom with the double bed and we shared the bed. We are definately know each other really well now.

We spent the next four days here while we looked for a place to live and a job. Whilst staying here we visited the London eye and got to go on it for free thanks to Rachaels connections :) then we went to big ben and watched changing of the guards at buckingham palace.

We then moved into our house in Clapham right behind clapham common tube stop . GREAT location and even better the girls we met travelling Amie and Tess live either in clapham or balham so we are walking distance between each other . We both started working almost straight away in office jobs and life felt normal after settling in.

If your thinking are the girls not sick of each other yet? or how do they handle each other 24/7? Well heres the answer to that. We live in the same house in fact the same bedroom actually in the same double bed which we share. We have lived in each others pockets probably for the last year. Before we moved overseas we were always hanging out and then we lived in the same hostels for the next 4 months and now we share a bed. We dont fight , we laugh all the time and pretty sure I've slighty turned Sally into a boy haha All my bad habits rub off on her and hers rub off on me... like I now read books????? yep 5-6 pages a night before bed and in that time Sal has read 5-6 chapters. We both miss each other so much when we arent together that we text or email all day whilst at work even though we both know we will be seeing each other at home in maybe a longest period of 8 hours. We talk about everything and anything and still dont get sick of each other. So if we werent ridiculously close before we definately are now!

Since being in London we have met heaps of amazing people and have been to some great clubs and bars and YES even the church! We live across the road from infernos so can confirm we have stumbled home from there a time or two. We've had swilks come and stay with us and now we have lauren staying with us until her place is ready and its been amazing the whole time we've been here.

We've been to camden markets and borough markets  and we went and celebrated with fireworks for guy fawks night. We say things like 'You Aeright?' which every english person says and every aussie replies yeah fine why? hahaha.

But so far so good . We love it here and love the people we have met and the experiences we have had.


We cant wait to begin our next adventure together in late 2012 and Im sure we will see you all very soon to fill you in on how everything is and what we have done.

Will update the blog once our travels begin again very soon.

Venice - Gondola rides, Canals, Wine and a Blossomed Romance.

Our last stop is Venice. Its sad that our trip is coming to an end but we know that this wont be the last of it so its ok for now.
Where to start with Venice.

It took us about an hour of walking the streets and lugging our bags up and over 5-10 bridges to find our hostel. It was this random little house at the top of a shop where we stayed in the attic. It was quite cosy and sweet but not the easiest of places to find.

The first night we went out for dinner with our group from busabout and walked around the city for a mini walking tour to kind of get our bearings. (Im pretty sure people that live there still get lost) We went to a nice little italian restaurant off one of the main squares where we enjoyed a few glasses of wine and some pasta before saying goodbye to our fellow busabouters as this was our last stop :(
The next morning we got up early and went on a romantic gondola ride. Everyone always says we act like a couple and now I guess you can say we are officially a couple. We held hands while sailing through the canals of venice.

The man that steered our boat was smoking hot and spoke very little english. PITY! haha
After our romantic gondola ride we went shopping and bought the famous murano glass. We strolled through the streets and had a delicious meal by the canal for lunch and dinner and then had an early night as we had an early get up to get to the airport for the flight back to london where we will begin our new lives as a defacto relationship. hahaha

OKTOBERFEST - PROST

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHjj9o-xqQg&feature=related Traditional song we sung in oktoberfest . Means Cheers and to drink.

We arrived in Munich for the closing week of Oktoberfest. Where to begin.

As soon as we were all checked in we went on a hunt for Dirndls. Yes we were going to be dressing up for the next two days as German Beer Maids. We bought our costumes which makes you feel like you cant breath it compresses your chest so much. We got back to our hostel and decided to try our entire outfit on. Who would have thought something could go wrong?? Well I put my dress on and BOOM the zipper on the front of my chest bursts and rips off. My dress is now no longer wearable and my boobs are hanging out everywhere! What a disaster. Sally and I quickly get changed and run down to the shop to complain we were sold dodgy dresses. He refused to give us a refund until we complained enough that he gave me a new dress.  Thank god for that.

That night we headed out for dinner at this awesome little mexican bar. The best mexican we've ever had and it was in Munich? Who would have thought ey? We had huge delicious burritos and eyed off all the cocktails being made but decided we'd save ourselves for the big day ahead of us tomorrow. We organise a time to meet everyone at the Beer tents so we get a table and head off to bed for an early night and early rise.

8am the alarm goes off and up we got to get dressed and ready for a big day of drinking steins. We met the boys and went to the beer tents at 10 am. First tent we went to was Hoffbrau tent. The Beer Wench could carry 10 steins at a time . It was crazy she must have huge muscles and strength. Sally and I both ordered Raddlers which is half lemonade and half Beer. This was our first beer we have ever had in our lives and now we know why. It took me 2 hours to finish a litre of the stuff and about 20 trips to the toilet. Sally took about an hour and tried not to break the seal but when you gotta go you gotta go. After the first went down the next few went down a little too easy. Before we knew it, it was the afternoon and we had drank 4 steins . Sally met an asian/german man that fell in love with her... or her breasts not sure which one but he still fell in love with her and bought her a heart shaped gingerbread cookie saying "SWEET SEX BOMB" this was a laugh for us all as he then wouldnt leave us alone all day until one of the boys got angry cause he was annoying and getting drunk and made him leave our table. We moved out to the outside table and had a pork knuckle. Who would have thought I would have eaten a pork knuckle.... but yes I did.. and probably would have eaten veggies too the state we were in. The pork was delicious and so tender was by far the best pork we'd ever had and not to mention the amazing crackling.

That night we hit the dance floor for some drunken singalong songs and a few PROSTS! We strolled home around 11pm as we knew we had to back it up the next day.

The next day we were up and at it at 10am. We went to Lowenbrau tent and the beer was delicious. We loved it there. Music was great and we met up with Amie and Tess and were sat on a table with German guys so we got to see what its like for a local to go. We got really drunk and danced on the tables and sung all day and night. Was the best day and night! Sally went on some rides with David our tour guide from ibiza but soon to be boyfriend. Then we headed home around 1-2am. The 8am bus ride is not looking good the next day.

Next day we were up early and running to maccas to fill our need of any type of greasy hangover cure. But sad that we are coming to the end of an amazing adventure and life experience.

Vienna - The place with the biggest Schnitzel we've ever seen!!

We arrived in Vienna on a Saturday night and did a walking tour through the city, where I'm pretty sure none of us listened as we were starving. At the end of the walking tour we went to a pub and had a massive pork schnitzel . Seriously though it was the size of a dinner plate and came with salad and french fries and apple strudel for desert. It was huge. The waitress spoke very little english so when Sally and I were trying to order a vodka apple she brought out a bottle of water because apparently Vodka with an australian accent sounds like water?? either that or she was trying to hint we shouldnt be drinking alcohol. Was really frustrating.

After dinner we walked with our group to the Travel Shack. The travel shack is a bar made for backpackers, by backpackers we mean australian travellors as it sold meat pies , vegemite (ridiculously priced ofcourse) and australian beers. This bar is famous for its shot challenge. If you complete the challenge you get to write your names on the walls or roof . WOW BRING PRIZES!! haha The challenge was a shot on fire in your mouth, Sally got covered in cinnamon all over her face and chest (was hilarious!) , the 2nd shot was the Snuff shot. Which is a type of menthol tobacco which is snorted up your nose then a little brush tickles your nose and then you scull the shot and the 3rd was a beer bong. Sally completed the first shot but for once I was a responsible drinker and said no. We had delicious Apple Strudel cocktails which were amazing!! so dam delicious!

After a few too many drinks we looked around the room to see if we knew any names on the wall and there was a huge tile covered in matt nicko, tom rowland, ben ghislain and mitch nashs name on the wall. Good work boys!!! Definately ticked all those boxes.

The next day was a sunday so everything was closed but we walked up to a palace which we didnt pay to go into but we walked around this huge garden that had a zoo in it and a huge water feature and a maze. It was awesome and the weather was great. On our way home we stopped into a Swarofski shop and Sally bought a necklace. That night we headed out for dinner and then headed to bed for an early night.

The next day we went to the Swarofski factory in the city and bought a few too many things.We then spent the day shopping as the shops were huge and amazing and also went to the old historic church in the city. That night we went out for a big schnitzel in the markets across from where we were staying and then to bed as we were getting the bus to Oktoberfest the next day!! CANT WAIT!!!!