Another OW J Round the World Trip
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yld200
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Time for some food shots!
Here are some of the home made spreads we had.
Turkish food is delicious, breakfasts typically consist of some grilled capsicum or peppers, fresh tomato, cucumber, even chips, honey with butter and of course cay. The white plate is a dish called manti, which is like the Turkish equivalent of pasta but in a yogurt sauce, sometimes the little pasta dumplings are filled with meat.
Some other traditional Turkish dishes consist of grilled meat, such as doner, kofte, adana or kebab. They also have a dish called lahmacun, which is a thin pizza with a spicy meat or veggie topping - all delicious. We ate out a few times, mainly eating doner dishes but I didn't really get a lot of photos.
Another stable is simit, which is similar to a bagel and topped with sesame seeds.
Lets not leave out coffee and desserts
Here are some of the home made spreads we had.
Turkish food is delicious, breakfasts typically consist of some grilled capsicum or peppers, fresh tomato, cucumber, even chips, honey with butter and of course cay. The white plate is a dish called manti, which is like the Turkish equivalent of pasta but in a yogurt sauce, sometimes the little pasta dumplings are filled with meat.
Some other traditional Turkish dishes consist of grilled meat, such as doner, kofte, adana or kebab. They also have a dish called lahmacun, which is a thin pizza with a spicy meat or veggie topping - all delicious. We ate out a few times, mainly eating doner dishes but I didn't really get a lot of photos.
Another stable is simit, which is similar to a bagel and topped with sesame seeds.
Lets not leave out coffee and desserts
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yld200
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Thanks all, heaps more to report
Turkey is a very interesting place, there is so much to see and experience both on east and west sides. I definitely want to see more in the future.
yld200
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There are both positives and negatives to the lease arrangements. One of the main things for us was that we wanted to have the freedom of being able to drive where we wanted, when we wanted. I looked at many rental agencies and many of them didn't allow their vehicles to be driven into Bosnia which was a must for us whereas the Renault insurance covered all of the countries we wanted to go into.
The cost was a little more than getting a standard rental for the same period of time but it ticked all the boxes we wanted without having to get extra insurance, worry about issues across borders and have your vehicle type confirmed.
yld200
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After 5 nights in Ankara it was time to fly to London Heathrow...
We did another ESB-IST flight with TK and nothing much to report here, very similar flight to the flight down. Snack was served and again everyone tries to get out of the plane as soon it touches down.
We did the 15 minute walk over to the international terminal after collecting our bags and checked in using the priority lane where we were given our invites to the Millennium lounge. After clearing a busy immigration and security line we made our way through the chaos of the terminal to the lounge. I was amazed at how busy the terminal was, people everywhere.
The lounge wasn't as busy and had decent drink and food options. There was soup and a hot rice / curry dish which was nice, the buffet also had salad options, dips and a selection of desserts. No toilet in the lounge though, just a short walk across the hallway if you needed to go.
I spotted a guy laying down on a counter / ledge area having a snooze and tried to take a snap as I walked by - sorry for the quality.
A boarding announcement was made and we made our way to the gate which took around 5 minutes. At the gate they were performing additional security screening of every passenger which was a slow process. They went through everyone's bags, patted people down, checked sizes of power banks and if they didn't fit within their little size guide they were being checked in. Same for any ipads or laptops - they were all being taken from carry on and checked in which was upsetting a lot of pax.
We eventually boarded BA679 and took our seats in Club Europe row 5. What a disappointment this was...
It's an economy row of seats with the middle seat blocked out and a tray / bench in its place - Leg room is non-existent.
It was 19/20 in J and one crew member completing service in business. There were no pre-departure drinks served but a drink and cashews were handed out shortly after take-off.
Menus handed out below:
I was looking forward to trying the beef cheek option but this was all gone by the time row 3 was served so it was chicken for us. It was nothing great, and I've had better meals on Emirates economy if I'm honest. The beetroot entree didn't make sense to me but I'm not a big fan of it anyway. The highlight was the banana and milk chocolate hazelnut tower.
The service was extremely slow and painful, the attendant was great, very friendly and did his best but it was especially slow because of the way service was performed and drinks being offered at every point along the way. It would've been much quicker if drinks were only offered every 2nd or 3rd round. It went something like this:
- drinks and cashews
- entrees and drinks again
- mains and drinks again
- bread rolls and drinks again
- coffee or drinks
- trays taken away and drinks again
I didn't really know what to expect with BA Club Europe, but I still felt disappointed.
We did another ESB-IST flight with TK and nothing much to report here, very similar flight to the flight down. Snack was served and again everyone tries to get out of the plane as soon it touches down.
We did the 15 minute walk over to the international terminal after collecting our bags and checked in using the priority lane where we were given our invites to the Millennium lounge. After clearing a busy immigration and security line we made our way through the chaos of the terminal to the lounge. I was amazed at how busy the terminal was, people everywhere.
The lounge wasn't as busy and had decent drink and food options. There was soup and a hot rice / curry dish which was nice, the buffet also had salad options, dips and a selection of desserts. No toilet in the lounge though, just a short walk across the hallway if you needed to go.
I spotted a guy laying down on a counter / ledge area having a snooze and tried to take a snap as I walked by - sorry for the quality.
A boarding announcement was made and we made our way to the gate which took around 5 minutes. At the gate they were performing additional security screening of every passenger which was a slow process. They went through everyone's bags, patted people down, checked sizes of power banks and if they didn't fit within their little size guide they were being checked in. Same for any ipads or laptops - they were all being taken from carry on and checked in which was upsetting a lot of pax.
We eventually boarded BA679 and took our seats in Club Europe row 5. What a disappointment this was...
It's an economy row of seats with the middle seat blocked out and a tray / bench in its place - Leg room is non-existent.
It was 19/20 in J and one crew member completing service in business. There were no pre-departure drinks served but a drink and cashews were handed out shortly after take-off.
Menus handed out below:
I was looking forward to trying the beef cheek option but this was all gone by the time row 3 was served so it was chicken for us. It was nothing great, and I've had better meals on Emirates economy if I'm honest. The beetroot entree didn't make sense to me but I'm not a big fan of it anyway. The highlight was the banana and milk chocolate hazelnut tower.
The service was extremely slow and painful, the attendant was great, very friendly and did his best but it was especially slow because of the way service was performed and drinks being offered at every point along the way. It would've been much quicker if drinks were only offered every 2nd or 3rd round. It went something like this:
- drinks and cashews
- entrees and drinks again
- mains and drinks again
- bread rolls and drinks again
- coffee or drinks
- trays taken away and drinks again
I didn't really know what to expect with BA Club Europe, but I still felt disappointed.
yld200
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London would be where we would pick up our Renault lease vehicle from, so I'll touch on this a little more.
The way this works is that the French car manufacturers offer lease vehicles for foreigners for a period of 21 days upto 175 days. You get to choose the type of vehicle you want from each of the manufacturers, auto or manual and petrol or diesel depending on what is available - you don't get to choose the colour. The price is inclusive of rego (which is in your name), insurance and road side assistance. There are a number of pickup and drop of locations in France, for pick up and drop offs in other countries an additional charge payable. There are often specials that differ with the manufacturers depending on the model you choose - eg with Renault I received 50% off pick up and drop off fees outside of Europe, Others offer fuel rebates. There are some restrictions on countries where the insurance isn't valid such as Kosovo, but this didn't apply to us.
We booked our vehicle using globalcars.com.au after a referral and they were very good to deal with. I choose a Renault Clio diesel manual because it suited our needs, fit our luggage, had good fuel economy and was the most cost effective. I was very close to going with the Clio RS sport but opted for the standard diesel because of the fuel economy savings.
The lease car cost us a touch over $2,000 over 23 days which I thought was reasonable for what we wanted.
Once we landed at LHR I called the contact number from a payphone and they picked us up from the terminal and took us back to their office to sign some paperwork and we were off.
Our little Cleopatra below (our name for the car):
We filled up and made our way to London town.
The first thing that stuck out was the number of speed cameras. The GPS in the car would beep for every camera and the thing didn't stop beeping the whole way into London.
We stayed at a place called Studios 2 Let Apartments near Kings Cross station. The apartment was small but did the job for us since we would be out for most of the days we would be there anyways. I found other options in London to be expensive but this was fine. 10 minute walk to Kings Cross station and Russell square.
I booked a car park spot using yourparkingspace.com which was around 30 pound for 3 nights and it worked fine.
That first night we settled into our room and went for a walk to find some dinner. We ended up at a place the Museum Tavern and tried the fish and chips options. The meal was nothing memorable but the Euro part of our trip was off and running!
The way this works is that the French car manufacturers offer lease vehicles for foreigners for a period of 21 days upto 175 days. You get to choose the type of vehicle you want from each of the manufacturers, auto or manual and petrol or diesel depending on what is available - you don't get to choose the colour. The price is inclusive of rego (which is in your name), insurance and road side assistance. There are a number of pickup and drop of locations in France, for pick up and drop offs in other countries an additional charge payable. There are often specials that differ with the manufacturers depending on the model you choose - eg with Renault I received 50% off pick up and drop off fees outside of Europe, Others offer fuel rebates. There are some restrictions on countries where the insurance isn't valid such as Kosovo, but this didn't apply to us.
We booked our vehicle using globalcars.com.au after a referral and they were very good to deal with. I choose a Renault Clio diesel manual because it suited our needs, fit our luggage, had good fuel economy and was the most cost effective. I was very close to going with the Clio RS sport but opted for the standard diesel because of the fuel economy savings.
The lease car cost us a touch over $2,000 over 23 days which I thought was reasonable for what we wanted.
Once we landed at LHR I called the contact number from a payphone and they picked us up from the terminal and took us back to their office to sign some paperwork and we were off.
Our little Cleopatra below (our name for the car):
We filled up and made our way to London town.
The first thing that stuck out was the number of speed cameras. The GPS in the car would beep for every camera and the thing didn't stop beeping the whole way into London.
We stayed at a place called Studios 2 Let Apartments near Kings Cross station. The apartment was small but did the job for us since we would be out for most of the days we would be there anyways. I found other options in London to be expensive but this was fine. 10 minute walk to Kings Cross station and Russell square.
I booked a car park spot using yourparkingspace.com which was around 30 pound for 3 nights and it worked fine.
That first night we settled into our room and went for a walk to find some dinner. We ended up at a place the Museum Tavern and tried the fish and chips options. The meal was nothing memorable but the Euro part of our trip was off and running!
yld200
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For our first breakfast we went to Dishoom which is a popular Indian restaurant. Food was delicious.
After breakfast we had a 'free' walking tour booked with Sandemans - by 'free' it's a pay what you think it's worth tour. We started off at Covent garden and made our way via Trafalgar square to the Mall learning about the different royal houses including some history and finished at Parliament Square garden near Big Ben. The guide was kiwi but had been living in London for 10 years and she really knew her stuff - very informative tour and recommended if you're looking for a tour that really focus on the royal aspect of London.
Some of the sites from the tour:
Sorry about the turned images, tried a number of things to fix them..
After breakfast we had a 'free' walking tour booked with Sandemans - by 'free' it's a pay what you think it's worth tour. We started off at Covent garden and made our way via Trafalgar square to the Mall learning about the different royal houses including some history and finished at Parliament Square garden near Big Ben. The guide was kiwi but had been living in London for 10 years and she really knew her stuff - very informative tour and recommended if you're looking for a tour that really focus on the royal aspect of London.
Some of the sites from the tour:
Sorry about the turned images, tried a number of things to fix them..
yld200
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We also did a Harry Potter walking tour which take you around to some of the filming locations and areas that inspired the books. I'm not a big fan of HP, but the wife is and she thought it was a little underwhelming but informative - I think we were both tired and couldn't enjoy it as much.
The below alley way is supposed to have been an inspiration for Diagon Alley - note the curved glass.
We also went to a football match at the Emirates - coughnal v West Brom. coughnal won the game 2-0 but it wasn't the best football match. I'm a massive football fan so it was great to experience the atmosphere.
The below alley way is supposed to have been an inspiration for Diagon Alley - note the curved glass.
We also went to a football match at the Emirates - coughnal v West Brom. coughnal won the game 2-0 but it wasn't the best football match. I'm a massive football fan so it was great to experience the atmosphere.
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yld200
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We also did the Harry Potter Studio tour which my wife really enjoyed. You get to experience the behind the scenes of how the movies were made and special effects.
Otherwise we spent the rest of our time wondering around London and taking it all in.
We had an amazing steak at Flat Iron.
We visited the secret tea room of Soho for some tea and scones. It's located on top floor of a pub and doesn't really have any signage so you have to know what you're looking for. The scones and sandwiches were very nice.
I can't seem to work out this turning image thing... keeps happening randomly
To leave London, I had booked the Euro Tunnel - Le Shuttle from Folkestone to Calais which cost me 60 pound ($100aud). It's such an easy trip, once you get to Folkestone you confirm your booking at the gates, and you get a printout and off you go to the waiting bays. When you're time is called you make your way down to the tracks and drive your car straight onto the train. The trip take around 25 minutes and you stay in the car - you can get out to go to the bathroom or stretch your legs if you want. Once you arrive in France you drive straight off and join the motorway. Easy!
Otherwise we spent the rest of our time wondering around London and taking it all in.
We had an amazing steak at Flat Iron.
We visited the secret tea room of Soho for some tea and scones. It's located on top floor of a pub and doesn't really have any signage so you have to know what you're looking for. The scones and sandwiches were very nice.
I can't seem to work out this turning image thing... keeps happening randomly
To leave London, I had booked the Euro Tunnel - Le Shuttle from Folkestone to Calais which cost me 60 pound ($100aud). It's such an easy trip, once you get to Folkestone you confirm your booking at the gates, and you get a printout and off you go to the waiting bays. When you're time is called you make your way down to the tracks and drive your car straight onto the train. The trip take around 25 minutes and you stay in the car - you can get out to go to the bathroom or stretch your legs if you want. Once you arrive in France you drive straight off and join the motorway. Easy!
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yld200
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We took the Euro Tunnel and arrived in Calais around 9.30. I had booked the B&B Hotel Calais which is only a few minutes drive once you get off the train. It is self check in and you need a pin code to get access to your room which Qantas didn't give me. There is a call button you can use and we were sorted in a few minutes.
The rooms are basic and Formula 1 hotel-esque. Breakfast was included in the rate which was again like the rooms very basic but enough to get you going.
After brekky we hit the road and headed for Metz, but decided to take the alternate route through Belgium and Luxembourg.
We stopped in Charleroi for lunch and found a little burger joint which looked good.
We also stopped in Luxembourg City for a coffee then arrived in Metz around 5pm. I had booked Hôtel de la Cathédrale which is directly opposite the main Cathedrale. We were amazed when we drove into Metz, it's a beautiful city.
The room was nice and decorated in a very classical style.
Directly opposite the hotel is this.
The rooms are basic and Formula 1 hotel-esque. Breakfast was included in the rate which was again like the rooms very basic but enough to get you going.
After brekky we hit the road and headed for Metz, but decided to take the alternate route through Belgium and Luxembourg.
We stopped in Charleroi for lunch and found a little burger joint which looked good.
We also stopped in Luxembourg City for a coffee then arrived in Metz around 5pm. I had booked Hôtel de la Cathédrale which is directly opposite the main Cathedrale. We were amazed when we drove into Metz, it's a beautiful city.
The room was nice and decorated in a very classical style.
Directly opposite the hotel is this.
yld200
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We only got to see a bit of Metz, but its a beautiful city. Not many tourists around which was surprising, the streets in the city were relatively quiet and closed off to traffic at night which was great to be able to walk around safely.
We had dinner at a steak place where you could choose if you wanted to cook your own steak or have it cooked for you and then dip it in fondue. Being lactose intolerant we choose the DIY option with French and Japanese cuts.
Dessert was a nutella and walnut crepe with vanilla ice cream at another place nearby.
Had a great time in Metz, and I would definitely recommend it if you're thinking about stopping around this area of France.
Breakfast in the morning was a table full of fruit, and another full of bread. There was a group of around 6 Germans who complained that the breakfast selection wasn't up to their standards.
Next stop Munich...
For some reason the traffic on the roads in Germany around Stuttgart was horrendous. We got stuck in a car park on the freeway, so I fired up google maps which directed me to take the next exit and take a detour via the scenic route through some farm lands and small towns.
We eventually made it Munich - a 6 hour drive according to Google maps turned into an 8.5hr drive. We arrived at our hotel nonetheless - we would be staying at the Cocoon Hotel in Munich which is contemporary and very cool looking hotel.
The room was open plan and the bathroom had one sliding door that covered both the toilet and shower, so you could only have the door closed to one of those at a time.
We had dinner at a steak place where you could choose if you wanted to cook your own steak or have it cooked for you and then dip it in fondue. Being lactose intolerant we choose the DIY option with French and Japanese cuts.
Dessert was a nutella and walnut crepe with vanilla ice cream at another place nearby.
Had a great time in Metz, and I would definitely recommend it if you're thinking about stopping around this area of France.
Breakfast in the morning was a table full of fruit, and another full of bread. There was a group of around 6 Germans who complained that the breakfast selection wasn't up to their standards.
Next stop Munich...
For some reason the traffic on the roads in Germany around Stuttgart was horrendous. We got stuck in a car park on the freeway, so I fired up google maps which directed me to take the next exit and take a detour via the scenic route through some farm lands and small towns.
We eventually made it Munich - a 6 hour drive according to Google maps turned into an 8.5hr drive. We arrived at our hotel nonetheless - we would be staying at the Cocoon Hotel in Munich which is contemporary and very cool looking hotel.
The room was open plan and the bathroom had one sliding door that covered both the toilet and shower, so you could only have the door closed to one of those at a time.
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yld200
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It was a Friday night and it was the last weekend of October fest! After dropping everything off we walked across to the area where the festival was. The streets were buzzing and full of drunks - one thing I noticed is that everyone takes the dressing up very seriously. 90% of people at the grounds were dressed in traditional Bavarian costumes which made you feel like you didn't belong if you were dressed the part.
I was pretty exhausted from the drive that day so we didn't hang around too much. We had some bratwurst, sausages and french fries for dinner then settled in for the night.
I guess I forgot to take photos but it's like a large fair; there are rides; lots of food options and massive beer 'tents' that are more like buildings.
Smoked fish for dinner?
The breakfast spread at the hotel.
We then took some time to explore around Munich early in the morning.
The area around Marienplatz is beautiful, lots of amazing buildings, churches and history. But the area around our hotel I found to be very seedy and dirty - I guess you get that in a lot of modern cities now.
I was pretty exhausted from the drive that day so we didn't hang around too much. We had some bratwurst, sausages and french fries for dinner then settled in for the night.
I guess I forgot to take photos but it's like a large fair; there are rides; lots of food options and massive beer 'tents' that are more like buildings.
Smoked fish for dinner?
The breakfast spread at the hotel.
We then took some time to explore around Munich early in the morning.
The area around Marienplatz is beautiful, lots of amazing buildings, churches and history. But the area around our hotel I found to be very seedy and dirty - I guess you get that in a lot of modern cities now.
yld200
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We then had the option of stopping for a night in Slovenia, either in Ljubjana or Bled or continuing onto Rijeka in Croatia. We opted to go straight to Croatia and take the extra night somewhere on the Croatian coast.
The traffic was just ridiculous for some reason this particular weekend. An example of the car park...
We drove through Austria which is so scenic a majestic driving through the valleys of the mountains. A highway sticker is required for Austria so we got one at a petrol station while filling up near the border.
We stopped in Bled Slovenia for lunch and this spot is pretty magical as well. There was just something peaceful about the town.
We had some seafood for lunch, it might've been an early dinner...
The traffic was just ridiculous for some reason this particular weekend. An example of the car park...
We drove through Austria which is so scenic a majestic driving through the valleys of the mountains. A highway sticker is required for Austria so we got one at a petrol station while filling up near the border.
We stopped in Bled Slovenia for lunch and this spot is pretty magical as well. There was just something peaceful about the town.
We had some seafood for lunch, it might've been an early dinner...
OZDUCK
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Looks like a great trip yld200. Some lovely photos - though I do note a trend of very nice foods. Good to see you are enjoying the gastronomic side of your trip.
We have used the Renault Car Leasing scheme twice and it has also been perfect for our needs. The B & B hotels are great value for money for a good cheap clean stopover for a night - and with a surprisingly nice breakfast.
The roads around Stuttgart are notorious for delays. We have stayed with our friends who live just outside there a couple of times and they avoid the Autobahns and use all sorts of back roads to get around.
We have used the Renault Car Leasing scheme twice and it has also been perfect for our needs. The B & B hotels are great value for money for a good cheap clean stopover for a night - and with a surprisingly nice breakfast.
The roads around Stuttgart are notorious for delays. We have stayed with our friends who live just outside there a couple of times and they avoid the Autobahns and use all sorts of back roads to get around.
yld200
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We had a great food holiday! We loved finding some cool places to keep the bellies full.
While listening on the local radio, there was a football match scheduled in Stuttgart but had to be delayed because the visiting team couldn't get there in time due to the horrendous traffic.
Yes, car still comes with red plate
yld200
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Yes, we picked up the car at London Heathrow which was a left hand drive car. Had no issues with it other than any ticket booths for car parks or similar would be naturally on the right. If the wife wasn't in the car I would have to climb over the passengers seat.
One other thing I forgot to mention earlier was that I also purchased a sim card in London from three for 20 pound which activates their 'feel at home' package. You get 12 gb data 9 of which can be used abroad all major European countries, also includes USA, Brazil, AU, NZ and Singapore. Definitely worthwhile getting the sim if you're looking for data - I also used it for some calls when we were lost / stuck.
MEL_Traveller
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What's your take on the two centre seats for a couple? (in terms of ease of communication but also other aspects).
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