Monthly Archives: July 2018

Mallorca, Spain- June 2018

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While most of the world has heard of Ibiza, due to it’s party place reputation, it’s actually one of the islands that make up the Balearic Islands. The others are Mallorca, Menorca and Formentera. After Malta, I headed to the bigger island of Mallorca.  Why? Simple there as a new Park Hyatt. Talk about brand influence….

To get Mallorca, I had to fly thru Frankfurt. Before moving to Australia, Frankfurt airport was my 2nd visited airport after Chicago.  I could complain but Lufthansa has some pretty nice lounges.  I had to rent to a car to get to the result, as it’s located on the east side of the island.  It was so worth the hour drive…..

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I had originally thought that I would finished with my finally assignments before I got Mallorca, so that I could relax. I was not, but it turned out to be a blessing. It was a little colder then I thought it would be for Spain in June. So I was able to enjoy the blue skies while cranking away on finishing my assignments.

The location of the hotel is optimal for relaxing and recharging. It’s quite close tot he local beach and the town of Arte.

I am happy to report the mountain air did wonders for me. Not only did I manage to finish my assignments, I got top marks, which was bit of shock.

I did not get to see as much of Mallorca as I would have liked. But I would definitely go back, if for no other reason then to recharge my batteries.

As this is the never ending trip, next stop Lisbon!

 

Malta-June 2018

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After my long weekend in Bangkok, I started working my way back to the States, via Europe. First stop was Malta.  Which was interesting choice. I was meant to meet up with friends, but our dates got crossed and I forgot that I did not actually need to be in Malta.  It turned out well, because I actually needed to finish up my last assignments. The days were beautiful, but it was a bit chilly. So I spent most of my time looking at the ocean, while working. Not exactly the best way to see Malta.

IMG_1645What really surprised me about Malta, is that limestone and lack of color. The island itself has an interesting history.  It only finally became the Republic of Malta in 1974.

I did see the Blue Grotto but I did not go swimming, as it was a little chilly for me.  When I did manage to finally leave my room, I partook in the local cuisine, like the Maltese Sausage and the local beer, Cisk.

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I think I would have enjoyed my visit more, if I was not under a tight deadline.  I have to imagine that it keeps quite warm in the height of the summer. While it was a bit chilly, it was ideal for sightseeing.

When I booked this trip, it seemed like a good idea to spend 3 weeks in Europe. As I was packing up for my next stop, I realized I was successfully learned how to travel like an Australian. It’s not very American to take a 3 week holiday. So stay tuned, the next stop is Mallorca, Spain

Bangkok, Thailand- May 2018

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My dear friends had moved from Dubai to Bangkok and since it was “easy” flight from Brisbane, I planned a long weekend to say Hello.  What pursed over the course of the next few days was a typical trip, lots and lots of laugh, amazing food and of course a signature drink. The drink of choice this trip, Lychee Martini

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It was really HOT in Bangkok. Coming from winter in Brisbane I was not prepared for how hot it was going to be.  Oliver, the foodie, has arranged for us to have some amazing meals, including brunch at The Siam Hotel. So we decided to surprise him as well, with a photo shoot,  bu the photographer did not show up. Luckily we had Iphone’s, so we managed to get some fun photos.  I think the smiles say everything.

 

We had an awesome tasting menu that evening at Gaa, it was sooooo good.  2 course are missing from the pictures, the corn plate, which was ridiculous and the soup.  If you are Bangkok, so worth checking out.

 

It was great catching with friends, especially in foreign cities to explore. Another friend, Will, happen to be in town and we were able to catch up over breakfast. I love that my transient life means randomly meeting up with friends all over the world.

Until next time

 

 

Queenstown, New Zealand- May 2018

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Well this is an easy one to write. I flew to Queenstown, had a burger and meat pie and flew back.  Oh and I took some pictures.

 

I had planned on going to Milford Sound, but the weather was not cooperating.   I checked out the famous Fergburger, proclaimed to be the best burgers in the world.

Fergburger is good,  but it’s not the best in my book. But I am from Chicago, so I am bit biased. For the sake of this review, I took one for the team and order 2 burgers. And well  if I am honest, I was hungry and could not decide what to order. Per the cashier’s suggestion, I ordered the Deluxe and the Wiggum. 1st impression, I much prefer New Zealand meat to Australian. 2nd- Big burgers. 3rd- Why did I think it was good idea to order 2?  I did not actually consume the entirety of both burgers. I managed about 1/4 of each.

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The next morning, I was suppose to fly down to Milford Sound. The weather was not cooperating, so I took a stroll back down to Fergburger for breakfast. Now meat pies are all the rage in Australia and New Zealand, but I just never felt the love of them. Until I had the Lamb Shoulder and Kumara Pie from Fergbaker. First all, what is Kumara? New Zealand’s version of the sweet potato, in case you were wondering.  It was ridiculously good.  Like I would fly back to eat one. And the worst part? I was not overly hungry after the previous night’s debacle, so I ended up only ordering one!!!!! Rookie mistake.

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Since I was no longer hungry, I headed to the airport to get out of dodge. It never dawned on me that because the little planes could not fly, that the big ones might be having trouble as well.  The plane I was departing on had some trouble landing…..

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It eventually landed and I was off to Auckland, where I was lucky enough to catch up with a friend. And I finally got see Black Panther on the flight from Auckland to Brisbane. Which of course was SO good.  So while it certainly did not go as planned, it turned out pretty well in the end.

Until next time…..