Christchurch, New Zealand (short layover 2017)

30h in Christchurch (December 2017)

• I had the chance of spending day and a half in Christchurch, Southern New Zealand
• I will share a road trip that four of us enjoyed a lot 

Main places visited:

• a) Christchurch (Gondola Mountain, South New Brighton beach)
• b) Arthur's Pass National Park (Castle Hill, Pearson lake, Devil's Punchbowl waterfall)
  

a) Christchurch (Gondola Mountain, South New Brighton beach)

• First day during the afternoon I had time for two short visits nearby
• Gondola Mountain offers lovely views of both Christchurch and the seaside
• You can enjoy an hour trekking to the top which I recommend, or take the gondola (a cable car for 12 NZ dollars each way)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Late that afternoon I went to one of the beach areas closer to Christchurch: South New Brighton
  
  
  
  

b) Arthur's Pass National Park (Castle Hill, Pearson lake, Devil's Punchbowl waterfall)

• Arthur's Pass is 2h drive from Christchurch, and just one hour later you can find the West coast

• On the way to Arthur's Pass there are several attractions and several trekking options
• Leaving Christchurch the landscape starts welcoming you

• Before entering the National Park itself you can find Castle Hill, a beautiful limestone rock formation rich in Maori history and named like that by early European travellers
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Driving a few minutes more you can enjoy a picnic at Pearson lake

• Our last visit for the day (actually the first because we started from furthest to closest) was Devil's Punchbowl waterfall, around 45min drive from Castle Hill
• There is free parking to reach the falls, which are easily reached after a 20 minute walk
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Even if you dare you can enjoy a refreshing bath under the falls :)

• We loved our short time in Southern New Zealand and I personally hope I can visit many other places soon

Accra, Ghana (short layover 2017)

40h in Accra (December 2017)

• I only spent day and a half in Accra so I could not explore best attractions in the country but still will share a few options to visit and enjoy in Accra

Main places visited:

• a) Labadi beach
• b) James Town (Lighthouse, Makola market, Kwame Nkrumah park, Independence square, Osu Castle)
  

a) Labadi beach:

• One of the nicest beaches in Accra, with a few bars and restaurants, reggae nights and a good atmosphere (maybe too many locals trying to sell souvenirs but still good vibe)
• I went by public bus from the airport (7km) for less than 2 Cedis (quarter of a euro) 
  

b) James Town (Lighthouse, Makola market, Kwame Nkrumah park, Independence square, Osu Castle):

• One of the oldest districts in Accra, is today a mixed between commercial and residential use with some attractions, but being honest, do not expect much
• James Town Lighthouse is one of the icons in this district. The beach nearby is packed with very humble houses looking like Brazilian favelas

• Makola market is a huge chaotic commercial area

• Kwame Nkrumah Park & Mauseoleum is dedicated to Ghana's first President who obtained independence from the UK in 1957
  
• In a roundabout nearby you can see the Independence square together with a large public space by the coast called the Black Star Square where independence parade takes place every 6th March
  
• The most beautiful area I visited was Osu Castle, not inside as I was not allowed that day, but by the coast

• I am looking forward to visit Ghana properly and have better info but hope this bit helps :)

Italy (Northeast) & San Marino 2017

Northeast Italy (Venice, Bologna, Rimini, Ancona, Frasassi Caves) & San Marino (September 2017)

• I will briefly share a 5 day intense trip with a friend through the northeast of Italy
• From Venice to Bologna we used the train and after we rented a car and enjoyed a busy agenda

Places visited:

• Venice
• Bologna
• San Marino
• Rimini
• Ancona
• Frasassi Caves
  

a) Venice

• What to say about Venice, one of the most beautiful cities in the world
• I love the absence of cars within the city, and no matter where you go it is pretty
• We reached the city by bus from the airport to Venice station and we started enjoying the city from the first moment
• In particular, the San Marco square and the views from Campanello tower are astonishing
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• San Marco Cathedral is also a popular attraction in this square, and even paintings from outside are amazing
  
• One of my favourite places is Rialto bridge with great views of the Grand Canal
  
  
  
  
• I have probably mentioned the most iconic parts of the city but I insist it is all magnificent
• From San Marco square we took a tour to Murano, Burano and Torcello the following for  €20 each, quite a good deal taking into consideration boat prices in Venice
• In Murano we saw a Murano glass exhibition and had half an hour for a short walk
  
  
  
  
• Burano was the greatest surprise and the prettiest and most colourful of the three places in our opinion, a real delight

• Finally Torcello in our opinion was not really necessary and has not much to see
  
  
  
  
• If I had not taken the tour I would have loved to spend more hours in Burano for sure

b)Bologna

• We took the train to Bologna, which was not the priority of the trip
• We had a nice dinner and we enjoyed the university atmosphere of downtown. packed with young people (photo of the Major square during the day)
  
• The Two Towers are probably the most iconic part of the city
  
  
  
  
• From Bologna we rented a car near the train station for a few days with Budget, at a very good price (less than  €20 per day) and we started our journey towards San Marino

c) San Marino

• San Marino, the world's oldest country, was another great surprise in this trip
  
• Up in a hill, the small country is really beautiful and definitely worth a visit
• The main city is restricted to vehicles, views are impressive from almost any point, and the three towers that can be seen in the flag can be visited (for us one of the three was enough)

d) Rimini

• Rimini is an ancient Roman town by the coast which was also really nice to visit
  
• The old town has several Roman ruins such as Augustus Arch, Augusto and Tiberio Bridge or the Roman Anfitheatre
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The main square is also nice and the area, definitely worth a walk
  
• Right next to the old town you can visit San Giuliano, a very colourful neighbourhood
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

e) Ancona

• Ancona is another coastal area that has amazing views, pity we were not there during the summer
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

f) Frasassi Caves

• Lastly we visited Frasassi Caves, which were actually one of the best I have ever visited
• The formation and size of the caves themselves were impressive

• We were very pleased with the trip 
• Hope this info helps someone :)