Street art of Melbourne

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Melbourne is well known globally in the graffiti world for its vast amount of street art. I visited two places during my stay, a smaller tucked away place called Croft Alley where for the most part I was the only person there. My other stop was a main stream place called Hosier Street, this place was extremely crowded and I spent more time being asked to take peoples picture than I did admiring the art.

I would say Hosier Lane had a lot more detailed art like the tiger, Snoop Dogg & Tupac Shakur but I will be honest I was shocked by how dirty and smelly it was. I think that's due to the amount of homeless & drug users that flood the lane although I didn't see any during my visit.

If you're ever in Melbourne I would definitely give them both a visit as they're not too far apart and in the City centre. Even if you're not really into graffiti I'm confident you would still appreciate the art.

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China

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Hong Kong

Hong Kong is a very special place for me as it was where my travel really began back in 2011. Although It wasn't a new place for my ever growing list of places I've visited I was still excited to be going back as I had a couple of things that I didn't get round to doing. One of those was visiting Macau, also known as the Vegas of Asia. I will be honest there isn't much to Macau apart from expensive shopping and casinos... I'm not big into gambling and up to this point I'd never stepped foot into a "real" casino, unless the arcades in Blackpool count.

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Macau

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Shenzhen

Shenzhen was my first stop of my tour of mainland China, a relatively new city that originated from a small finishing village 27 years ago. I think I spent two days walking around the SEG indoor market surrounded by phone cases and figit spinners. The next time you buy a phone case off eBay the ships from China I would put money on it coming from the SEG market.

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Xiamen

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Shanghai

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Shanghai

Mumbai, India

India has always been a country that has intrigued me, but maybe that's because of my love for curry. While on the subject of the great Indian cuisine, I really think this trip has ruined that love as the take out curry back home really isn't the same.

Mumbai was very surreal in many ways, let me explain. During a visit to the Elephanta caves, I had numerous groups of younger generation approach me asking for a selfie... It’s not every day that I get asked for a selfie, I’m not sure if that was a mistaken identity or they have never witnessed a westerner before or they're a fan of my blog. I'm sure you look hard enough on Instagram or other social media platforms you might find it if you do tag me.

Mumbai is home to Dharavi, Asia's largest slum, which is home to more than a million people. It really is like a city within a city with rent as little as £2.20 a month... yes a month, but that really is a tiny room with a portable gas cooker and electricity. It really didn't seem right or fair looking down at the slums from my nice air-conditioned hotel room, it really does make you appreciate what you have.

Turin, Italy

Where? you ask. A city in the north of Italy rich in culture, history, and known for its masses of art galleries, Churches, Opera Houses and Museums. Or, to put it another way, Turin is the home of car manufacturers FIAT, Lancia and Alfa Romeo, as well as football team Juventus FC.

Putting aside its impressive variety of Industry, Turin boasts its own collection of baroque style buildings which, when captured at any angle, can produce a shot showing the beauty of the city.

However, in my opinion, its not the buildings that are the true eye opener, but the view beyond the city - the Alps. Sitting in the northwest of Turin, jaw dropping views can be seen no matter what time of the day.

Milan, Italy

Milan - A fashionista and socialites dream city with its vast array of designer shops, cocktail bars and restaurants, but in my opinion (and for those not visiting just to burn the cash..) this city is home to some of the most impressive architecture Europe has to offer.

The centre of Milan itself boasts the 5th largest Cathedral in the World - Duomo di Milano. Just from looking at the exterior of this Cathedral, with it's 135 spires and equal number of gargoyles, you can understand why it took over 500 years to complete! Surrounded by the equally as photographic Galleria Vittorio shopping centre, it would be difficult for even the most hard core "socialite" not to embrace their inner "tourist" However, for those seeking a more neo-classic work of art, the San Carlos Al Corso Church offers just as impressive shots.

So whether your there after taking a second mortgage on your house, or to surround yourself in the beauty of its culture..it would be difficult for anyone not to have a place in their heart for this city.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam is one of those cities that attract a wide range of people, I assume you know where I'm going with that. Me personally, I enjoy Amsterdam for its elaborate canal system that circles the city, the narrow houses and crepes.

Did you know why the houses in Amsterdam have hooks and lean forward? well, they're designed that way to haul heavy goods up to the top floors through the window. Clever, eh?

I really wanted to see something different, and the first thing that came to mind was Ann Franks house. Unfortunately, I only managed to see the house from the outside as I didn't have a spare 4 hours to stand in line, maybe next time. 

The other thing I love about this city is their love for cycling, it says a lot when they have floating bike parks, they obviously ran out of space on dry land. I think I could easily live In Amsterdam for this reason alone!

Bangkok, Thailand

Floating shop

Bangkok is the craziest place I've visited so far, this city just never sleeps. I can see why it could break you given half the chance. 

I decided to relive some memories of my first visit to Bangkok by taking a one-hour private river tour with a visit to the Wat Arun temple, unfortunately, the temple was being restored so I didn't get any pictures. On the way, the boat driver took a detour and almost killing us in the process. 

I really enjoyed the detour as I got to see the other side of Bangkok where people live, work and play in what I could only describe as the kind of water you wouldn't want to be exposed to for too long. I really would've loved to have taken a closer look at the river houses.

Just before we turned around to head back for the temple, a small floating shop appeared that was full of souvenirs, food & drinks. The picture above was an elderly lady who was preparing to set sail to earn her living.

If you're looking for a bargain I would definitely recommend the Rot Fai night market, a western themed market that sells absolutely everything, allow plenty of time to look around and don't accept the asking price you will always be able to knock them down on the price.

Private Boat tour

River house

Children playing in the river

Buddha in the Wat Arun temple

Night Market

Train Market

Lyon, France

Lyon is probably best known for it's art of living - wine, food, culture, and not forgetting Europe's best kept historic remains - and it was just as expected, possibly even better.

The most obvious thing to do during the short time I had to myself in Lyon, was to grab my camera and photograph some of the finer pieces of architecture the city has to offer - The City Hall (Which I personally think looks even better in the evenings), the Passerelle Paul Couturier bridge, and of course, Fourviere Hill.

Taking culture to a different level, I did ensure to sample one of France's most famous cuisine - Frogs Leg's! What can I say about Frogs Leg's? I'm afraid I'm going to have to use that well known phrase when it comes to describing a not so popular meat - Tastes like Chicken!

Johannesburg, South Africa

What better way to spend a free day in South Africa than on a safari at the Lion and Safari Park, Johannesburg. Yes, I know it's only a safari park and not a true wild safari, the amount of space that these animals have to roam is amazing and a credit to the Safari park. 

The safari was three hours starting in the lion's enclosure, unfortunately, all the lion's were asleep as it was midday and around 28 degrees. It was still amazing to see these them up close. Our guide did manage to wake a couple up by calling and throwing rocks to get their attention.

The mainland was absolutely beautiful, where I got to see giraffe, Zebra, ostrich & plenty of other amazing animals including a warthog.

The trip ended on a real high, where I got to play with a three-month-old lion cub, she was climbing all over me and took a liking to my apple watch. Although she was only three months old, she had an unbelievable amount of strength. I really wanted to bring her home.

Dubai, UAE

Dubai Fountains

Dubai has always been on my list of places to visit and after several transits through I've finally visited this amazing city. I didn't realise how spread out the Dubai actually is. However, the public transport really makes commuting very easy and is linked by sky bridge to the major malls.

During my stay I only had two days to myself to explore, So to make the most of my time I grabbed my camera and hopped on the metro. My first stop was a quick visit to the famous Palm & Atlantis hotel.

Next was the Dubai mall with the aquarium and boy it's huge, I actually think we have malls smaller than the aquarium back home in Manchester. Next was the world's tallest building the Burj Khalifa that has a staggering 163 floors and stands just shy of 830 meters. I will say if you want to visit the viewing platform book it in advance as they wanted 500AED so around £115 on the day, I now know for next time. 

It really came apparent how wealthy Dubai really is when I was walking around the marina surrounded by skyscrapers like the Cayan tower that twists or the Hilton hotel that looks like R2D2 and million dollar yachts being polished by crew, amazing how the other half live.

Berj Khalifa

Marina

Cayan Tower & R2D2

Cayan Tower

Istanbul, Turkey

Despite the bad publicity, the media is feeding everyone at the minute, Istanbul really isn't any different to any other country that I've visited since the attacks started. It's a beautiful country with friendly, hospitable people.

So the one thing that really amazed me about Turkey was the fact it's actually split between Europe and Asia! Yes, I was shocked too. This great fact was brought to you by my good friend Robbie. There really is something surreal about sitting by the river on the Asia side eating amazing seafood, drinking Raki looking back at Europe. I know to some, this may not be that exciting it's the small things that amaze me.

My message is, don't lock yourself away because something "might" happen, get out live life, see the world and enjoy yourself. What will be, will be. 

Bridge to Europe

Europe on the left, Asia on the right

View from the office 43rd floor

Warsaw, Poland

I have mixed feelings about Warsaw, there were times when I felt very uneasy more so when I was being squashed on the tram heading into the city. Once I arrived I did manage to fight my way off the moving sardine can and have a wander around, I managed to find a quiet spot away from the hustle and bustle to grab a really quick shot of the "palace of culture" before my hands turned to ice.

I very quickly became so cold it started to physically hurt, bearing in mind it was -3/4, so I decided it was time to find Starbucks, not only did I need to warm up, but I wanted to buy the Polish mug for my collection.

Once I finally warmed up I decided to brave the cold again to go in search of the "old town". What a difference half an hour walk made, It really was like walking into a different country, just a shame the weather was the same. This part of the city is amazing, especially with all the Christmas lights and people generally having a great time. I think I lasted around an hour in the old town before I had to call an Uber and head back to the hotel. 

Dublin, Ireland

Dublin is such an amazing city, full of history and amazing people. It's just a shame winter is closing in fast as it's becoming increasingly difficult to explore and see everything. For the majority of the week, we actually had some decent weather, I no longer believe the Irish when you say "It's always raining in Ireland".

You really can't visit Dublin without having a Guinness from its birthplace, so we decided to pack ourselves into an SUV and head off into the city. The main objective was to find the perfect Guinness served in a traditional Irish pub. So where better than Ireland's oldest pub, dating back to 1198. The Brazen Head, with perfect Irish vibe, great food and my pint, was that good I'm convinced they had a line straight from the brewery. It's true when they say Guinness doesn't travel well.

Revolution Series Round 3, Manchester

After some time off my bike I've started to get the bug for cycling again (Thank you Laura Trott), but with winter arriving it's getting too cold for riding. So what better way to get your cycling fix than track cycling. Sat in the middle of the track with my trusty camera and a nice cold beer. 

Round 3 of the Revolution series was the final round of the UK championships, where team JLT condor won the UK championship. Seeing Ed Clancy in action was also very cool, although I didn't manage to get a photo of him in focus, either he was very fast or the beers were starting to affect my abilities to focus. 

Roll on the Revolution Champions league later this month. 

Frankfurt, Germany

Well, Frankfurt where do I begin? I've always imagined this huge city full of shopping malls and plenty going on. I was very much mistaken. Frankfurt really isn't a tourist attraction.

Even though I was disappointed, it was another city to explore. We came across the finance district, home of the Eurobank and a huge Euro sign. As amazing as it was I couldn't help but notice a man sleeping under a bush, the irony of it.

Cologne, Germany

What better way to get around Germany than driving as fast as you dare down the autobahn, but of all the cars to do it in, we ended up in a Fiat 500X. 

As we had the weekend to explore, we decided to stop off in Cologne for a couple of hours. Cologne is home to the Koln Dom cathedral. I'm not a religious man, but walking into the cathedral during mass was a real amazing experience. I even lit a candle saying a small prayer for all the family and friends that have passed. 

While walking around Cologne, we stumbled across some street performers called the Wooden Street Syndicate. Who really are amazing and suggest taking a look on Youtube or iTunes.

Ratingen, Germany

Ratingen is my first stop on a month-long tour around Germany, It really is a beautiful little town in the district of Mettmann, 12KM from Dusseldorf city. I don't actually know what this means, but the town is actually twinned with Cramlington, back home in the UK.

There wasn't a great deal to see or do, so we found ourselves wondering around looking for new places to get something to eat. We stumbled across an Irish pub so decided to give it a try.

The food was delicious when it finally arrived after a long wait, just a shame the same could not have been said about my Guinness. I was actually told by my Irish colleague that If that was to be served in Ireland, It would've ended up being thrown back at the bar tender. It was cold and wet so I ended up finishing it.

2016 Spa F1

Spa F1 has to be the best track of the season, and I'm so glad that I can finally say I have been. Spa is well known for bad weather but this year seems to be the exception, and if I'm honest the heat was brutal day and night. We decided to do the free pit walk for all 3 day ticket holders in the hope I would meet Lewis Hamilton, so we started at the end of the pit at the HAAS garage. After some pushing and armpit sniffing we arrived the AMG Pertronas garage, and I think I could've stayed there all day watching his mechanics working on his car. After some time and countless pictures of the same thing, the crowd began to get excited and my heart skipped a beat "OMG it must be Lewis" so I turned around and to my disappointment -  it was Nico Rosberg!

It was inevitable at some point in the season Lewis would need to take some penalties for new engines. After FP1, 2 & 3 I discovered that he had a 55 place grid penalty for three engine changes during the weekend - Surely this was tactical, and not a mechanical issue?

Race day arrived and in all honesty I didn't hold much hope that he would be able to score a single point. To everyones amazement he managed to get through the chaos up into fifth place on the eighth lap. It was then that the thought came that he might actually win this race, but after an amazing race he managed to finish third. What a result for the weekend and he now continues his fight for a fourth championship, with three new engines. This really is hammer time! 

The Horse House, Vilvoorde, Belgium

So it's finally happened.. I've tried horse meat. So the place we went to was this tiny little restaurant called the horse house in Vilvoorde where they only had one dish available but you did get to choose the size. I opted for a rare 350 gram so a little over 12 once and that was the small one! the largest was around 22 ounces so a monster steak. Hard to describe but horse meat did have its own taste but it was a very slight difference to beef, If you didn't know it was horse you would just assume it was beef in looks and taste. So if you're ever in the area get yourself down to the horse house and try it! 

Mechelen, Belgium

I was really looking forward to trying horse meat for the very first time, but unfortunately the restaurant was closed, So we decided to head over to a city called Mechelen that is home to the brewery Het Anker where they not only brew the famous Gouden Carolus beer they also cook with it, I can honestly say the mussels i had were amazing. Prior to stuffing my face we had a walk around the city taking in the sights of the St Rumble's cathedral and The Cells Almshouses home to the 15 needy women. The mixture of historical and modern architecture never fails to amaze me, they really have got that spot on.