First up a trip to the East

Well in Berlin im staying in Kreuzberg - at a hostel Nick and Amina stayed at last year.
The hostel had stuffed up my booking - so my initial days here were a tad trying. At first I wasnt sure why the hostel was good - but i soon realised how central it was for travelling in Berlin.

On the Saturday I decided to go exploring the city and then do a walking tour.

No I'm not on the set of the Jetsons movie - despite the fact the East German side of Berlin - had that kind of feel. I actually like the spread out feel of the old east Berlin. But granted some things here are a bit run down and/or plain tacky.

Hitting the Wall

Well on day one in Berlin I had to rest.

Rule when travelling - Don't go out with your friends from Madrid till 2am - when you have to get up at 5:30am to get to the airport on time for your flight.

Mental note to self - must remember above rule next time I go to Madrid.

I did however in true Una's style - go out for a schnitzel in Berlin - but i haven't yet seen the remains of the Berlin Wall.

SPain was soooo good - it is sad to leave...

Spain has been an amazing adventure. Roughly two months here has been fantastic. The culture, the food, the music and entertainment, the people, and the overall lifestyle - this time was worth spending in this country.

I think i'm now realising that more than half my holiday is over - and im hitting the downhill run. :-(

Oh well - Ill be doing my best to make the most of my time away. Next stop is one night in madrid to pick up some luggage then its onwards to Germany - Berlin and Dresden.

The architecure of this city makes it special to me

Barcelona is a city I love to wander around in. I like its scale, as it flows from the mountains to the sea. The weather is great and i think the only thing stopping me from living here is the barrier of needing to learn two languages Catalan and Spanish.

Ah well maybe one day ..... its good to have something to dream of...

The view at the top of the axel hotel - where i stayed some of this week

There was always a good view from the rooftop of this hotel. I well recommend it.

Enjoying all things spanish

My mate Bart is a teacher so he came along to Barcelona for a few days too. We found plenty of Spanish and Catalan culture to keep us busy - from Gaudi, to Sangria, rambling thrhough Las Ramblas and doing a day trip to Sitges.

Barcelona is still my favourite International city

With these pictures - I still think Barcelona wins as my favourite international city. I just could wander these streets for hours and soak up the sun and the beauty of this city.

Old and new blend well here.. and in case you want to die here ..

I was really impressed with the arcitecture here. Even in new areas - buildings are all unique (Sydney councils take note) . There are also really appropriate additions such as the nuts and bolts column and the huge gate picture above.

In addition the many many homewares shops that adorn the streets of amsterdam (cruel to take me to as i could not bring things back in baggage) we also saw an environmentally friendly coffin store where you can not only pick out your own coffin but also have it remodelled as a piece of furniture such as a bookshelf till you are ready to use it !!! Bizarre but so funny at the same time.

HIstorical buildings and its Red light district.. XXX ?

For such a charming city its kind of ironice that nestled among the beautiful buildings is a thriving sex industry. No visit is complete without a stroll along the well worn path of cobble stone streets beside these canals. Anyone fancy some fruit salad ? Apparently thats not all thats on the menu at the club pictured above.

Is it just me or does anyone else find it amusing the street bollards in amsterdam that have the letters XXX - Is that really a historical reference to the three disasters that have wiped out the city or simply its content rating for visitors.. hmmmm i think i need a poll on that ...

Riding Bikes in amsterdam- a highlight of my trip

This really is a great city to see on bike. For three days I spent my time here seeing this city by bike. It was amazing - there was a really good mix of old and new in Amsterdam - keeping alive the character if this very charming place.

Bart was a sensational host - showing me the city, its new islands, his old unit, and some fantastic sights along the way.

I was so glad I added a visit to this city. A must see destination.

Socialising in Amsterdam

I got to catch up with the two separate groups of friends while in town - Frank (jos was on the phone) and his friends from South Carolina. And Bart and his boyfriend Craig all came along for a night of Chinese food in Amsterdam. We also spent some time with Frans and Theo (but i forgot my camera that day !!! darn)

Another night Bart and Craig took me to the turchinski theatre(an old art deco theatre) to see Ratatouille .

Amsterdam is an amazing City

I think - one of the best things about travel is spontaneity. And Amsterdam for me represented just that. This was an add on after meeting some fantastic Dutch people in Madrid.

I fell in love with this city very quickly. I arrived at night (grumpy and tired after delayed flights ) and sorry about the blurry pic above) but the canals look majestic of an evening.

I was quickly getting lost in the magic of this city.




(just as my friend Victor form Madrid says - No plans Daniel) . I think I have learnt something while I am away for sure