Prague: Fairytale city

Day 9

The train ride down to Dresden wasn't particularly interesting but from there onwards my eyes started to become transfixed on the magnificent scenery. The rail route between Dresden and Prague follows the Elbe river, where a steep valley has been gouged out by the water. On several occasions I was tempted to use my camera despite knowing it wouldn't do the landscape justice. So instead I had to be content to sit and soak it in as the train wound its way towards the city. After disembarking the train at the station, I had a brief moment of panic as I remembered id left my travel diary behind on the train. Luckily for me the train wasn't in too much of a hurry to leave so I managed to quickly jump aboard and retrieve it without too much drama. The station proved a distinct contrast to the more westernised transportation system id become accustomed to. The main hallway had a series of dodgy looking exchange booths, uninviting food stalls and a general feeling of uncleanness. Trying to make sense of the transport system was a little tricky also, at least compared to London or Germany's transportation network. So instead of simply catching the underground trains, known as the 'Metro' I mistakenly caught a bus in a random direction in which i hoped would lead to the town somewhere. About 20 minutes later having realised the error of my ways i got off and caught the next bus back to the train station, feeling a little stupid. Eventually having made it to the 'new town' section of the city I found the hostel which more resembled a hotel with its reception, lifts and stylish appearance.

 

 

Washing is unfortunately a necessary evil associated with living out of a backpack and for those who don't have mothers to do it for them. Hence every 7 days or so a visit to the nearest laundromat is required in the case that wherever I'm staying doesn't offer such a service. After dropping off my soiled clothes at a place not too far away i wandered down to the other, larger train station which is located just outside the old town. On my list of things to do was to buy a overnight train ticket to Krakow for my departure in a few days time. Having bought the ticket it meant there was once less thing to worry about.

 

 

Day 10

Today i thought id explore the city by foot and see the main attraction in Prague, the castle. After stopping at a supermarket for supplies for the day i made my way along the river up towards the Charles Bridge. There was limited visibility due to cloud cover but despite this the autumn colours i.e. browns, reds and yellows that you could see on all the foliage made up for it. On the waters edge i spotted men braving the cold fishing on the rivers edge while other locals choose to fish from boats near the bridge. Braving the tourist traps (which are quite frequent) in close proximity to the bridge i made my way onto Charles bridge to inspect the statues lining its walls and take in the view in either direction. Luckily for me as it was early, i didn't have to zig zag my way through a throng of people so instead i enjoyed the rather pleasant stroll. About half way along there was a man turning a metal handle on a curious contraption that was like a sort of one man band. I think 'music out of a can' seems most appropriate to describe what it sounded like.

 

The road up to the castle was lined on either side by all manner of touristy restaurants enticing you to sit at their tables. I eventually made it up the relatively steep hill to find myself looking at the large entrance gate complete with gargoyles and two stern faced guards. Having bought my ticket I entered the inner courtyard containing the immensely large gothic cathedral. Its similarity to the one id seen only recently in Cologne was striking. The Queue was quite large and full of tour groups containing mostly Czech people in their mid forties. Inside was what you'd expect from a cathedral of this size and nature. The highlight was of course the view from the tower which would of been even better if it wasn't so cloudy. Advertised as having 287 steps, I counted 296, which is not too far off the mark.

Next on the list of things to see was the old palace a few metres away. In there was an assortment of rooms with nothing of particular interest in them apart from some old portraits and family tree's painted on the wall. One of the large main halls was apparently used for indoor jousting tournaments. Next was the so called 'Golden Lane,' which was essentially some small quaint coloured buildings filled with touristy goodies of different varieties. Luckily at the end of the lane they had something which did appeal to me, an old prison tower full of torture devices. Inside you could see the pit they use to keep the nastiest criminals which looked a bit like something you'd find in a video game. No torture display would be complete either without a large executioners axe. It's No wonder they refer to the period as the dark ages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon exiting the gate at the other end of the castle from where I had entered I sat patiently for the changing of the guard. This occurs every hour and was worth the watch as id never seen anything like it before to my memory. The gardens surrounding the castle made for

a nice spot for a picnic lunch, unfortunately the food didn't live up to the location. Here I observed a guard pausing to admire the view across the city, which isn't too shabby as far as views go. Having a full belly i set off in search of that elusive 'gem' which can be found when you off exploring without any real purpose. The back streets at the end of the castle were pretty but it was the large garden on the other side of the castle where i located a pristine sanctuary to relax or as I

sometimes like to think of it, 'kill some time'.

     

    

I made my way up a hill west of the castle where resided Prague's answer to the Eiffel tower although in miniature size. I didn't climb up it as id already conquered the cathedral tower, the real thing in Paris is on the agenda in the not to distant future.There were various buildings on the top of the hill but i decided to have some more chill time as well as smell the roses, in a literal as well as figurative sense. That evening I went down to the Old town square which is in my opinion the place to be in Prague as its where you see architecturally where the hype surrounding the city comes from, whether its justified or not is another matter. As the sun set on the city i slowly made my way back in the direction of the far inferior New Town. A place where you just feel like your in another underdeveloped, dirty, post communist city. So the lesson to be learned from that is, make sure you stay in the old town!

            

              

Day 11

I had read about somee cool places outside of Prague in my trust Lonely Planet guidebook and thought they'd be worth checking out. One of those was a Chateau formerly owned by the archduke Franz Ferdinand who was famously assassinated. To kick the day off I got my usual stash of food supplies, most often a cartoon of juice, some chocolate and fruit. The nearest town to the chateau was a place called Benesov, about an hour and 15 minutes by train from Prague. Following some basic directions in my LP I made my along a country road and was quite surprised there was no signage whatsoever to this place. A huge carpark at the bottom of a hill hinted that it was nearby, along with an assortment of touristy takeaway food outlets. I could imagine it being quite full in summer time but in the middle of October there was only a single tour bus to be found. There was a short but steep incline to the building itself which was quite stunning, yet simple in design. The structure itself was rectangular in shape and had a turret in each corner with all the outside walls being fully rendered. Upon circumnavigating it I located the entrance and bought my ticket for the English tour.

With some time before it started i wandered around the nice gardens situated in the  large grounds surrounding the Chateau. For ages I stood in awe at the magnificent black bear that had found its home here. It looked so lonely, yet so cute and cuddly :) I loved him. Apparently Franz kept a couple of bears as pets so the new owners kept up the tradition once he left. Luckily for those unlucky enough to fall in the pit, he wouldn't devour them in a second as he was a vegetarian!

 

 

The tour commenced with  a young Czech lady guided us through a door in the west hand side of the inner courtyard. We walked through several rooms including a small chapel, smoking room and even a working elevator. Franz had fitted the place out with all the luxury items that made it very modern for its time e.g. flushing toilets and electricity. All the original furniture was arranged as it was found including stools of varying heights according to a person's height. The walls were adorned with paintings and portraits ranging from people in the Hapsburg empire, (from which Franz Ferdinand was from) to family tree's and sketches of hunting trips. Most impressive was the extensive weapons and Armour collection which is apparently the third largest in Europe. As far as weapons were concerned it contained a huge array of pistols, rifles, swords and other stabbing implements i.e swords. The intricacy of the engravings was what struck me, making me think the worth of such items must be gigantic. Never had i seen anything like it, nor will i ever again i have a feeling. The same could be said for the unfathomable number of animal trophies he had collected over his lifetime. The recorded document speak for themselves: 300 000 animals shot, of which over 3000 are in Konopiste castle! The tour i went on didn't include the large hall with the majority of the animals but i did see some smaller halls that still left you in awe. All of the antlers were numbered to mark momentous occasions such as his 1000th kill. Obsessive killing which as you could imagine wouldn't be tolerated in our society today. It was quite eery looking at the head's of so many amazing creatures that were of all of all shapes and sizes. Bears, tigers, deer, birds, leopards and even an elephant were among the victims that made up the macabre exhibition lining the walls. Unfortunately i was not allowed to take photographs but i made sure i got a couple of postcards to show the folks back home.

There is smallish lake about 2.5km in circumference near the castle which i thought id wander around. As mentioned previously Autumn was in full swing so leaves littered the ground creating a blanket over the ground. It all made for a very pleasant and picturesque stroll. At the far end of the lake I came across some fisherman of which were all around the lake, who happened to be reeling in a fish as I was approaching them! I stood and watched eagerly in suspense, fearing it would struggle and break free at any moment. It was all safe in the end though and on closer inspection the fish looked something like a carp.

   

 

 

Back at the carpark i snacked on a Bratwurst before slowly beginning the walk back to the train station. It was here that i had a rather frightful moment. There was a train waiting on the platform which i was oblivious to the fact it was heading to Prague. I thought id go and ask someone on the platform where it was headed, unaware it was just preparing to leave. The man nodded and i went to get in just as the doors were closing and as a result got half my body stuck in the doors! In a frantic panic i started pushing with my free hand to get my forearms free. A lady inside the train was also helping me from the other side. Eventually i wriggled free after much effort, just as the train started moving. A close call, which could of ended up much worse then it did. The next train wasn't for another hour but i didn't mind as i spent the time reflecting on the events of the day.

 

Day 12

Saturday had arrived and with it some R and R. After sleeping in i grabbed some food and ate it in the Old town square. People watching is a great way to pass the time and there's no better place to do it then the centre of town. There was no shortage of interesting people in Prague. One older man I encountered stood in the corner of the square wearing a tux and playing the saxophone. It sounded quite crusty and occasionally he'd pause from playing and break out into a song whilst his stereo played in the background. Meanwhile there was a steady stream of horse carriages, taking tourists on twenty minute rides around the city. There was a mix of horses and carriages all in a range of colours, i think i counted around six unique carts. At midday the astronomical clock in the square did a rather under whelming display, consisting of a miniature skeleton and man pounding a bell. The crowd that showed up to see it was surprisingly quite large, with camera's blazing from all directions at the spectacle.

I decided to do some more exploring and really get a feel for the city and its people. This sometimes means walking off in a random direction to see the inhabitants of a city going about their daily lives. Having walked through the Jewish quarter and northern district i found myself at a bridge leading to the more urban parts of the city. It didn't hold much appeal to me but i thought id have a look as apparently there was a skate park in the vicinity. It just so happened there was a BMX bike competition being held that day, with youths around the high school age everywhere. They had two sections set up for separate comp's: the skate park with its ramps and fun boxes for ticks and a flat paved section where the emphasis was more on style (known as Flatland BMX). They rotated between participants practicing and timed runs where they were judged. The skill level i saw varied quite considerably but i didn't see any real amazing tricks which is not surprising as they were only kids. I enjoyed however seeing them interact with one another and there accompanying dress sense, noting tight jeans seemed to be a necessity. 

 

 

After a while it became obvious the enjoyment factor was gradually decreasing so i decided id depart and plan tomorrow's adventures. I made my way back towards the hostel through the east end of the city and stumbled across the national military museum in the process. It was much like any other military museum and therefore wasn't particularly interesting.

 

Day 13

Id read about Karlstejn Castle in my lonely planet and having been not really been to a 'castle' that encompassed everything I imagined, I thought it would be worth checking out. I had an early start to the day and headed once more to the train station to buy a ticket for the 40 min journey. After getting off at the station it was a short walk before arriving in a valley where the streets where lined with typical tourist food and for lack of a better word, junk shops. In the distance I could see the huge castle looming ominously over the small buildings below and was the exact picture in my mind of what a typical castle should look like, situated on a hill. As I walked up the path around the back I occasionally looked up to see what sort of things were luring sightseer's from the reason from coming here in the first place. Among a few oddities was a man in a medieval costume holding a bird, charging people to have their photograph taken with him. This was a ploy i hadn't come across until that time, thinking what sort of person would pay for such a service.

Upon arrival at the entrance i realised that an English tour was just departing but opted to go on the later one in order to have a look around the walls and check out the 80m well which was apparently not even used. The tour group was large, around fifty people which gave a good indication this was quite a popular tourist sight. The guide took use through the rooms giving us a rundown of its history (built in 1348), its occupants and what its purpose was. It was in fact built to house the crown jewels and the room used to house them has walls 7.5m. To make it even more secure the room requires seven separate keys to enter, each held by different people i.e. President, Prime Minister etc. You can see a replica of the crown, made of solid gold and weighing a hefty 25kg. Can't be very comfortable! Back in Prague I dined on some pizza and spent the rest of the daylight sitting on some church step, reading and people watching. Eventually I collected my luggage then headed to the train station in preparation for my overnight train to Krakow in Poland!

Berlin: Vast and evolving

Day 5

It was a pleasant four hour journey on the train through the German countryside to the capital of Germany. I got to experience the blindingly fast 'intercity' trains firsthand, eyeing off the 250kph reading displayed on the screen from my seat. Sadly the trains would only become increasingly slower as I journeyed further into the shroud that is Eastern Europe. It was to be a memorable occasion in one other way as well. I slowly became aware of the serene sensation one gets when staring out of a carriage into the blurred landscape. My thoughts would start drifting ever deeper as if I had no cares  or worries to occupy my mind. It was to be the first time of several occasions where id experience this emotion and Id come to relish the relaxation it brought with it.

   

The recently opened Berlin main station was a huge modern complex consisting of several levels and was a prime example of the cities ambitions for the future. I didn't spend long admiring it though as I had more pressing matters at hand such as finding where id be sleeping for the next four nights. Much to my surprise upon entering my dorm there were three girls from Aus staying in my room and two of them were from Launceston! The cliche 'its a small world' began to take on a whole new meaning. Having ditched my enormously large backpack I walked to the Potsdamer Platz. It is essentially a large square of vacant land (which there was a great deal of post ww2) that has seen extensive development on it i.e high rise buildings. The Sony complex located there has a cool design and contains a cinema which I was to divulge in frequently. Standing there under the glass roof gave me a sense of what the 'new' Berlin encapsulated whilst on the ground level remnants of the Berlin wall served as a grim reminder of the past. All around the city you can find the boundary line on the ground of where the wall once lay.

 Day 6

In the reviews I had read of this particular hostel they had mentioned that the breakfast quite good and they weren't wrong. The whole upstairs floor contained an large array of breakfast food some familiar some not so much. Plastic cheese, bread and salami/ham seem to be the standard fare around much of Europe. I left feeling rather full upon beginning the short walk down the road to the Jewish Museum. Berlin is well known for having a large array of excellent museums and the Jewish museum turned out to be no exception.

                            

It was unusual in that the architecture and design of the rooms complemented the content on display. So instead of being bombarded with information it gave the viewer its own personal interpretation. Thought provoking spaces such as the 'Garden of Exile' where works of art in themselves and although simple provided a thought provoking space for some quiet contemplation. Another such space was a tower filled with 10 000 iron faces to symbolise those affected by the Holocaust. Four hours later I left having high expectations for what else Berlin had to offer. The next museum I visited definitely lived up to, if not exceeded those expectations.

The Pergamon Museum was a fourty five minute walk away located on what is called the 'Museum Island'. I thought it was impressive on the eye from the outside but it was nothing compared to the interior. Inside it contained no less then three huge reconstructed buildings from the ancient world. Interestingly the Pergamon altar which hails from Greece and from which the museum is named after, appears to have a reference to it in the bible: Revelation 2:12-13: "In Pergamos where Satan's Throne is". You can appreciate this statement more when you see the 'battle of the gods' depicted on the frieze around the outside of the structure. The other main attraction was the Ishtar Gate, one of the inner city gates in ancient Babylon. It was constructed of blue glazed tiles with alternating rows of bas-relief dragons and aurochs.The sheer size of the wall was jaw dropping and to think it was only an 'inner gate'...

                         

I made my way back towards the Potsdamer Platz passing on the way the 'Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe'. I didn't really know  how to interpret the memorial, finding the stone blocks made for a somewhat confusing arrangement. This was in part due to the fact it was so large, foreboding and didn't have any readily accessible information for the passer by. Scale was once again used to great affect and seemed to be a common element seen throughout city. I finished the day off with a visit to the cinema to watch the final installment in the Bourne series.

                    

Day 7

The sound of my alarm woke me up early in what was a time more suitable to a school morning. Having been fueled for another day I set out in the chilly Berlin air towards the German parliament, aka the Reichstag. I arrived to find only a very small queue to the building, thus successfully avoiding the 2 hour waits I had been warned about. After passing through some rather tight security I hopped on a lift to the top where a huge glass dome had been constructed a few years ago. Around the base of the dome was a series of images explaining the history of the Reichstag. After the history lesson I walked up the ramp to the top of the dome and admired the excellent view of the Berlin skyline.

                             

Another nearby monument and also one of the main symbols of Berlin is the Brandenburg Gate. I chilled here and did some people watching until 11am when it was time to go on a free walking tour of the city! Sipping on my second hot chocolate from nearby Starbucks I watched as the large group of people that had gathered for the tour were divided up several times. Firstly into those who spoke Spanish, then French and finally the vast majority who remained wanting an English guide. Coincidently i was placed with Aussie named Andrew who knew nearly everything there is to know about Berlin and its history. Having lived in the city for eight years and doing a masters degree in German history may have had something to do with it. For the next approximately four hours we walked around the city getting insightful and often humorous information delivered to us in an interesting way. Andrew's vast knowledge was inspiring and his enthusiasm for the city clearly evident. Just before the tour ended, he retold the final gripping moments before the Berlin walls collapse with great enthusiasm. As the guides and the tour company worked on a tips basis I gave him the few remaining euros in pocket in what would of easily been worth 20 or more in other cities. My impression of Berlin was vastly enhanced as a result and I left with a desire to visit this ever changing city again in the future.

I spent the rest of my afternoon at the nearby Egyptian Museum, another of the museums on the island. The artifacts included a good range of sculptures and busts and some curious looking pages from the 'book of the dead'. A very famous piece, the vividly coloured bust of Queen Nefertiti was also on display. There's something about artifacts that are very old and well preserved that makes them fascinating! I had another quiet evening in front of a cinema screen, this time it was a enjoyable yet silly Grind house flick.

Day 8

I was at of a bit of loss at what to do today as id done most of what I'd set out to do before coming here. After tossing up a few ideas in my head I decided id take a look at the final museum on 'the island' before going on another walking tour! Despite Berlin's attractions being relatively far away from one another I persisted in walking everywhere I went. This way I got to see more of the city and its people. I adopted the practice of not using public transportation as much as possible throughout my travels. On my wanderings I managed to spot a very rare and fast super car, which for all you car buffs was a Ferrari Enzo. Very cool.

The Bode Museum was somewhat of a disappointment especially when compared to the other two on the island. It contained some sculptures and Byzantine art but neither held any real interest to me. The interior of the building however was quite grand with marble floors and staircases while the exterior's architecture had a Byzantine look about it. I walked into old east Berlin briefly but didn't find it very exciting visually with the exception of the gigantic T.V tower, the second tallest structure in Europe  which somehow finds its way into almost every photograph you take.

                           

Back at the Starbucks meeting point I joined a small group that was to make up the Third Reich tour. This one wasn't free but I knew that combined with my interest in WW2 it would be would be well worth the price of admission. Andrew's expertise was once again on hand to provide me with insightful information about the buildings and structures we looked at. So brisk was our walking pace at one stage that we managed to leave behind an elderly couple on the tour who then proceeded to turn back. Embarrassingly he was so caught up with answering questions he only realised after having been told by another member of the tour! We came across quite a few memorials to various people who died during the war such as the Soviet soldiers and those killed in concentration camps. Some in my mind did justice to there memory while others were not to the level that would seem appropriate. It is good however to have something rather then nothing. One building we were shown they were doing filming for a film by Tom Cruise based on the events of an assassination attempt on Hitler's life. Andrew then relayed the story of how he had given Tom a tour of the city. Once the discussion had ended we walked for a while before stopping while our guide went into a library to return some books. Seemed like he must be pressed for time and rightly so, as it so happened this was his last tour in order for him to be able to concentrate more on his studies. The last place our little group visited was the location of Hitler's Bunker, the place where he committed suicide. Unfortunately there was no going inside as it was destroyed by the Soviets after they had stormed the capital. I felt a tinge of sadness as the tour concluded but felt privileged that I got to hear perhaps the last tour he'd ever do.

Day 9

I got my breakfast fill one final time before catching a bus to the main train station leaving me a chance to explore it in more detail. One thing I noticed was that the majority of food takeaway outlets you find scattered throughout most cities seemed to be all in the train station as opposed to in the city itself. Maybe the Germans don't want to appear to be selling out? Anyhow I wasn't hungry so it didn't matter and all I needed was a bottle of water to see me through the stunningly picturesque train ride to Prague!

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First stop, Cologne

My planned two month journey commenced early in the morning of October 2nd. The previous evening there had been a birthday so it was not until late that night that i managed to get some much needed sleep. The sound of my alarm at half past 3 gave me a sense of excitement in anticipation of what lay in front of me. After finishing packing i through on my bag and left the house in the direction of the bus stop. I would have to catch no less then 3 buses to get to Victoria stn, where i would then catch a train to Gatwick Airport. Thankfully all went smoothly and i managed to catch all the buses in time. It was a rather uneventful and short flight to Germany.

These trains have some pace to them.

As i stepped out of the plane i thought to myself, at last I've made it! To understand the significance of this statement you would need to have known that both my brother and sister were lucky enough to have been to Germany as children. This left me being slightly envious at their good fortune in contrast to what i maybe thought at the time was a case of me being abandoned. However that was a long time ago and now i had long since realised that with Independence comes certain freedom's. Therefore i made the decision to wait for my cousin to return from his extensive trip down under before i began my journey.

An imposing sight that you can see from almost anywhere in Cologne.

My initial encounter with the German rail system was indeed a positive one. The platforms themselves spoke a great deal about the efficiency, cleanliness and reliability that i had heard about. The trains themselves were very quiet and combined with the simple, plain colour scheme impressed me enough to give them the tick over the London underground offerings. Another feature of the Deutch bahn is the lack of turnstiles that grace every train station you'll find in London. I thought to myself at the time, what do they try to achieve through this method? Surely it gives the commuter an invitation to avoid fare's combined with the lack of signage warning of the consequences of such behaviour. My curiosity later lead me to ask Tobias what the deal was. His response expressed the same confusion i felt, but it could be a variety of reasons.

Tall and Gothic in nature

Having navigated the Hauptbahnhof, i stood waiting in anticipation of Tobias's arrival. Just outside the station i could spy the huge towering Cathedral that dominates the view of the city from just about any vantage point. We set off together in the direction of his flat, a mere 5 min walk. He had come on his pushbike, which soon became apparent was by far the best and easiest way of getting around. Luckily for me he had a spare bike which i was more then happy to make use of. I was pretty trashed so i spent the rest of the afternoon catching up on sleep. Once Tobias was back from work we set off for a nearby Italian place to eat. After downing some pizza we met up with some of Tobias's friends, a couple who lived in a flat just above where we were eating. The couple had a small baby and the father's occupation was quite peculiar as he was apparently a neuro surgeon. He took the both of us through where the baby was sleeping up a ladder to the roof. It was surprising how few high rise buildings there were, apparently this was nothing was allowed to be built in close proximity to the Cathedral. The rest of the night Tobias acted as my tour guide, showing me around the sights whilst letting me know everything about everything. It was quite impressive how he could recall seemingly endless amounts of info on pretty much anything.

Tobias reminiscing of his more youthful days

Day 2
Today was a public holiday, being the day Germany unified. A perfect excuse to sleep in! Brunch consisted of some delicious German bread and an assortment of cheeses, yum. We finally got outside around midday before heading to the Cologne city museum. It contained an assortment of interesting things connected with the city. We then spent a short time in the massive Gothic cathedral opposite the train station. Tobias had mean while organised for us to drive with his friends (with whom i had met last night) to some old industrial factories. We walked up what i assume was a big iron smelter, looking at all the pipes, bolts etc that made up its construction. I could appreciate how difficult it would be to understand just how it all works. The top platform was a little over 60m tall. This gave me a good view of some of the industry and mines in the far distance, a lot of which is no longer in use. We explored a little more before we headed back to the car park, snacking on some of the local fare (Currywurst) along the way. That evening we saw the Disney film, Ratatouille which was an enjoyable feel good flick.

Outer Cologne from 60m up

Day 3

Tobias had to work on Thursday but i had already organised to meet up with his father who lived in Bonn, about half an hour by train. In the morning he took me to the building where he worked and showed me around. He did a short recording of a teaser for some comedy festival, this is his main task for the Cologne radio station. I got to watch as the lady very eloquently spoke this 60 sec promo, which would be then later edited with music added etc. Afterwards i took the train to Bonn and got picked up by Klaus, an interesting man who i would describe as being typically 'German'. At his house i found a very simple and what some might describe as backward dwelling with very little evidence of any modern technology present. I accepted the offer of a second breakfast just to be polite as we discussed his work in the field of Nuclear Power safety. Christoph, Tobias's brother had come to Australia when i was quite young but he looked completely different when i saw him. He keenly showed me his cd collection and speakers which he had apparently been wanting to get for some eight years. Klaus took me in his car around some of the sights, the first a big Monastery on a hill with practising monks inside. Then we checked out the city centre of Bonn, where Beethoven lived. There was a cool sculpture of him and you could see his house in the streets. A short drive later and a hike up a hill (Oil mountain in English) and i found myself overlooking the area. Unfortunately today was a bit cloudy but Klaus was content to smoke his pipe while i took photo's of the misty hills. Dinner was at a Chinese restaurant by the Rhine, where we could watch the boats or lack there of float past. The slightly crazy Christoph took me to the train station back to Cologne and ultimately back to Tobias's place. A hotly contested game of chess ensued to finish the day.

3d statue of Beethoven in Bonn

Day 4

Today was Friday and i didn't do all that much. A notably nice breakfast at a funky cafe kicked things off. I bid farewell to my cousin before heading in the direction of the Cathedral with the goal of climbing the south tower. At the top i was rewarded with a nice view of the city and a look at the massive 24 tonne bell which apparently only gets used on special occasions. The cathedral treasury was another part of the ticket but it turned out to be slightly disappointing with mainly a collection of robes/clothes priests wore along with other ceremonial gear. I thought id ride along the Rhine just to get a feel of the place and check out a chocolate museum which was in the same direction. I looked inside but didn't go in, i slightly regretted the decision later when i found out you could drink chocolate from a stream. If only id have known! Anyhow i found my way to one of the old roman gate's found in the city where i met up with Tobias for lunch. I was directed to an outdoors shop nearby where i picked up some cheap pants and a jumper. That evening we hired a car and drove about an hour out of town to see a Ska band with whom Tobias was good friends with. It was held in a small nightclub venue with approximately 100 people turning out to see the gig. The support band and the main band were both quite good, having a really fun playing style. The only downside being that i probably inhaled more smoke in that one night then i had in my entire life! Oh and my clothes stank. I was to become quite accustomed to this though. There was an afterparty afterwards which we stayed at briefly although i must say i was relieved to be going back to a nice warm bed. The next day i would catch (run to) the train to Berlin, cutting it quite fine in the end :P On the whole i liked Cologne and had a good time hanging out with my 'super' German cousin :)

Serbian Ska band Trovaci

Venezia

Hello,
Well today was the last day of what was a fantastic camp. The traditional Italian fare awaited us one final time before everyone received an Italian farewell (lots of kisses). We set off about 10am with Dan, Alice and co in the direction of a city by the name of Venice. The trip was supposebly meant to take four hours and in that time we left the mountainous region of the Dolomites behind in exchange for a flat dry landscape. Around two hours into the trip and we'd made our way back to Verona, our place of arrival. Unfortunately i wouldn't get to see the home of Romeo and Juliet but i felt assured greater things were in store for me elsewhere. Eventually the road turned into a four lane highway and the signs for those traveling to Venice became more and more frequent. I didn't really know what to expect as far as how it would look entering the city. I think i may have even forgot that it was surrounded by a lagoon, how silly of me! I was therefore quite surprised to find how industrious the area was before getting on the long bridge that made its way to the bus/train depot. Dan and Al returned the van to the rental company while the rest of us waited on the side of the road with our luggage in the hot midday sun. A weird feeling came over me as i began to appreciate what a unique part of the world i was in. A couple of hundred meters down the Grand Canal (the main canal in Venice) lay the train station and accompanying tourist office. Along the way i spotted the entrance to my hostel, that was easy to find i thought to myself. I bid farewell to the guys and headed for the train station where i bought a map. The lady at the reception gave me another map and the pointed out the major sights, places to eat etc. My room had was quite spacious and contained four spacious beds and a shared bathroom. Opposite was a small room which had two of the oldest and dogiest computers ive ever seen/used. The reverse of the cliche 'no expense was spared' would be applicable in this instance. However i must admit i did brave the tedious slowness of the machines on a few occasions. First on the list was a visit to the local supermarket which was located back near the bus depot. I stocked up on some fruit, OJ and other assorted goods that i thought would make up a decent breakfast. After this i headed out towards the northern Cannaregio district which is the more quiet and peaceful area in Venice. It was really nice and peaceful walking through the streets and not seeing any tourists whatsoever! I got lost but i think if you come to Venice you'll soon discover its inevitable and just a part of the experience. One alleyway i came across had no less the three cats sleeping in the shade (see pic). i kept wandering in the same direction in an effort to get to the most northern part of the district. Children were playing in the streets, and having fun. Seeing the locals in their environment was a nice contrast to what i would encounter for the rest of my stay.

I had a look for somewhere nice and relatively cheap to eat but couldnt really find anything that appealed to me. There are heaps of budget and slightly run down restaurants to choose from, as well as the pizza by the slice offerings everywhere you looked but they didnt look very appealing. Every 50m or so in every direction you will find a Gelati stalls were you can buy the delicious ice cream the Italians are famous for! The choice of flavours is great and the price quite reasonable to at around 1.80 Euro for two scoops or 2.50 for three. Yellow signs are on the sides of buildings on all the major paths to help direct you to the major attractions, San Marco, Rialto and the Galleria. I thought i may as well check out the famous Rialto bridge as it was in the general vicinity. Once i had criss crossed my way over bridges and through the maze of streets i found a hive of activity on the bridge itself. It provided a nice view of the Grand canal where you could see the comings and goings of the numerous water taxi's and gondolas. I decided upon having an early night and make the most of Saturday evening to see what the Venice nightlife had to offer.

Saturday was where i packed in all the must see sights in Venice. To start things off i went inside one of the many Churches you can find in Venice. There is no shortage of them that's for sure, however i was recommended four in particular by the lady at the hostel. After this i walked towards the Accademia Galleria...'Accademy of Venice is one of the most prestigious of Italy, keeping paintings of Venetian school since the Middle Age to masters of the Renaissance with masterpieces by Bellini, Tiziano, Giorgione, Tintoretto, Veronese...' Inside there were 21 rooms, all of which had interesting pieces. Around two hours of art gazing was all i could muster before i had to get outside into the sun. It was a shortish walk from here over a bridge before the tourist masses started gathering in the rush towards the main square. There was an attractive tour guide leading a huge group of around 50 people so i followed along with them in the hope they were going where i thought they were. On eventual arrival at the square i was awestruck at the size and grandeur of its appearance. The rows of grey windows on the buildings on either side and the Basilica of San Marco at the far end made for an impressive sight. It suddenly occured to me why this is where all the tourists go! I had read somewhere in our hostel about there being no eating in the square but hadnt payed much attention to it for whatever reason. it was hence a surprise to me when i got told off for attempting to eat a sandwich on a step. I sat and watched as literally hundreds of pigeons swarmed as a one entity in all directions. People everywhere were either feeding, watching or posing for photo's with these scummy birds. I decided to eat my lunch down by the water's edge to avoid any trouble before going in the the Basilica. The wait in the line wasn't too bad maybe 10-15 minutes. There were signs displayed saying that you werent allowed to bring bags into the building and that they had to be taken to a baggage hold in a street nearby. I didn't feel like leaving the queue though so i watched as other got told to line backup before it was my turn to be inspected. My not so ingenious plan was to hold onto my backpack behind my back and avoid it being spotted. This managed to get me past the initial man but a few min later i was spotted so unfortunately had to deposit my bag like everyone else :) Once i found myself inside once more i got the appreciate the amazing work that had been put into the building. The entire inside ceiling was composed of tiny gold mosaics and the scale of it was quite unlike anything id ever seen. They had a small room off to the side which was the treasury. Upstairs there was a museum and the entrance to the balcony from where you could view the whole square. After i felt id had sufficient viewing time i kept wondering through the museum, there was more interesting examples of mosaics and how they are made as well as three very old, lifelike bronze horse statues.

Afterwards i made my way to Doge's Palace, a huge tall building with a magnificent view of the entire city. The elevator took about 20 people up to the top where everyone crowded round the various vantage points. I systematically made my way around, patiently waiting for a space to present itself. It gave a great aerial perspective of the city, islands and mainland. I felt compelled to stay as long as possible due to the rather hefty cost. That evening i got to experience the Venice nightlife. I found it was as busy during the day as it was at night, San Marco square all lit up was particualry nice. Making my way back i came across several African men selling fake bags on the side of the street. This is a common occurence in the city where youll find them selling bag's, sunglasses and the like. These guys started packing up their makeshift setup and running for their lives because of what i assume must have been the police having spotted them. I followed them along and got talking to one guy who i think was from Somalia. I tried to take a photo of them but i think he was afraid i show it to the authorities as he was quite against the idea :) Another interesting situation i stumbled across was where there was a cat perched up on the flower baclony of one of the buildings. A small crowd had gathered in front of the helpless kitty until out of nowhere a few guys hopped up and promptlz rescued the kitten. The next day i went to the last of the magnificent churches youll find in Venice, one of which was in the middle of a service(it was sunday)! I wish i had gone to one of the islands instead of lazing about in the sun eating icecream. Ah well. 3 hours early to the airport as well to cap it off! To cut a long story short i got home at 2.30am with work the next day :) Travelling is certainly not routine. Next post will be about my experiences in Germany, the motherland. Watch this space...

Chair lift ride

Heya, this post will be brief as i am still a while of finishing this trip. Anyhow on the last day of camp there was another mountain to conquer. This particular mountain was quite high and required a chairlift to the top. After a steep ascent by car to the base of a hill it was discovered that the lift was out of action as it was lunch time. The chairlift ride rode us up over a hill then down again to another platform..then up the climb to the base of the mountain. The older ladies got a ride up with a friendly local in a 4 wheel drive. We all ate the local fare at a restaurant which was located about 500m up a sharp rise. I had some delicious pasta with mushroom sauce and half a strudel. It was quite chilly and windy being so high up but i was keen to tackle the 1km or so climb to the very top. A few had already set off earlier and i passed them on their way down. At the top the view showed the whole surrounding area and i got a real sense of the mountainous region. That evening there was a market in the village centre. People selling wares and food, as well as a brass band consisting of 6 blokes who were very energetic and fun. Forgot to bring my camera with me which i was spewing about afterwards. Afterwards played some cards, Chinese 500 and i won! :D That was about it for today.

The view from the restaurant down towards the chairlift.

Thats one sheer drop.

The view from the top. Me posing.

hmm friesian cow, it was a surreal feeling hearing the peaceful sound of their bell's