Peace Be The Journey- Berlin/Dresden, Germany

Heading into Germany I prepared myself for the hectic week ahead. First stop was Berlin, the epicentre of The Cold War, World War I, World War II and the Holocaust. Nine times bigger then the city of Paris, Berlin is ridiculously overwhelming. With every inch of it covered in history, the city itself was very interesting to the eye. Being desolated by war after war Berlin was completely rebuilt to its former state in the 50's. Although the buildings and cathedrals were created to look old and weathered like the originals to me there was no masking the devastation that had tore this city apart.

Not knowing where to even begin we jumped aboard a free walking tour of the city. The company Sandemans run numerous tours a day where you get to join for free and pay at the end how much you personally think the tour is worth. Starting off at the Brandon Berg Gates the tour runs for three hours stepping you through major sites such as Check Point Charlie, The Jews Memorial, Hitlers Bunkers, The T.V tower, The Berlin Wall, The Nazi Book Burning and so much more. It is the perfect introduction to all that has happened in Berlin and Germany as a whole. There is no such thing as information overload when it comes to Berlin. The more you know the more there is to know. 

The longing for more answers to the hundreds of unanswered questions that floated around in my head lead us to focus more of our time on World War II and The Holocaust. Which lead us to only one place, The Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. When entering the big iron gates that hung the slogan "Arbeit Macht Frei" (Labour will set you free) my heart instantly sank. I didn't know what to expect and I didn't know how to feel. I won't dive to deeply into some of the sites I encountered on this tour, it is definitely not the easiest topic to openly discuss. What I can tell you is that The Sachsenhousen Camp is said to be the model camp for all other concentration camps, both in its design and in its treatment for its prisoners. Established in 1936 the camp was primarily used for political prisoners during World War II. There is no exact documented number of people that have both entered and died in Sachsenhausen. The closet record of any figure was only established in the last ten years when human ashes were found buried in the camp grounds, an astonishing number I think is best not to be reviled. I believe everybody once in there life should go to a concentration camp, the value it holds can not be explained only seen for yourself. 

After attending the concentration camp it was only necessary to back it up with The Memorial To The Murdered Jews Of Europe and the Holocaust Museum which lies underneath. Created by a designer from New York, Peter Eisenman. The memorial took two years to create and piece together. Placed in amongst the busy city lies 19,000m²  of grey cement slabs. Rows of which line up in all different heights and levels. The artist never told anybody what his worked represented, it was said to be a blank canvas for ones own interpretation. Getting inspiration from the Jewish cemetery in Prague, I believe the slabs of cement represent the tombs of the deceast. I also think the obscure layout with all its different levels is meant to overwhelm and confuse you as walk through. The idea is to put you into a situation that makes you feel how you could imagine a Jewish person to feel at that time. As I said there are no right or wrong answers. It is up to ones interpretation.

The Holocaust Museum that lies underneath is phenomenal. It takes you through a timeline of all the events throughout the war and tells you stories of the families that were effected and killed throughout this devastating time. With postcards and journal notes written by prisoners as young as twelve years old. It was a gut-wrenching experience, one I will never forget. It showed you that the mass deaths weren't just another number in history. It took you deeper to see them as the individual human beings they were. 

Rest assured there is a lighter side to Berlin. The night life is said to be some of the best in all of Europe. With dinner and drinks starting at 10pm the night doesn't truly kick start till about 2am. If your not up to dancing until the afternoon the following day there are plenty of chilled bars to hit up. My two personal favourites, Berlin's oldest and biggest traditional beer garden Prater. Spend the evening outside amongst rows of treacle tables enjoying a sausage and stein full of local beer goodness under the fairy light sky. Another great spot is White Trash Fast Food. Its a quirky pub that is decked out in crazy decor and has a fun menu thats perfect for everyone. Downstairs is a great nightclub, smoking room and best of all a tattoo studio, which isn't the best combination after a couple cocktail jugs. I am still not sure how I managed to walk away without and inch of ink although I have plenty of time to make up for that. 

Berlin was a beautiful mess, such an emotional roller coaster. Needing a few days to ease our minds we stopped off at a near by little town Dresden. 

Bombed and completely destroyed at the very end of World War II, Dresden was rebuilt into an Old Town and New Town. Renowned for its porcelain the Old Town is a beautiful place to get lost and wander around aimlessly. What I enjoyed most about Dresden is the fact that there was no pressure to see certain landmarks or fall into tourist traps. Most of our time was spent in the New Town, with a 95% uni student population there is always something going on. By day we found the most amazing vintage shops, downed way to many milkshakes in search of an epiphany and drank our afternoons away with 80cent beers whilst people watching.

 At night the cool place to be was down at the Bermuda Triangle where the streets were filled with youths spilling out of bars and joining the already formed groups that just chilled casually on roads and footpaths. Picnics at the park were always my favourite way to end any night. Accompanied by our Dresden family two Melbourne Girls Carly and Rhiannon and Sydney girl Laura. We spent countless hours eating kebabs, downing 80c long neck beers and paying out James all whilst enjoying some tunes spilling out of the random parks duke box. Such a hard life but somebody has to do it.

Germany had come to a sweet end. With so much more of the country to left to see it felt almost wrong leaving. Reassured that this would not be the last of our time in Germany. I hoped back on the bus ready for yet another amazing European country. 

The Wanderer's Daughter xx         

The Nights You Don't Remember, But Will Never Forget- Amsterdam, Netherlands





Joining the Bus About tour at Paris our next stop on the summer escapade was the notorious Amsterdam, and I couldn't have been more excited. Famous for its open views on prostitution and explicit drug usage of cannabis, makes it a city like no other. But behind all the red lights and hazy clouds of smoke lies a city of true historic beauty. 

Once a land of swamp it was not until the thirteenth century that Amsterdam was carefully engineered and completely re landscaped to successfully sustain living. All I can say is thank goodness they did, because by doing so I personally believe they built one of the most amazing European cites. Everything about Amsterdam is so wrong that it just feels right. It doesn't make any sense and while your there you have no sense. It truly is a world of its own. The flat landscape with its many canals and rows of 17th century tall skinny houses is the perfect scenery, as you explore through the streets minding the hundreds of cyclist dominating the city roads and wander from markets to coffee shops to cafes. 

Our days were spent out in the sunshine. If we weren't on the hunt for flea markets we were lost wandering in the cites pure delight. Heading into a more quieter part of town, Jordaan, a less touristy hot spot. It is perfect location for those vintage hide aways. The one on the top of my list as a must see is Episode, a second hand clothing store chain throughout Europe. Filled with so many great one off pieces, I could happily spend the rest of my life in that store.

Our afternoons would be best spent at the park, where it seemed that half of Amsterdam would congregate. Every man, women child and there bike would be picnicking, drinking beer, playing games and smoking anything and everything. My favourite was when it would get really hot. The people of the park would strip down to there bikinis and speedos and lie out basking in the sun getting a summer tan. The park oozed of a carefree nature and was always the best end to a day and start to an always eventful evening to come.  

At night Amsterdam would come alive, every night was the same routine. We would all congregate in the hostel pub to have a few drinks, grab our Canadian roomies who were our partners in crime, head to the nearest coffee shop and prepare for the huge night ahead. The must see is of course the The Red Light District, I think to be honest we spent far to much of our time there. Before arrival I thought The Red Light District was going to be full of lights, music and a party spilling onto the streets. Obliviously I watched to many movies because it wasn't anything like that. In fact the streets were rather quite and the entire scene had such a serious feel to it. As we walked down the first street and were faced with the row of half naked girls behind there glass door, it hit me. This wasn't some joke nor was it just another tourist attraction. This was actually girls standing out in the open selling themselves for sexual favours. It was there life, there living. The rest of the night was history, we would walk for hours in circles up and down the little red lights. The game plan was follow any man who looks like a potential buyer and lurk around until he enters one of the doors. The best was when you would see people leave the rooms or what was even more amusing was the ones that would get rejected by the girls. When things would begin to slow down there would always be another peep show to go watch, for €2 you can't go wrong. To wrap it all up we would hop from food store to food store all the way back to the hostel. By far the best fast food store in the world is Febo. Febo is just a little store with a glass box wall full of burgers and other foods. The idea is to walk up to a box slot in your coins open up your door and grab your steaming hot burger, its the fastest fast food around. James and I would spend 85% of our time in and out of Febo's, best invention yet. The best thing about our food rampage was when we would get lost coming home we would always just retrace our steps and follow all the places we ate the night before. Got us home safe and sound every time. 

If your up for some sight seeing and a bit of history Amsterdam is still the city for you. Being the city of bikes we couldn't go past a bike ride tour. Mikes bikes is a great choice and is well worth the €15. The crew are all super chilled and had a great love for the land. We were given only one rule before taking off "You can drink beer and smoke joints on this tour, I don't care what your on just as long as you stay on your bike". The tour took us through the busy city and into the lush flat country side. For three hours we rode past waterways and windmills up into a lovely little cheese farm. At the farm we learnt all about Dutch farm cheese and spent the afternoon sampling the shops different kinds. The farm also housed a Clog workshop where we were given a demonstration on how to make a traditional Dutch Clog. It was so great to escape the city and be free in the open air for a while. 

Another great must do is to visit the Anne Frank House Museum. As James and I were heading into Germany in a few days time the Museum was a great way to start the ball rolling on the up rise of the Nazi Party and the events that occurred in that devastating time. The tour takes you through the house and annex where Anne and her family went into hiding. It is a great insight and despite everything about Amsterdam, it was deffinately one of my highlights.

All and all Amsterdam was a truly amazing place full of cultural differences. Although not everyone may agree upon what is written in this blog everyone has there own experiences. Do not judge others because they sin differently to you. 

So what we get drunk?

So what we smoke weed?

We’re just having fun

We don’t care who sees

So what we go out?

That’s how it's supposed to be

Living young and wild and free

T-Pain and PackDaddy out,

~ Hang Loose, Fly High ~

Stay Connected- European Summer Tour

Aiding us on our European tour is the travel group Busabout. Busabout is aimed for young travellers who want to have the benefits of travelling and meeting people there own age but also pride themselves on free style travel. So this is how it works. Doing the 'Hop On Hop Of Tour' we choose a loop of Europe out of the four available, we decided to do the North & South & West loop. The loops are valid from the start of May till the end of October, you can travel around the loop as many times as you like in between those periods. The loops consist of a number of stops in certain countries, some are compulsory stops and other voluntary. The loop runs only in a clockwise direction. You can choose to start and end your loop at any bus stop. The idea is to plan your trip online as you go along. Buses run at certain times every second or third day and you choose how long you wish to stay in each destination. Which is perfect if your having to much fun in one city and don't want to leave or if you meet some people along the way and want to join in on there plans, its as simple as pressing a button. Whats great about bus about also is they suggest a number of safe and clean hostels at every stop, which they are happy to book for you along the way. They also provide information on the buses about each new destination, tours and pub crawls which are all at a discount price. Its truly a great way to explore all that Europe has to offer.

Ni##as In Paris- Paris, France

Bonjour! Summer is here and without any delay James and I jumped on the first flight to Paris, the city of love. Being our first foreign speaking country it was a bit tedious upon arrival, especially after hearing so many stories about the French having a rather rude nature. However my story has nothing of that sort. For 38 hours Paris was ours for the taking. With a city that has so much to offer there was no time to waste. 

Our goal was simple, do as the French do. With that thought in mind we dumped our bags in the hostel as quick as we could and headed out to the hustle of the streets. Staying just outside the city centre at St Christopher's was a perfect location, situated on the side of a canal. As we strode along the water side we emerged amongst group after group of people. Some were playing games of Bocce, others were playing games of table tennis, some were on the edge of the canal having a picnic and all of them were drinking wine, smoking cigarettes and carrying around french sticks. I couldn't believe the scene before my eyes. It was so relaxed, so carefree, so French. It was then so obvious how we were going to spend our first night in Paris. Heading down to the local fruit and veg store we lashed out and grabbed ourself a bottle of €2.50 red wine and a packet of Marlboro's. Returning to the canal we sat out all night watching the sun turn into the moon, as we happily people watched and elegantly swigged red straight from the bottle.

Between the two of us the only French words we could swing together were bonjour, au revoir, excusez-moi, oui and merci beaucoup (hello, goodbye, yes and thank you very much) non of which really mattered because we came up with our own full proof plan. Basically James would abandon ship while I enter into shops or approach passers by. It would always start with a big smile a 'bonjour' and after they spit a whole lot of French vocabulary at me I would begin a game of charades making sure to be very animated and include a lot of hand gestures and quick movements, after all the French do love there art. Im not quite sure who enjoyed it more me, the poor Frenchmen I had cornered or people who were just the whiteness to it all, who often decided to join in on the game and add in a few more French words to really get the party started. The ending was always the same I would succeeded in sending my message, thank them kindly and give them another huge smile sometimes even a bit of a friendly giggle. Without fail it worked every time, for some reason the French seemed to love me. My faith had been restored. The French are beautiful cultured people. 

Not missing a beat we set off early to insure we got the most out of our day. The first stop on our French journey was simple. The French love fashion, as do I. So we hopped on the metro and went down to the Marche aux Puces d'Ailgre markets. Open only from Saturday to Monday it was perfect timing. The markets were filled with fabulous stalls selling anything from second hand vintage clothes to brick and brac. We spent most part of the morning rummaging through piles of old treasures and playing dress ups. Whilst soaking up every inch of the hectic atmosphere.

When we emerged from the underground subway into the light of the inner city I was completely blown away by the architecture. I felt as if the city had just engulfed me. Every single detail even the most minutiae were designed and crafted in a sheer artistic form. As we roamed the streets taking in the sites we headed for one of Paris' most famous attractions, The Louvre. A museum that is home to some of the worlds most renowned paintings and sculptures. One of which being Leonardo da 'Vinci 'Mono Lisa'. Inside was like a maze. Different levels with different rooms that spiralled off onto another great exhibition. There was so much to see. Not only was there so much art displayed in the museum but the building itself was an art of its own. With its marbled walls, massive wooden doors, extravagantly painted ceilings, beautiful crafted edges and rosettes and archways painted in gold. After two hours we made it to the Mono Lisa herself. Much smaller then I ever imagined she hung alone on a wall where she was swarmed by a sea of people, all eager to take a picture of a slice of history. 

On our quest to live the French dream we headed through the cites lush parks, where we grabbed a croissant and sat by a fountain enjoying the warm spring day, watching the Eiffle Tower loom in the back ground it was the perfect French scene. One of those moments you just want to pinch yourself just to ensure your not dreaming. As we walked on the tower began to grow as we began getting closer and closer, until before my very eyes I was standing under the iconic Eiffel Tower. What a view, what a phenomenal structure.  

Soaking up the city it wasn't so much that we wanted to see more, but it was more of a longing to see more. There was only one true French way to explore the depth of what this city has to offer, and that was by bike. So we set up a tour with Frances original bike group, Fat Tire. For €30 we received a four hour city tour which included all major landmarks, a stop off at Paris best ice-cream parlour and a river boat tour with not just wine but free wine, which makes it taste just that much better. Opting to do the night tour was a perfect way to end our time in Paris. As we road around on the busy city roads amongst the cars and all the mayhem, we truly were apart of the French city scene. As we rode into the sunset we stopped at places like 'Notre Darme' where I tried to find a hunch back bell ringer, but had no such luck. We drove around The Louvre and experienced a quite serial scene, nothing like The Louvre we experienced earlier in the peak of the day. The city was even more perfect as the night went on. Boarding onto the boat we were just in time to watch the Eiffel Towers fairy light show from the top of the deck, as we floated around seeing more of the cities beautiful sites knocking back glasses of red. Hoping back on the bikes it became evident that I probably had a few to many glasses. As I swerved and jolted my way back to the starting point where we would finish our tour. I breathed in every last breath of French love that was in the air and took one more look at the lit up gleaming Eiffel Tower. Paris complete.

Check list:

See the Mono Lisa (x)

Ride a Bike (x)

Kiss under the Eiffel Tower (x)

Eat a french stick (x)

Speak French to a Frenchy (x)

Eat a croisant (x)

Drink French wine (x)

Eat a Macaroon (x)

Smoke a cigarette on the canal (x)

Visit the Norte Darme (x)

Shop like a French women (x)