2 Days 3 Countries

Day 9 and 10 kind of blurred into one because of the fast pace of moving 3 countries in two days! Day 9's morning consisted of us exploring more of Pest taking in a Park which included a castle that was once built of cardboard, and the locals loved it so much they built it out of stone, and Hero's square a tribute to the leaders of the Hungarian tribes throughout the centuries. Both heading to the House of Terror, we went to see a sculture I had really wanted to see, a massive hourglass (egg timer), which apparently runs for the full year and is turned every year 180 degrees to count the time of the new year. When we got there the timer was hard to find (even though it is so big) becasue of the tents, put up for some sort of fair, which covered and made it near impossible to see the time wheel. It also seemed that the wheel had stopped working as it is now September and there seemed to be more sand in the top then there did in the bottom, plus I could not see any running through the middle.

So after this dissappointment we move on to "The House of Terror", not a corny horror museum, but a building that was used by the fascist Arrow Cross Party and the communist ÁVH Party. This very impressive exhibition houses great detail about the two parties and the pain and misery they brought upon Budapest and it's people. A very unsettling tone is created by the sometimes surreal displays and the soundtrack which is chilling, eriee and creates a feeling of uneasyness. Moved by a couple of the displays and trying to read the massive log of info sheets picked up in nearly every room, we rushed round all 3 floors in like an hour, when I think it should take more like 3 to do it justice . From there we moved onto the station and after the worse burger I have ever tasted we boarded a delayed train to Bratislava.

After a lovely evening in our new fav town we decided to check out the museums of Bratislava (last time we came it was a Monday so everything was closed). As we only had the morning we had time for the one museum and so we chose the Pharmacy Museum, which turned out to have some great examples of 19th century medicine containers but was only 2 bigish rooms with the same stuff in both rooms. Luckily the ticket also got us into the Arms Museum, which was in one of the gate towers, and the view it self was worth the visit. I just want to make clear that is was not a museum of arms, as in body parts, but as in weapons, and they had a pretty impressive collection from swords to guns to cannons and armour.

And from there we ended up in Austria, in the city of Vienna, in which we broke our code of not having pizza till Italy, by dinning at a pizzeria which served the biggest pizzas I had ever seen! To finish off the night we had a couple of drinks in the Hostel bar and I tried to teach Mel about the world of WWE which she seemed to follow and quite enjoy, outting Sheamus as her favourite.

Day 8 - Buda or Pest, Which is Better?

Day 8 - Budapest

Today we explored Budapest, by foot! Seems like a nice idea but it was a long walk. We managed to get lost straight away ending up at the station that we had arrived at the previous day, the other side of the city we wanted to go to. Then I decided to take us down a back road which lead into a pretty rubbish park and had buildings that looked like they were finding it hard to stand right.

I however did then find a very pretty square for us to stop for lunch and then followed this up by taking in some churches, fountains and the National Museum.

As we travelled over the bridge to Buda, the sun became more fierce and made walking that bit harder, plus the amount of water we bought throughout the day was quite impressive. A quick wander of the castle grounds was followed up by exploring the largest church in Budapest, which featured some great tips on restoring relics.

Once crossing "The Chain" Bridge back into Pest we walked beside the Danube taking in the "Shoes on the Danube Promenade" a memorial to the murdered Jews of the 2nd World War, plus a beautiful sunset behind Buda before heading across to the largest Parliament building in Europe.

After this feet tiring day we went back to the Hostel for another home cooked meal and then the task of planning our next step. We had planned to book the following 2 nights in Vienna, but it was only now that we realised how expensive Austria was going to be and it also seemed pretty booked up, guessing that Oktober Fest had something to do with it. So in the end after 3 hours of searching we decided the best route was to go back to Bratislava (both of us were pretty happy about this) and then to do 2 nights in Vienna and only 1 in Salzberg before Munich.

Day 7 - First Contact

Every day has had it's challenges but on this day it was the biggest one so far, it was time to mingle and make friends! I knew it was coming but I was not ready for it. We arrived into Budapest (The pest side) to a massive station with no signs and little help on where to go. After what seemed like an age we made it to the hostel (Homemade Hostel) and was greeted with the worst kind of greeting, "Did you get my email?". The silly website had double booked us, so we had no where to sleep! The owner of the hostel felt so bad that he paid the deposit for another hostel and told us to come back the next day for our second night in Budapest. He also told us to come back that evening for a free dinner and to take part in a "Homemade Pub Crawl", we agreed to this and set off for Paprika (the hostel for that night). Paprika was a nice enough place, but built for the more party at heart, and the fact that two cats were laid on our beds when we arrived is not a promising start.

Getting out of the 70's themed pub crawl that Paprika was holding, we decided to go for the free meal at "Homemade", but not the pub crawl. We arrived and sat quietly for a while untill a couple of Australians asked us some questions and we became more chatty. Before we knew it, it was 2 O' clock in the morning after an impressive crawl through some great bars, chatting to some cool people and we even arrived back to Paprika after the wild themed pub crawl!

Day 6 - Tom's First Magical Mystery Tour

Since beginning this trip, my body has decided that 8.00am is the right time to wake and be ready for a full day of exploring. In this hostel the doors decided that 8.00am was the perfect time to get up. All you could hear all over the building was the random slamming of doors, I felt sorry for the people in dorms.

Today was the day I decided in a way to take control, and use the very helpful map (all places of interest marked on a helpful key) to try and see most of the buildings. As everything was closed (it was Monday) we got to see most of the building/churches/statues and slowly I really began to fall for the beautiful city and it's historic buildings. This, I think, is what I should of felt in Prague but due to the influx of people over the years Prague feels a bit too touristy. Mel informed me that Bratislava is going the way of Prague, and I began to worry for this town. And while we ate dinner it was made clear that the drunks of England had already made a claim on the city by hearing the wonderfully clear cries of a London man, "IM GOING TO KILL YOU ALL".

All day Mel had talked of trying the local drink, "Kofola", their own type of Cola. Excited to try it we brought a bottle and both took a sip. OK, imagine Asda Smart Price Coke totally flat then triple the amount of sugar and the taste of cough medicine and you have the pretty bad flavour of Kofola. Mel straight away made it clear that one sip was enough, but me being stubborn, I forced the whole bottle down my trap, by the end it was not so bad, but I do not think my teeth will be so forgiving.

Other highlights of the day included, the waitress giving Mel a whole kitchen roll to herself and eating the last 2 panda versions of percy pigs!

Day 5 - The Party Types?

Cuba! That was the theme of the room we had in Bratislava, a lovely room decorated in the colours and photos of that country's history. I would say that it was the first party hostel we had visited and straight off the mark I think the owner (or that is the impression I got) realised that we were not really the party type. As he served us when we arrived, and after telling us everything, he looked up at us with red puffy eyes and said "Do I look high?" in answer to that me and Mel looked at each other smiled worryingly at each other and did not have anything to say. We then went up to the room and could see from the window that everyone else who was new to the hostel went straight to the outside bar and was offered a free shot, which did not happen to us!

After a nice relax and trying to watch maybe one of the only TVs we would get in a Hostel (which just gave out static on every channel) our next step was a wander into the old town. We had been told by the 'high' owner of the hostel, very dramatically, that the old town was ok but to never go to a certain section of the map, and he circled it and put a massive cross through the middle. When I asked why we could not enter that area, thinking it have something to do with crime and dodgy types, he responded by saying that it was just that it was a bit shit and boring to look at!! So while walking toward the old town (opposite direction to the 'black forest' he had forbidden us to enter), we took more advice from the hostel pothead and we ate at a rather nice and pretty cheap restaurtant called "The Flagship". Filled up by the traditional pasty pies I had and loads of pickled cabbage for Mel we decided to venture back to the Hostel, to get a drink and see if they would offer us our free shot, with no luck on the free shot!

Day 4 - Prague "It feels like Disneyland"

Day 4 - Prague

After a rough start to Prague, we both woke with positive thoughts and decided to throw our selves into the stag do city and see as much as we could. We were luckily graced with wonderful weather, a bright blue sky with little cloud and no wind. A beautiful start which made us both think that maybe the city was not as rough as it looked, that was until we saw the passed out drunk in the middle of the road with two police offiers standing round him! On into the city and there is so much to see in ways of pretty buildings and tourist shops that it is hard to decide which way to look. Once making it to the old square and taking a minute to look at the tribute to the death of 3 hockey stars, we look at the clock and something hits me, it feels so fake. Not the clock, but the city as a whole. I turn to Mel and tell her that the feeling I get from the city is weird, and she informs me on what she was thinking, "it feels like we are in DisneyLand". She had hit the nail on the head, it was like being in Epcot, it was like they had got the old Praha covered it with loads of colour, pumped out sweet smells and had joyful band music playing. Nothing wrong with that it just felt weird and not real!

Next stop, through more narrow streets selling Russian Dolls, Wooden Toys and Puppets, we came across Charles Bridge and our crossing point for the Castle. I was a little surprised (not sure why) at how it seemed to get even busier once joining the slow following traffic of people on to the bridge. An interesting walkway with its statues and plaques to touch for good luck, but I was happy to get off of it and continue the adventure of this strange city. On this side we took in the Lennon Wall, the outside of the Castle (more of a palace) and its lovely gardens, the small Effiel Tower and finally the Mirror maze (in which both of us did not really understand what everyone was finding quite so hilarious). After a short trip down the hill side in a cable car we moved on to a dusk look of the Jewish Quarter, trying to avoid the marathon runners! Watching part of the Marathon and an interesting visual show projected on to the side of the clock tower we ended the day.

One other thing I thing I have learnt, is why so many people drink in this city. Over the two days in Prague all I wanted was Coke, but everytime we ate it was cheaper to have a beer, which simply felt weird as neither of us normally drink alcohol with our main evening meals never mind with sandwiches at lunch time!

Day 3 - Prague - All I Want is a Coke!!

Mel opts out and takes the stairs and I enter the lift, with the landlord, thinking as I enter that I may have made a mistake. If Mel had come in the lift it would have been a mental squeeze, if i had to guess I would say it was about 6 feet by 3 feet wide. On the way up we say nothing to each other and all I can hear is the sounds of the 17th century lift trying with all its powers to get us to the top! And that was my first look at the hostel (more like apartment) we stayed in, when I asked Mel to decribe it, she compared it to the apartament building from the horror film Rec! It was very old school!

Leaving the building to explore Prague for the first time, we both felt very unsure and to be totally honest the true realisation of the fact that 50 days is a long time was starting to settle in and we both felt a little home sick. After a wander around the city and another night of 'lets find something to eat' (this time though there is plenty to choose from) we some across a lovely place with live music. The waiter (a big stocky guy with a skin head) looked at me when I tried to have a coke, and simply said "Really? You want beer, I get you beer", even though he was the nicest guy I felt bullied into drinking. I knew it was a drinking city but I never knew it would be forced! Lovely beer though after all that!

Extra bonus in this blog, something I wrote on our first train trip of Europe:

On the train now and even though we are the only 2 English people in the very small 6 person carriage we have managed to have a laugh with the other passangers over the fact that the women doing the announcements had trouble speaking in English and had to pause and sigh angryly at the fact she was having problems speaking in English.

No Food But Lots of Animals

Day 2 - Berlin

Every summer the day before I went back to school my mum took me to the best place in the world, the only place that made me forget that it was a sad day because summer was coming to an end, and Mel made me feel 10 again by saying that we could go to the biggest one in Europe! I'm talking of the Zoo. I love the Zoo and was so excited and the fact that it was the biggest in Europe was just so cool. Before that though we soaked ourselves in more history of the city taking in another part of the wall, The East Side Gallery, a section of the wall covered in graffiti, expressing the need to be free. There were some great examples along the wall, but many have been ruined by the graffti placed on top by the new generation. It was very inspiring and truly touched a creative part of me.

So onwards to the Zoo! And what a Zoo, everything you could ask for including bushbabies, at least 7 types of wild cat, hippos, a panda, lots of monkeys, apes and a Rhino having a poo! Happy with the days animal viewing we moved on to the Victory Column and then another lengthy walk of Berlin to find food. I have two problems with Berlin, 1 - The cars! It is mental, the cars seem to just think that it is ok to run people over when it is a green crossing man for the people crossing the road! And 2 - the lack of places to eat at a good price, we walked for an hour looking for food in the tourist stops until we had enough and decided that the golden M would have to do as it was now 8 o clock and we where starving and our feet hurt so much. O yer and we got to see Check Point Charlie again without the actors and gypsies. Overall I liked Berlin and would visit again in the future.

Day 1 - Walls, Check Points and Gypsies

Day 1 - Berlin

3.00am the alarm went off and after a night sleep of about 3 hours, because of excitement from the both of us, I was up and ready to face the now daunting task of touring Europe for 50 days. On the car trip to the station my stomach felt like it was going to do a backflip up my throat and cartwheel out my mouth, but Mel seemed so calm!! After a quick check in and a lovely breakfast at Frankie & Bennies Deli, we where in the air and after what seemed like a quick flight, which I slept through and managed to drool all over Mel, we landed in Berlin. Arriving at 9.30am and from the time we got into the room, 9.30pm, it was none stop!

Our first view of Berlin, was from it's underground, a vibe of old, strongly mixed with new technology, snake like trains with televisions sharing the newest news and culture reports travel through the tired and worn looking underground. On finding the Hostel and realising that Mel had picked well, we ventured off into the city ignoring the helpful receptionist on the front desk telling us to take the U trains (tube) and instead decided to walk. I do wonder sometimes why me and Mel insist on walking EVERYWHERE!

Is it the fact we think we will miss something or the more realistic idea that we (more me) are tight with the cash, who knows! Let's just say that Berlin is big and very well spred out. But I'm glad we walked because of the things we saw and learnt. Like on the way to Check Point Charlie and finding a part of the Berlin wall which had been turned into an outside museum about the terrors that have plagued the city since the Nazi party rising to power all the way up to the fall of the Berlin wall. After this we continued on to Check Point Charlie to find it ruined by 2 out of work actors dressed as american soldiers manning the checkpoint. It just felt wrong with them there so we moved on quickly to get a bite to eat but that was also ruined by gypsies begging for change and not giving up! We buckled and gave in offering the 1/4 of a can of Coke that we had, which she took and tipped the contents onto the street. She then managed to get a friend and follow us halfway to our next stop! After a long walk taking in the sites of Berlin we ended up at the Sony centre, an impressive complex of shops, museums, cinemas and get ready for this..... A LEGOLAND! After Mel offering (sign of true love? I think so!) to pay for the mental price of the place, I realised that it would not be worth it and had 20 minutes in the shop instead. The next couple of hours was taken up by an impressive film museum on the history of German cinema and a walk along the star road, which had a brilliant holagram viewer thing! We finished off the day, and our tired feet, with another big walk taking in the holocaust tribute, Brandenburg Gate, Museum Island, and TV Tower, before tucking into an over priced sausage and some very lovely potato salad. Holding in a wee, no loo at the restaurant, the walk back to the hostel was powered by the fact we would be able to lay down and rest.

The Beginning of a Beautiful Trip...

Tomorrow morning is the start of something new (to quote High School Musical) and exciting! Mel and Me will be getting up really early in the morning, is there any point in sleeping?, and getting on a flight to Germany, Berlin to start our 50 day back packing adventure around Europe! Something that has been in the pipeline now for over a year and the last part of our mega year of 2011. You ask "How has it been mega??", well it started off with attending two weddings, a brilliant holiday to the south of France with Mel's parents (including a lego muesum!), the quiting of both of our jobs, the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, V Festival in Essex, the moving from York to Essex and Leeds Festival. So many highlights and memories from both, but here is a few; getting well over excited by a Robbie Williams tribue act, reliving 2005 at V Fest (Razorlight, Kaiser Chiefs, Acrtic Monkeys), seeing a grown man pretend to be the last of the magic dragons (his dog was amazing), watching a good album played to its fullist and also being an impressive show, lego museum!, leaving the world of house sharing in York, nearly going home on the first night of Leeds (before the music even started), going to Scarborough on the day when the rest of the UK was on it's hottist day and Scarborough was covered in damp, cold, thick fog!, discovering an internet hit and the world of Flamenco dancing, sitting watching the sun set over the vineyards of France, having spent all of these times with the beautiful and brilliant Melissa Kennedy!

And now we both hope to add to this list by grabbing our Interrail passes and travelling some of the wonderful countries of the west of Europe. Both of us hope to blog every now and again to let people know about how it is going, the places we have seen, the people that we meet and trouble of taking too many trains!! Watch this Page!

Tomx