Brandenburg Gate – Berlin – Germany

Travel Post

2004-2006 – Europe Trip

2004

This trip was before I had a Facebook account and I didn’t keep a diary. Thankfully, I was able to locate most of the group emails in my old email account and as you will see, the emails start from late June 2005 and end late August 2006. Google and Google maps helped a lot and looking at my photos brought back so many great memories and I have had a lot of fun reminiscing.

This post is large as it is two years of my life.

I began my European adventure in September 2004 where I started from Sydney, Australia and flew to Singapore for three days on route to Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia via coach for two days staying in some very nice 5 star hotels as they were cheap enough to be affordable plus my friend and I had never stayed at a 5 star hotel before, so why not. Singapore is a melting pot of Asian fusion along with British influence. It is humid and hot here and you can almost set your watch to the afternoon downpour. Sentosa Island is a great place to visit as it is so close to the city and has everything you could ask of from a beach holiday minus the big waves. Fort Siloso is also a nice place to check out that is on Sentosa Island. Other places to visit whilst in Singapore are the Singapore Flyer, the Botanic Gardens and the National Museum of Singapore. A must do is have a Singapore Sling at the Raffles’ Hotel. It is a famous drink at a famous hotel at a famous (expensive) price but worth it. There is so much to see, do and eat here that you will never be bored. I remember that the bus network was very efficient and the taxis were cheap that we used them a lot to get around or just walked everywhere. Singapore was where I came across my first Kenny Rogers Roaster restaurant which I knew from watching Seinfeld TV series. Oh, the chicken and mash potatoes with gravy are a standout here and I can’t get enough of it. To this day, I seek it out whenever I am in Asia.

KL is similar to Singapore, a big and bustling city but a little modest than its neighbour. The Petronas and KL Towers dominate the sky and they are excellent landmarks to get your orientations from and to go up if you want a great view of the sprawling city. There are many public parks to explore in KL along with interesting street markets to explore that that was pretty much all we did in KL for two days. Didn’t get to the Butu Caves as we didn’t have enough time but hopefully one day I will get there. After Malaysia I flew to London, England via Bahrain but only stopped here to refuel. Once I touched down at Heathrow airport I took a National Express coach to Stansted airport and flew to Berlin, Germany and stayed here for three days.

Berlin is very multi-culturally diverse and liberal with their fashion sense and their politics. The first port of call for anyone visiting Berlin should be the Brandenburg Gate, along with the Reichstag Building, the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin Cathedral, Tiergarten and Alexanderplatz, just to name a few. The Fernsehturm Tower dominates the landscape and to be honest it’s not the best looking tower that I have ever seen. A memorable tour that I did in Berlin was to visit Hilter’s bunker, such an interesting place and definitely worth while. The River Spree runs through the city and the buildings lining it are quite attractive and worth a stroll down more than once. Doner kabab became my go-to meal as they are huge and tasted great with a local beer or two. Germany is well renowned for its great bakeries and I would regularly purchase a baked goodie from a local store.

After perusing around this diverse multi-dimensional city we then took a coach to Munich, Germany via a Leipzig, Germany pit stop, where we met up with another friend at Oktoberfest after one day of looking around the city. This place is quite amazing. A must see in Munich is the Hofbrauhaus, Marienplatz, Karlzplatz, Schloss Linderhof and Nymphenburg Palace’s and BMW Museum (if you are into cars). The River Isar runs through Munich and again, the Germans know how to take advantage of a river, making it a showpiece and hub of a city. Oktoberfest, what can I say, a spectacle to be experienced. So many people drinking beer, eating pork knuckles/bratwurst/pretzels, having fun in the halls and on the carnival rides it is a sight to be seen. Accommodation whilst in Munich except for the first night was at the Thalkirchen camping ground along with pretty much every other Australian/New Zealanders that were visiting Oktoberfest. We stayed in the Top Deck tents. When we finished at the beer halls every day, we continued at the camping ground in the small hours of the morning and then repeated.

Three days of constant drinking in a row took its toll, so the three of us decided it was time to begin our European adventure. We took the train from the chaos of Munich to the tranquillity of Salzburg, Austria with a stop-off to Das Kehlsteinhaus (The Eagle’s Nest), which was Adolf Hitler’s unofficial summer residence. The view from the top of the mountain peak where it is situated on looking down over the Bavarian countryside and on to Lake Konigssee is breathtaking. Truly an amazing place and I can see why The Third Reich commandeered it. We decided to go here instead of Neuschwanstein Castle (the castle inspired by Walt Disney) as it was too difficult to get there via train or coach. One day I hope I will get to see it. My favourite beers from Germany are pretty much any wheat beers (weissbier) and Becks are ok too.

Salzburg was where we detoxed and breathed in the fresh mountain air whilst viewing the beautiful gardens, buildings and countryside via a self-guided walking tour going to Hohensalzburg Castle, Hellbrunn Palace, St Peter’s and Nonnberg Abby, Salzburg Museum amongst others. We also managed to track down some Sound of Music film locations around the town. This is a stunning city and I recommend visiting. Two days later we were on our way via train to the capital of Austria, Vienna, where we met up with one of my cousins and we also made friends with a Californian guy who ended up travelling with us for 3-4 weeks. My cousin introduced to us a new band called The Darkness at the same time I introduced the guys to another new band called Maroon 5 with their second album and both were an immediate hit for all of us, so much so that we all chipped in and purchased some travel speakers for my portable CD player and played the albums regularly in the hostel dorms. I mostly had to carry them but I got sick of always carrying them as they were bulky and I already had too much stuff in my packs so the others would take them periodically.

Vienna is a lot larger than Salzburg and quite lovely with its many attractive public gardens and buildings such as the Schloss Belvedere and Schonbrunn Palace, Schronbrunner and Botanischer Gardens and St Stephen’s Cathedral. My favourite beers from Austria are Stiegl, Gosser and Ottakringer.

Vienna has many concert halls and museums and you could spend a long time here just wondering the cobbled stone streets.

Prague, what can I say, it is a fantastic city which so much heritage and beautifully lined streets of buildings along the banks of the River Vltava and around the main square. I recommend visiting the Charles Bridge first as this is a spectacularly pretty 14th century bohemian designed bridge with 30 statues of saints lining it on both sides. After the Charles Bridge, you should go and see Prague Castle which is very close by, then the St Vitus Cathedral, Church of our Lady before Tyn and Old Town Square. You will get lost in Prague’s beauty. We ended up staying in Prague for 5 days and during this time we had our drinking legs back so hit a few large nightclubs. There just happened to be a European Champions League (football or soccer) match on in Prague when we were there and managed to get some tickets to the game. It was Sparta Praha vs Manchester United. The match ended in a nil – nil result but the crowd was electrifying the whole match. I didn’t care either way what the result was but the Manchester United fans weren’t happen. There was so much security for this match, there were teams of heavily protected and armoured riot Police standing at the ready at multiple locations in and around the stadium and was intimidating. Thankfully, I never saw anything happen which is probably due to their presence. One night out drinking we ended up trying some absinthe for the first time in Prague and I can tell you that that stuff is potent. It was made famous by the famous painter Vincent Van Gogh drinking it and cutting off his own ear after the hallucinogen effects of the drink when it kicked in. My experience wasn’t like that but I do remember feeling like I could go outside and just run all over the city even though I was very tired and drunk. Was a much different feeling than being drunk off alcohol, ie beer or spirits, something which I have only experienced one time again after this and that was another time later on when I was back in Prague, CZ. The beef goulash ended up being our go-to-dish as it was simple yet delicious and filled you up and tasted great with the local beers. My favourite beers from Czech Republic are Budweiser-Budvar, Pilsner Urquell, Staropramen and Lobkowicz.

As a backpacker and on limited funds and time, we headed off via train to Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic (CZ) via a short stop at Brno, CZ. Cesky Krumlov has a UNESCO listed castle and it is absolutely stunning and should be your first place you visit when you come here. Other sights to see in Cesky Krumlov which are also nice, is the church of St Vitus and Town Hall. Only stayed here for one night then headed via train to Krakow, Poland. Went with my cousin as the others decided to stay an extra day but Neil had limited time. We went on the train but found out that we were going the wrong way so we got off at the next station and went to get another train going the correct way but found out that there weren’t any until the next morning, so we had to stay the night in the train station, looking after each others gear whilst the other got some sleep for an hour or so at a time. The cleaner didn’t like that we were there at all and was almost yelling at us, probably to move but we stayed put as funds were low. Managed to get the train the following morning but that was a rough nights sleep, believe me.

Krakow, Poland was the next stop and can I say that this city is spectacular. From the Wawel Castle, Glowny Central Square, Krakow Cloth Hall and St Mary’s Basilica, you might not ever see a better example of European elegance. We ended up doing a day trip to the Wieliczka Salt Mine and also Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp memorial. Man, this place is depressing but still extremely relevant as we should never forget the past. It took some time to get over the horrors that we were told about and that occurred here along with what we all experienced whilst there like standing in the gas chambers, seeing all the items of clothing taken from the inmates and the places that the inmates slept, that we ended up just lounging around at the hostel the next day not doing much.

After that, we trained it to Warsaw, Poland. At first glance Warsaw seemed a little bit underdeveloped compared to the other cities that I had been to till you start to explore the history of Warsaw and look deeper into the architecture and start talking to the locals, that you get to see the true beauty of Warsaw and all of Poland in fact. The UNESCO listed Old Town Royal Castle should be on your list of places to visit here, along with Warsaw Uprising Museum, Sigismund’s Column, Fryderyk Chopin Museum, St John’s Archcathedral, walk down Trakt Krolewski and River Vistula for people watching and nice vistas. There is so much to see and do in Warsaw, it offers so much to the people of Poland and we spent a good 5 days here checking out as much as possible. We said goodbye to my cousin and our Californian friend here and the rest of us were off to Zakopane, Poland via train to this mountain resort town nestled on the Polish side of the Tatra Mountains. Zapiekanka’s became my go-to meal in Poland and tasted great with a local beer. I ended up eating a one metre long zapiekanka once, which look a while but I completed the challenge. My favourite beers from Poland are Zywiec and Tyskie. Okocim and Lech were ok too.

Such an amazing place and views are to die for. We ended up hiking for two days and staying in a chalet for one night which was a pleasant and an unexpected nice change compared to the hostels we had previously been staying at. We said goodbye to our Polish friend and the rest of us trained it to Bratislava, Slovakia after hiking back down the mountain together.

When we arrived into Bratislava, my legs where so sore from carrying a combined roughly 25 kg backpack and daypack the whole time that I said to the guys, I need to do nothing today, so we did exactly that. Myself and the friend that started this adventure with me had large backs due to carrying all our gear for the next two years, the other two only had light packs as my friend that we met up with in Munich had most of his gear stored at the hostel back in London and our Polish friend only had around 10 kg backpacks.

Bratislava to me felt quite run down compared to the other cities that we had been to and food/drink was a lot cheaper. We ended up staying at some guy’s make-shift hostel that we met at the main train station. He said he was trying to get hostelworld and other accommodation sites to add his hostel to their websites but they had all rejected his applications so far as he didn’t have any facilities besides one lounge room, toilets and the dorm rooms and he didn’t take credit/debit cards as payment, so I can see why but the rooms were fine and there were others staying there when we arrived and he had others already in the car that was waiting to take people to his hostel, still felt a little odd but there were a few travellers there and nothing was stolen and I felt safe so ended up being ok. Bratislava did have a few places to visit like Bratislava Castle, Michael’s Gate and the Old Town Square but besides that I don’t remember visiting anything else here.

After Bratislava, it was onto Budapest, Hungary which takes full advantage of being on the River Danube as it is an exceptional looking city with grand buildings lining the river bank. Budapest is actually divided in two by the river so there is Buda on the west and Pest of the east side of the river. The 2-3 days we spent here was with a friend’s friend who was living in Budapest whilst at university so he showed us so many places including Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion, Hungarian Parliament Building, Szechenyi Thermal Bath, St Stephen’s Basilica, Hosok Tere, Gellert Hill and Margaret Island. It is a beautiful city and was a nice place to look around with many splendid streets full of interesting buildings, shops and restaurants. The Hungarian goulash didn’t taste as good to me compared to the Czech version but still enjoyable.

We wanted to go to some place on the sea to finish off this trip at our most southern destination so we went to the holiday destination of Split, Croatia via train over the Moser mountain range where it was snowing on the train tracks when we come in and out of Split which is on the Adriatic Sea. This place would be great to go to in summer but was too cold for us to do any of the things you would normally do here like go to the beach or go sailing so we ended up going to see some more museums etc like the Cathedral of St Domnius, Diocletian’s Palace, Ivan Mestrovic Gallery and just walking around the town and along the waterfront. One evening we ended up watching a film in a cinema here and the whole place was slightly run down and the seating was only bench seating which was uncomfortable similar to outdoor train station seating but was cheap and we put up with it.

We watched many films on this trip and every time we saw one it was always in English with the local language in the subtitles. The posters for all the films in the cinemas that we ended up watching the films in were always in the local language and the only way we knew what the film was about was which actors were in it and if it seemed ok we would have friendly wagers on what the film was called. Once it was revealed in the opening credits we would all go “Ah, that’s what this film is called”.

I would have liked to have gone to Dubrovnik, Croatia from Split but wasn’t the time of year to visit so I will have to see if I can come back down this way again sometime soon. After 2 -3 days in Split we decided to start our way back up to Prague via Zagreb and stayed here for another 2-3 days, doing pretty much what we did the first time around.

It was starting to get colder now as it was late early Nov so we purchased some winter clothes and forged on. The River Sava runs through Zagreb and is a pleasant little European capital without being too outlandish. I recall checking out the Centar Kaptol and upper town, St Mark’s Church, Museum of Art and Crafts, wandering around the lower town/Jelacic Square and the Zagreb Cathedral but don’t remember spending much time here and by this time we were getting overexposed to museums and palaces and the like.

By the end of this trip we all become pretty cagey on how much things should cost whenever we arrived into a new country. The way we would work it out is to see how much the local beer was, coke-a-cola or a McDonald’s meal would cost and go from there. The friend that I began this adventure with and I departed Warsaw to London, England and my other friend left a couple of days later.

This European adventure went for three months and we covered a lot of ground checking out as much as we could on a shoestring budget, which coincidentally was the name of our travel guide book “Lonely Planet’s Europe on a shoestring travel guide”, that was our bible for this trip.

I arrived in London, England late November 2004 and this would be my home country for the next couple of years as I had a British working visa. We both made our way from Heathrow airport to Victoria train station via the tube and decided that we would walk to the hostel that our friend used to work and live and who would be arriving soon after us. Got out to street level from the train station, looked at the street maps and thought oh that’s a long way to go and even though the streets signs are all in English etc we decided to hop back on the tube as the city was so big compared to all the other cities we had been to even Berlin. I checked in for a week and my friend checked in for a couple of days as he had already lined up a job for himself in York, England. The room was the only dorm room they had and wasn’t very good but worked for me as I had next to no funds.

Throughout that first week in the long term hostel I had a farewell for two mates who I spent such a great time with touring around Europe with, that it left a void in me for quite some time as my other friend left to go back home to Australia as he was out of money too back had spent one year already in London and has a British and Australian passport.

The next couple of weeks were spent at the internet cafe’s looking for a job, looking around some of the London tourist attractions and making friends with the other hostel tenants, until finally I got my first job working at Buyagift just outside of London in New Barnet. The commute to this job took over an hour and 3 train changes and was only for one month but I needed the money and it was a foot into the door to the British workforce.

Christmas time in London 2004 was spent with no job but managed to have a lot of fun hanging out with everyone at the hostel. We all chipped in and provided money or food for the Christmas lunch and dinner and we had a secret Santa and even Santa arrived, we enjoyed the rest of the day’s festivities and celebrated new years in London. New Year’s was spent in London with my hostel friends.

2005

January 2005 I started a new job that was only a 15 minute walk to from my hostel in Gloucester Road and this was great as it meant no more trains and I could sleep in as they wanted everyone to start work at 9:30am, which I had no objection too at all. There was also another policy that all staff get a free hot lunch provided, which for us workers was a short stroll from the office to the campus of an American/English university the company had an affiliation with. Being an American cafeteria they mostly served American food here and I distinctively remember eating a lot of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream which wasn’t good for my waist line at all.

In February 2005, I came across a film set in my area (near the hostel I was staying at) for a TV show that I didn’t know of. Asked if I could help out but they declined my offer. That same month, one evening they had the Brit awards on at the Earl’s Court exhibition centre so went down there and stood around for a while with all the teenagers to see if I could recognise any celebrities. I saw many celebrities but didn’t know who any of them were as they were all British, funny that.

Early March 2005, the cousin that I met up and travelled with in Eastern Europe came to my hostel in London for a couple of days then we went to Barcelona, Spain together for a few days. Was a bit warmer than London in Spain, which was great as winter in London is cold, miserable and dark as the sun is only up for a short period each day. The Catalan’s have a unique language and also don’t consider themselves as Spanish but as a Catalonian. Barcelona is the capital of the Catalonia region and is a large sprawling city. Its architecture is quite unique and after you start walking around you get an undeniable sense of the Catalan gothic and modernism style especially at the Sagrada Familia, La Rambla town shopping districts and Barcelona Cathedral. Other must see’s in Barcelona are all the apartments in and around the gothic quarter, La Barceloneta and the Saint Sebastia beach, Parc de la Ciutadella, Port Vell, Montjuic Castle, Columbus Monument and of course the Museum Picasso. We went to the Barcelona football club stadium for a tour and to check out all the memorabilia and exhibitions. With such a large city, there are so many things to do here. My cousin wasn’t feeling that well on this trip as he had come from South America where he was working and learning Spanish for the past three or so months. He must have caught something over there and did well under the circumstances. Was fantastic to see him again and to have someone that could speak a fair amount of Spanish as we ended up just walking, taking the bus or hoping on the metro to get everywhere with pretty much no problem at all. One time we went to go see a film but when the film started it was in Spanish and not English so we immediately left. Afterwards we found out that because Spanish is a dominate language with many people speaking it, all films are duded over in Spanish.

Late March 2005, I went to Lisbon, Portugal for a week with three friends that I made from the hostel in London. Flying into the city, I noticed that pretty much all the apartment buildings looked a lot like Lego as they were all in neat lines and very colourful and that it is very hilly. The weather here was great over the time I was there except for one day were we went to a palace just outside of Lisbon and it was raining and a lot of clouds were still around but we were there and not sure of the next time we would be there and the conditions weren’t great but we made the most of it and had a good look around anyway. There are so many beautiful buildings to see here in Lisbon and I remember seeing many of them as we pretty much just walked everywhere or took the bus. The most memorable place that I saw here was the Belem Tower which is located at the mouth of the Tagus River that spills into the Atlantic Ocean and is an excellent display of a medieval fortress which is UNESCO heritage listed. The Padrao dos Descobrimentos is also situated very close to the Belem Tower so makes sense to combine seeing both at the same time. Other places of note in Lisbon are the Jeronimos Monastery another UNESCO site, St Jorge Castle, take a wander through the Alfama Bairro Alto and districts and Praca do Comercio districts (where the Rua Augusta Arch is also situated) Rossio Square, Carmo Convent and the Lisbon Cathedral. I could go on as there is so much to see here but can’t remember which other places visited in the time I spent in Lisbon. One meal I had which was dinner, the fish was so fresh and salty and was one of the best meals of fish I had had in a long time. In London I couldn’t afford to eat out at restaurants that much as it was too expensive but in Lisbon I could and it was delicious. I left Lisbon feeling revitalised, refreshed and ready for the European summer holidays I had planned that were coming up soon.

Late May 2005, I went to Paris for a few days with two other friends that I made from the hostel and stayed at one of the friend’s parents place as this friend was from Paris. After taking the Eurostar and arriving at the Paris Gare du Nord (main train station), we took a metro train to my friend’s parents place, met them then went for a drive into the city and looked around. Was so great to have a local show me around and who also spoke French as they were ordering for me and showing me the best way to navigate the metro. One time though in Paris, I went to a McDonald’s and ordered a Royale with cheese as per the line delivered by Samuel L Jackson from the film Pulp Fiction. Had always wanted to eat one and was good to tick that off the list. My friend on this trip got me onto Desperados beer whilst here and to this day I still seek it out. Kronenbourg 1664 beer is also nice. We ticked a lot of things off whilst driving and walking around this totally amazing city. Places I visited were the Eiffel Tower (saw the small version of the Statue of Liberty too), Arch de Triomphe, Champes-Elysees, Notre Dame, Palace of Versailles, Le Marais district, The Lourve but was closed when we were there so didn’t get to see one of the most famous painting in the world, the Mona Lisa. Went to the Moulin Rouge but didn’t watch a show as we were there during the day and was a little outside our budget at the time anyway, Roland Garros (the French Open) but one of the people in our group didn’t want to go to watch a match and they had the keys to the car so we didn’t and ended up just staying out the front, Place de la Bastille and Pantheon, Grand Palais. With being just an internationally renowned large city there is so much to see here and I could go on and on about all the wonderful sights to see here but won’t as you will probably already know of them. From the beautifully lined streets, to the waterfront boulevards that line the River Seine, to the amazing food, wine, stores and people, Paris is a truly beautiful place to visit any time of the year and should be on your list, just don’t go to the slum areas though as it will taint your view of the city a little.

Not sure where all my Paris photos went though.

Late June 2005, my job finished up after 6 months and it was a sad day to say goodbye to some great colleagues and friends that I had made here but summer was well and truly underway and my next adventure was waiting.

From here on in, I have inserted all the emails that I could locate, sanitized of course and they are indented. I will fill in some of the gaps of information that aren’t in the emails but I am using these emails instead of writing after the fact, like I have been doing, as it recalls the events that happened at the time of writing them and has more significance.

Sent: Monday, 27 June 2005

Subject: Re: G’day

This Friday I’m leaving for Pamplona, Spain but we have a few days traveling through the west coast of France to Normandy, Mont St Michel etc then hit San Sebastian and Pamplona on the 5th. Will be rough week waiting to go on this trip.

The plan is to go to the bull run and but I’m not planning on running as I’ve been told that it’s difficult to be in the right place early enough but the atmosphere is electric.

It’s going to be hot in Spain but the camping ground we are staying at has a pool so will take advantage. Am meeting a workmate in Pamplona she is doing a different tour to me but we are trying to organise something.

Work is winding up for us temps at Camp America and there are only 5 of us left from the 20 that were here when I started.

Not sure what I will be doing after Pamplona work wise but finding a job over here is fairly easy so not too worried but it’s always good to know that you will have some money coming in to your account. Got the Poland trip in August then hopefully I can work back here at Camp America again in October.

See ya.

Sent: Tuesday, 12 July 2005

Subject: Pamplona

Hi guys

How is everyone?

I have just gotten back from a 9 day Top Deck coach tour through France and ending up in Pamplona, Spain where yes under instructions from my mum not to run with the bulls, I still did and it was awesome. Before the run began I saw Dennis Rodman who used to play basketball with Chicago Bulls in the NBA so we got a photo with him. Hot weather over here around the 28 degree mark every day and a lot of good looking women around too.

I went in the arena after the bull run and there they release a couple of bulls at a time to “play” with bulls. I never really came close to being hit but I did get a couple of bruises from jumping over the fence to get away from a bull who looked like he was trained to go around the fence to get the “half in” off the fence.

I lost a shoe about half way at dead man’s curve through the 600m long bull run. I was more scared of being trampled on by other runners then of the bulls. If I went next year I would wait a bit after the guns go off so you can see the bulls running cause I only saw them when they were right alongside me and I wouldn’t do a tour even though it was ok I could have done a better job. I would hire a car, sleep in it and do a little tour of Spain then fly back to London. Had a great time in Pamplona, got sunburnt, ran with bulls, drank lots of sangria (like red wine) and travelled a bit in southern France on the 9 day Top Deck tour, Normandy, Mont Saint- Michel and Cognac. All of these places were good in their own way, I saw the Normandy American cemetery for the WW2 casualties from D-Day and the beach they landed on in Normandy, the abbey at Mont Saint-Michel is located on in inland island with a tidal pool which rare and in Cognac I went on a Hennessy Cognac tour which was very nice and now I have a thirst for it, Bordeaux we stayed at for one night at a campsite and drank a lot of wine and San Sebastian we all stayed at for one night and got to have a look through all the laneways in the town centre and eat a lot of tapas, shame we didn’t get to the beach whilst here at it looked amazing and is so hot here compared to London.

Not sure where all the Pamplona photos are.

How about the bombings in London, the tube system is running at bare minimum and many stations and line are completely shut down until further notice. At this stage I don’t know of anyone affected from the bombs.

Most tube stations are open, it just takes a few more stops in your journey to get to your destination.

Next up for me is to find another job that can fit around my schedule of travel until after Oktoberfest then I’m back to work with Camp America again for another 8/9 months till the end of June 2006.

Hope this finds you all well and I’ll be in touch.

Of the four days that I was in Pamplona, two of them were at the running with the bulls, one was looking around the old town and eating tapas and drinking the beer and sangria, the other was at an all-day sangria party that the locals put on. You must wear all white so you can get it all wet and red from the sangria when people spill it over you and was a lot of fun. Thankfully no one in our group got injured except one guy who had his hand trampled on my some people. To be on the tour we had to prove we had travel insurance but was void if we participated in the running of the bulls. At a petrol station stop along the way we all got off to get some food and more drinks and one of the many other Australian guys on the coach said to the French petrol station operator in a loud, thick Aussie accent “Bonjour mate” and it had everyone cracking up as the French guy had a stunned looked on his face. One of the nights at the camping ground we were staying at just outside of the city we all were watching the news about the London bombing. That was tough to watch as we were all pretty much based there and we were all frantically contacting our friends to see if everyone was ok and inform our family back home we were ok.

Sent: Tuesday, 12 July 2005

Subject: CPS

I’m ok how’s the Australian winter going, hot weather over here at the moment.

I got sunburnt in Normandy, France while on the tour it was kinda bad but I had to go with it.

Had a wonderful time in Spain lots of nice girls and the vine and beer is so cheap.

So now I’m looking for a job and doing some things I should done a long time ago like exploring the city of London and doing some short tours of the UK and going out on the town cause my last job was 6 days a week.

Will keep you informed about my goings on but I don’t have free unlimited internet access anymore.

Catch ya.

Sent: Monday, 18 July 2005

Subject: Re: G’day

At the moment I’m just looking for temp work and planning trips to Poland and Italy in the next 2 months. The Italy trip will start in Rome then we’ll work our way up to Munich for Oktoberfest (again) going through the Dolomites , the whole trip will be about 2 weeks. The Poland trip is already planned Andy and I are meeting some Polish friends that we meet last time and we are heading north of Warsaw to the Lake District for 8 days. With all the trips, I’ve already paid for the flights except the flight from Warsaw to London and in Poland we are staying at our friends parents’ house for a few days so really I only need to pay for transport (train/bus) food and whatever I decide to buy.

I’m not really up to date about the London bombings because I don’t watch or read the news you know more than me and most people I know don’t talk about but would like to see some justice.

Sent: Saturday, 23 July 2005

Subject: Re: HOME HAPPENINGS 23.7.05

More bombs in London. Shepherds bush station is close(ish) to me but there are two lines going through there and I go on the one that wasn’t affected but still a little close to home. Earlier that day I was in Euston for a job interview and the tube stop Warren Street is one down from it so that was a wakeup call. Don’t think I will get on the basis that I’ll traveling in one week for 2 weeks then back for 2 weeks then going to Italy/Oktoberfest for 2 weeks then back to Camp America again. The job is an admin position for a company called X-Pat which helps being to move their assets to the UK from all over the world but mostly from Australia and NZ. Not exactly what I was looking for but it’s in their hands now.

When I caught the bus from home to the Nevern hostel they evacuated the bus at Shepherds Bush and the area was full of cops and media and everyone was just standing around so I walked it and only took 25 mins.

Having a bbq tomorrow at our place if the weather is warm should be fun catching up with everyone.

I haven’t been up to much lately, looking for a job, trying not to spend much money and doing a little sightseeing in London. Seen most of the landmarks as in Westminster Abbey, House of Commons/Lords, Tower Bridge, Tower of London, Big Ben, London Eye and St Paul’s Cathedral where Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana were married.

Going to Poland again from 9 August till 21 August, meeting some people we meet last time we were there, this time we are flying into Warsaw then going north to the lake district and going sailing, then to the Baltic Sea.

Then from 7 September till 22 September I’m going to Italy, flying into Rome then making our way to Munich for Oktoberfest again.

Andy and I are thinking of traveling a bit more in Europe cause it’s cheaper and he doesn’t have a job either at the moment. Went back to Camp America office last week and they said I could go back and work for them after Oktoberfest. I think I can live off the money I have saved but it’s going to tight.

Not much to report, we are having strange weather though it can’t decide to be warm(ish) or rain all the time, English summers aren’t that great.

So I’m safe and everyone I know is ok over here too.

Sent: Monday, 8 August 2005

Subject: Hi from Warsaw

Hey everyone I have landed in Warsaw. It’s a little overcast and rainy but its ok.

A little strange coming back to a place that I’ve already been too a couple of times as we know where most things are so we’re just chilling until Andy’s Polish friend finishes work then our trip will really begin.

We’re staying in Poland for about two weeks then making our way to Estonia.

Kinda glad to be out of London and traveling again, London can be expensive if you don’t have a job.

Will email you all again soon, bye for now.

Sent: Friday, 19 August 2005

Subject: Dzien Dobry

My second eastern European trip is going well so far. Andy and I are in Gdansk, Poland on the Baltic Sea, yesterday we went to the beach in a town called Gdynia 15km from the city it was real nice not very big waves and there were only about five people in the water on our beach, it was hot for a Polish summer day about 25 c and today is about the same.

Today we are heading back to Warsaw to meet up with Andy’s Polish friend again we were going to go to a friend of hers in a city called Suwalki which is very close to the border of Lithuania which is on our way.

The women are amazing over here almost every single one is beautiful and I’m not overstating, there must be something in the water or the genetic makeup of a Polish woman as they are exquisite.

The route we have mapped out this time is Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden and then back to London for half a day then it’s off to Italy for 2 weeks making our way to Munich for Oktoberfest. After that I may go back to London with some people I know from the hostel who we are meeting along the way in Italy and Germany or go to Czech Republic or Poland again, we’ll see.

Got to go, leaving for the train now see ya.

Sent: Wednesday, 24 August 2005

Subject: Hi from Lithuania

Hi again we finally made it to Vilnius the capital of Lithuania at about 9am after a 10 hour bus ride from Warsaw, we didn’t get much sleep but we made up for it at the hostel we found which has no atmosphere at all, and slept for 5 hours.

Today we walked the city for a while and tonight we’re going to eat out at a restaurant something a little different to what we have been doing lately.

The city is a little boring but is a little off the beaten track of the European backpacker but tomorrow we will visit Gediminas Castle which we have been told is good from a Polish women who we met and has been there before.

We’ll probably stay in Vilnius for a total of 2 nights then head to Tallinn the capital of Latvia which is a coastal city and should be great from the reports we have had.

It’s bye for now.

Sent: Saturday, 27 August 2005

Subject: Lithuania

It’s been a world wind tour of Europe again, one day you’re in a country then the next you’re in a different one, which after a while you get used to but in the countries we are in and going to you have to change the currency every country which is a hassle, because you have to get rid of your coins cause they don’t exchange them or buy needless things or leave the money on the train.

At the moment I have four different countries currency on my person and it is a little confusing which is which.

Right now its 12:30pm and am using the free internet which is standard at most Eastern European hostels but not Western Europe or the UK, and am a bit sick, as in I can’t really keep my food down and even drinking coke-a-cola takes a long time, so I am taking it very easy.

This is very difficult because I want to explore this amazing European city and I hate that I am sick.

Don’t get me wrong, yesterday and the day before I was 100% and full of energy but today somehow, somewhere I must have gotten ill.

I haven’t been home for 11 months which is amazing in its self.

See ya.

Sent: Sunday, 28 August 2005

Subject: Latvia

Hey, I had to get off the computer yesterday because some other people were waiting to use it and I had been on it for a while.

I’m feeling a little better today didn’t get much sleep last night because I kept having hot and cold flashes and my whole body ached.

I’ve decided not to drink beer for a while I think that’s what the problem is but I’m going to Oktoberfest again in 3 weeks so I have to be ready for that.

Today Andy and I finished off the top 20 free things to see in Riga and watched England v Australia in the cricket in an Irish pub for a few hours with some guys from our hostel from New Zealand. There was an English stag party there which had us entertained when the cricket and soccer was on an advert break. Saw a t-shirt in a shop that had the theme of Canberra on it and the name of the city all over it, should have bought it as it was pretty outrageous and something I have seen before, a t-shirt like this.

Tomorrow we will either go to a beach town 30 min train ride from Riga or to a castle in another town also 30 min train ride then off to Tallinn the capital of Estonia the following day (Monday).

Bye for now.

Sent: Monday, 29 August 2005

Subject Tallinn Estonia

What’s up, it’s a big hello from the capital of Estonia.

We had to get a coach from Riga that took five hours to go 300 km because there are no buses that go there. The buses in Europe take a long time to go fairly short distances. The coach ride was ok not really much scenery to be seen but in a couple of days we will be going to a town called Tartu south of Tallinn then to Lahemaa National Park  on the very north of the country so that will be a great feast for the senses.

So far the women of Estonia have been slightly disappointing I guess because the calibre that we have seen in the last few countries have been amazing that the nice ones now are just average and blend into the crowd.

Tallinn is a really photogenic small city with 400,000 population its Europe’s smallest capital and I think it’s better than Riga, there’s a lot more medieval and historical monuments in a small area, it feels like Prague and Riga but has less in your face strip clubs and stag parties, yet again we are staying in a hostel below a strip club again. It’s strange that they do that in the Baltic countries we have been to so far; everyone seems cool about it even the women travellers and receptionists.

That’s about it for now, no more free internet at the hostels anymore and probably not till I get back to London but will be emailing on a regular basis so if you want to drop me a line feel free to do so.

Till next time.

Sent: Monday, 29 August 2005

Subject: Leaving Latvia

Hi once again, I’m loving this free internet in these Eastern European countries.

We have paid for our bus ticket today for an 11am departure to Tallinn tomorrow. It takes around 5 1/2 hours and cost 8 L which is about 8 pounds I guess.

Have been hearing that Estonia is expensive from everyone in the hostel who has been there, so hopefully we don’t spend too much and I like to hear the 4 letter f word a lot when traveling, FREE!!

Riga is like the new Prague with everyone we have spoken to spoke English really well better than the Polish and there are always English stag parties here every weekend and lots of strip clubs. You get sick of people coming up to you every time you walk past one.

Anyhow off to Tallinn Estonia tomorrow so till the next time I’m at a computer its adieus.

Sent: Tuesday, 6 September 2005

Subject: Stockholm Sweden

Hi ya all from the capital of Sweden, Stockholm.

Sorry about not emailing for a while but have had barely had enough money for accommodation, food and transport which are the big 3 so had to sacrifice no internet for a while, but have a hour now at the central bus/train station in Stockholm to tell you all what I have been up to the last few days.

Andy and I left Tallinn, Estonia Saturday afternoon on a ferry to Stockholm. The night before was a fairly big one for me. I got back to the hostel at 5 am from a nightclub which was pretty cool. That same night Andy and I got talking to a kiwi (New Zealander) bloke who was leaving the same day but for Riga so we decided to go out for dinner and while we were there we got to talking to a local Estonian guy who took us to the nightclub.

I got to dance while a few local Estonian women but in the end nothing happened I think due to the fact that I was leaving the next day, but anyway she was 23, pretty cool and I thought very attractive. Andy went home early like 2am so he was a little soft.

So back to the ferry, it took 15 hours to get to Stockholm and we were told that we could withdraw money from atm’s on board the ferry but we found out that they didn’t have any and they didn’t except MasterCard or visa only Estonian Kroon or Swedish Krona so in turn we didn’t buy much, fortunately we got some food at the supermarket before we left cause the dinner and breakfast was so expensive and the duty free wasn’t cheap at all but the Swedes were buying vodka by the case and we didn’t understand why till we got into Stockholm and wanted to buy some alcohol and found out they don’t sell vodka in the shops but only from designated state run shops in the centre of the city which we couldn’t find and the beer over here can only be a max of 3.5% alcoholic volume and the Heineken I bought was that strength.

There were so many older people on the ferry ride but other than that it was ok, not a lot to do though. We shared a room with 2 other males who we guessed were truck drivers because they slept for 12 hours.

Meet up with 2 friends from the hostel in London were I used to stay they were Carmen and Micky. We stayed at a hostel on the river about a 30 min walk to the centre of Stockholm. We did a walking tour of the old town and saw the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace which was nice. It’s a very pretty city, about 700 000 population and its real expensive. I have found a place more expensive then London now. Unfortunately we have been eating at McDonald’s and only drinking water.

Today we fly back to London Stansted airport and then fly on to Rome the following morning so we will be sleeping at the airport which will be fantastic!!!

That’s about it for now so till I land in Italy its adieus.

Sent: Thursday, 8 September 2005

Subject: Rome

Hello from Rome

Well what a 24 hours.

After landing in London we had to sleep at the airport, we got in at 11:30pm and the whole airport was packed with people doing the same as us.

Eventually we got a spot under the departures monitor on the floor and we sleep surprisingly for 4 hours then a security guard told us to move on because they were opening the non EU departures lane.

We got breakfast and waited for a friend (Rob) from the Nevern hostel in London to get in to the airport then we headed off to Rome.

We found a hostel close to the city but it’s raining now and it’s kind of humid.

One American staying at the hostel had his money belt stolen so there is a bit of crime in the city but so far so good. At the moment we are waiting for another friend from the hostel to get into the Rome then we will get some dinner.

Tomorrow we are going to do a walking tour of the city to see the Spanish Steps, Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, Roman Forum etc and the Vatican. Such an incredible city to explore.

Probably be here a few days then head north somewhere not sure yet but will tell you soon.

Take care and bye for now.

The Vatican is actually another country and is inside Rome and is quite small. We lined up for a tour outside of St Peter’s Basilica at St Peter’s Square along with everyone else and waited a long time to get in but when you do you will see why as there is so much to see it is a little overwhelming and spectacular. Whilst here you must also visit the Sistine Chapel (especially for Michelangelo’s most famous frescoe), Vatican Museum, Castel Saint Angelo and the Swiss Guards. The Vatican is a very rich country was a “checkered” history, but whether or not you agree with their views, it is definately worth visiting. I had a lot of trouble accessing my money with my Australian credit card in Italy, it wouldn’t work at any atm and my debit card that I had with HSBC from England wouldn’t work abroad (I already knew this) and the only way I could access my funds was to pay for stuff at the point of sale and/or go to a bank to get cash. What I ended up doing after negotiation with the others, was that I pay for accommodation or meals etc then they give me their share of it back in cash. When I required further funds, I went to a bank and withdrew it over the counter. The banks in Italy had a lot of security when entering, more than any other country. They had revolving doors but only one person at a time could enter. The exterior door would close then the interior door (airlock) would open after they asked you what you wanted to do at the bank that day. Our guess, for all this extra security, was that we thought it was due to all the organised crime that you hear about that happens in Italy, but just an idea.

Date:  Thursday, 22 September 2005

Subject:  Prague

Hey guys

Once again I’m sorry about not emailing sooner but I have been at Oktoberfest in Munich for the second time in two years and had a blast.

Since my last email I stayed one night in a city the same size as Venice called Verona this city claim to fame is that it’s the inspiration for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It was a nice city not much all I can say about it though.

The train we took from Verona to Munich was amazing though, we went through the Dolomites and the scenery is just spectacular, kind of like New Zealand.

I spent three nights at Oktoberfest boozing it up. Stayed at the same campsite in Munich as last year but this time it was free as one of the friends we are travelling with knew the site manager of Top Deck.

Now I’m in Prague meeting up with my mate’s friend from Poland then probably on Friday fly back to London for some work.

So till next time it’s bye for now.

After Rome, we went to Pisa for a short stop-over to get a photo of the leaning tower along with everyone else, then Florence to see Michelangelo’s Statue of David amongst others. In Florence I also recall visiting the Florence Cathedral, Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio, Piazza della Signoria and walking all around the centre of the old town which is a UNESCO heritage site. Such a great place to visit even if you don’t get up to the wine region of Tuscany (we didn’t unfortunately) you won’t be short of things to keep you occupied. After Verona we went to Venice and explored the many canals and bridges that criss-cross the city. This is a gorgeous city and has an old school European romance feeling that will linger with you for a long time. When in Venice I visited Piazza San Marco, St Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace, Santa Maria della Salute and took a gondola down one of the canals. Again, you can see so much here that you could definitely stay here for a long time if you wanted. Whilst in Italy it would have been great to have liked to have gone to Pompeii and also the Ferrari factory and museum near Bolognia as it was on the way from Florence to Verona. Pompeii is south of Rome and not on the way but maybe next time when I am in Italy I visit them. After Venice we took the train to Munich via the Dolomites and then Prague. Oktoberfest was just as much fun as the year before but this time we knew more people there. I got to chatting with other Australians about the film Anchorman and then from then on, all the lines from the film were regularly quoted and was funny to see how many people knew them. It is a silly film but very memorable.

Sent: Tuesday, 27 September 2005

Subject: Back in London

Hi guys I’m back in London from an almost 2 month European holiday on a shoestring budget.

I think the last email I sent was the night I arrived in Prague for the third time.

In Prague we meet up with Andy’s Polish friend again and her friend Julia, this was their first time in Prague so we showed them around the Prague Castle, the old town square and Charles Bridge etc.

Both Andy and I had been dying to eat some traditional Czech food ie beef goulash which is dumplings, gravy and beef. We had this a couple of times as well as Chinese food for lunch and KFC for a midnight snack just like the last times we were there, remember the Chinska food Neil? (Note: It’s funny in Europe that you can go to have a drink at takeaway restaurants like McDonald’s etc. Don’t think it’s the best idea but I frequented a few of these establishments when I was in Europe).

On Saturday morning we decided that we better book a flight back to London for a flight that day. EasyJet was £130 from Prague but then Andy’s Polish friend asked if we wanted to go back to Poland with her for the weekend, we surfed the net and found a flight from Prague to Warsaw then another one from Poznan (3 hours by train west of Warsaw) for the same price so we booked but on the second flight I booked straight after Andy’s and the price went up £20 so that sucked.

Poznan is pretty great it has a largish old town square with lots of bars and flea markets but we mostly drank there, the Polish beer is so good.

On Sunday we went to an arboretum which had a small castle in the middle with a mote, was nice. We flew the same day back to Luton airport and got home in 1 3/4 hours which is not too bad for London and now I’m at my favourite internet cafe in Earls Court (£1 for 8 hours) looking for a job so I can start paying off my credit card debt and also my parents.

I have no future European holiday plans yet but would like to travel somewhere around new year’s cause last year’s new years in London could have been a little better.

Hope you have been entertained with what I have been up to recently and look forward to hearing from people who haven’t emailed me for a while, you know who you are 🙂

Bye.

Late October 2005, I went with some friends from the hostel on a day road trip to see Oxford, Stratford upon Avon, Warwick and Portsmouth. One of my friends at the hostel had access to his work van on the weekends so we had quite a number of people sitting in the back with no seats and the vehicle had no rear windows and was cramped and well, illegal, to be having so many people in the back at the same time with no seat belts etc but we got the pillows and mattresses, were quiet and we only had to paid for the petrol which was split between us all and wasn’t too much at all.

In Oxford we saw Oxford Castle, the grounds of Oxford University  and the Christ Church Cathedral. In Stratford upon Avon we visited William Shakespeare’s Birthplace , the Church of the Holy Trinity, walked around the gardens and buildings in the old town and banks of the River Avon which was lovely.

In Warwick, all I remember was visiting Warwick Castle which had something like an open day on when we arrived and there were a lot of people dressed up in medieval attire and doing activities like sword fighting and was a lot of fun to watch.

In Portsmouth we visited a couple of old ships that were moored up at the dockyards and were turned into museums, the D-Day Museum and Portsmouth Cathedral. Was a great way to spend a day with friend’s and to see some places which were difficult to get to by train.

Most of the time I spent in London was living at the Nevern hostel with up 100 people sometimes at a time but I did end up renting a duplex in East Action for 6 months (not a long way from the hostel, maybe 30 min walk if going fast) with 4 other friends that I had made from the hostel. I was able to save a little bit of money living at the house but I missed all my friends at the hostel so after the 6 months was up I went back living at the hostel again.

Sent: Monday, 31 October 2005

Subject: RE: FW: Fwd: FW: Terminology

Warwick castle was great, there was sword fighting and a ghost exhibition with people coming at you from walls etc and was pretty good. Unfortunately not jousting we missed by 1 month but it is the best castle I’ve been to so far (the one in Salzburg was good also) and it actually looks like a castle. Could have used the jacket though as it was raining heavy for the first part of the day when we went to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace and tomb of Shakespeare.

Moving back the Nevern hostel this Saturday so back to where it all started.

Job at BSkyB is ok, maybe staying longer then my 6 week contract till Christmas but we’ll see. It’s a little boring and the same thing over and over but it pays the bills, same pay as Camp America was paying me but it’s a little bit of a hike to work, it’s four tube stops from Heathrow, called Osterley, in zone 4 and Earl’s Court is zone ½ according to the tube map.

Saving like mad to put a deposit on trip home and other flights to Europe.

That’s about it for now, see ya.

I remember that BSkyB would provide a van and driver to pick up all employees from outside the tube stop which was great because it was difficult to navigate from if you don’t have a car and would make a for a long walk. Apart from the nice people I got to work with at Sky, except for one guy who was always miserable, Sky put on the best Christmas party I have ever attended. They closed their staff car park and put up a massive tent and inside it was decked all out in a Moulin Rouge theme that year and they had dancers and acrobats and a bar in the centre as big as any you would have seen at a nightclub, it was fantastic.

Sent: Thursday, 1 December 2005

Subject: Almost Christmas

Hi everyone I can’t believe that it’s almost Christmas again, the year has gone really quickly for me.

This year I have done a lot worked for Camp America for 6 months and had a great time (going to work for them in January for another 6 months) went to Lisbon, Portugal for a week during Easter, celebrated my 25th birthday at some clubs in London, meet my cousin Neil again and went to Barcelona, Spain for a few drunken days with him, went to Poland again for the 3rd time and went sailing, went to Pamplona, Spain for a week and ran with the bulls and danced with the locals on the streets, did a huge 8 week European tour where I went to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Italy and Germany for Oktoberfest (yes again) and enjoyed it even more than last year.

I don’t have much planned for the rest of the year maybe weekend trips around England, Scotland can’t afford to do much at the moment because I’m trying to pay off the credit card.

Next year I’m planning on seeing the Socceroo’s play in the football world cup in Germany, go to Greece and Turkey. Hopefully I can do another big European trip after I finish my contract with Camp America in July and go to some countries that I haven’t been to yet, then it’s back to Australia in October 2006 but haven’t booked this yet.

Hope you and yours are well and you don’t have to do as much as me next year but go on, get out there and travel it maybe the best thing you’ll ever do.

Ciao.

I spent Christmas and New Years in London with my hostel friends again. This time on Christmas day at the hostel we ended up having two Santa’s as the communication between everyone didn’t work out that well but we managed to have a fun time regardless.

2006

Early January 2006, I went visited Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath on another day road trip in my friends van with some other friends from the hostel. In Windsor I visited Windsor Castle, the Easter residence of the Queen of England. Stonehenge  is on the way to Bath and is out in a field just off the main highway and there is nothing else to see here. In Bath, we visited The Roman Baths, Pulteney Bridge and Bath Abbey and it is very pretty town with a lot of history.

Mid January 2006, someone in the hostel organised a day/night mystery trip to which ended up being Birmingham of all places. We all got to Victoria coach station via the tube, hopped on a Megabus coach and did laybacks pretty much the whole way to Birmingham, which was pretty cool of the coach driver to let us do that. We all (there were like around 30 people) had dinner together then afterwards we went to a bar that had a large group of women on a hen’s night and that was a blast. After that bar we went to the only place that was open till the morning, a club called Subway City. That was an “interesting” club and not the best but we all made it out alive, some of us just, then hopped on the 6 am Megabus back to London and I slept most of the way.

Sent: Thursday, 26 January 2006

Subject: Australia Day

Hi everyone

Hope you are all partying and drinking lots for the best the day on earth.

Tomorrow I’m taking a half day off work and going drinking with the Aussies and Kiwis (who we said could join us as honorary Australians for the day) from the hostel so should have an awesome time.

In a couple of weeks I’m heading to Amsterdam The Netherlands then Cork Ireland for two consecutive weekends so am trying my best to live it up and make the most of living in London.

Bye for now.

Late January 2006, I went to Amsterdam for a bank holiday long weekend with two other friends from the hostel. One was already there so the other friends and I flew over to meet up with him at the hostel he was staying at. You can run amuck here in this city as they are very liberal and have a lot of things that are illegal in most countries all legal, like smoking Marijuana in a public place to sex shows and shop and red light districts. One time walking back to the hostel I decided to try another way back which I thought was quicker. It ended up going past some “off main street” red light district with mostly African women in the windows. From then on, on that trip I was known as top deck, like the chocolate bar. There are some historical and significant sites to visit here and I went to see Anne Frank’s House, Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, Dam Square, the Heineken Experience and Royal Palace of Amsterdam. I recommend walking along the many canals and also hiring a push bike as it is really flat here and is the best way to get around the city. They will give you a fairly old run-down bike because the bike theft rate is high here but it won’t matter when you are riding high on whatever you had just consumed. I should have taken gloves with me as it was pretty cold riding around the city in the evening in January.

In this month I realised I had been putting on too much weight eating and drinking too much and not walking as much as I had been used to so finally got a good deal with a health club located in Hammersmith. Took out a 6 month membership with my good friend Andy and got back in shape.

Early March 2006, I organised a weekend trip to Cork, Ireland with some of my closer friends that I had made from the hostel. There ended up being 8 of us in the end and we were able to book at one entire dorm room in the hostel for the night. When in Cork we went to the kiss the Blarney Stone along with seeing Blarney Castle and gardens and walked around the main town centre. When we arrived back into London we were able to exit immigration very quickly, due to the agreement between the two countries. So nice to hear the Irish speak, it sounds like they are singing a tune every time.

Easter 2006, I did a 7 day coach tour of Scotland with a good friend that I made at the hostel. Took the cheap good old Megabus (only cost 5 pounds return) overnight from Victoria tube station to Edinburgh which took 12 hours and had two rest stops along the way. Haggis tours have changed their one week tours now but some highlights for me from this tour was going to Stirling and seeing how the silver is formed, seeing some shooting locations for the film Braveheart, seeing many castles especially the castle made famous from the film Monty Python the Holy Grail, eating haggis (very strong taste), swimming in the Loch Ness, seeing the vast openness of the Isle of Skye (very windy and cold here), doing a couple of whisky brewery tours, being at the base of Ben Nevis and walking the streets of Edinburgh, especially Edinburgh Castle.

Edinburgh is such a beautiful city and should be your first port of call when visiting Scotland. I went to one church that we visited in Scotland on the tour and the vicar wanted some help moving some furniture so I assisted. He gave me some holy water after and that was the nicest water I had consumed in a long time. On the way back to London, I arrived into Victoria station at 8 am and made my way directly to work to be starting on time that day at 9:30am. Had a rough night’s sleep on the coach and at work I was not as alert as usual.

Early May 2006 I went to Cardiff, Wales for a long weekend to catch up with a friend that I made from the hostel. Actually stayed in Newport but it’s a short local train ride into Cardiff. I walked everywhere in Cardiff as it was simple to get around on foot. Standout places that I visited here were Cardiff Castle, Caerphilly Castle, Cardiff Bay, St Fagan’s Nation Museum of History, Castell Coch and Millennium Stadium.

Late May 2006 I went to Brighton with a friend that I made from the hostel for the day to check out the seaside, beach and amusement rides at the Brighton Palace Pier. It isn’t a very long train ride to Brighton from London and I can see why this place is a popular destination for city folk. For an Australian seeing pebbles on the beach instead of sand is just plain wrong but you make do with what you have and there were people lounging around at the beach and swimming in the waters of the English Channel, close to the beach. The rides that they had at the pier were all old school and interesting to see what they had as they are very different to what you expect now.

Sent: Friday, 9 June 2006

Subject: Last day at Camp America

Well it’s my last day at Camp America for me (again) but it wouldn’t be fitting if I didn’t say a few last words before my departure to the football world cup, Greece and Turkey then ultimately back to Australia as my visa is almost up.

A big thank you to Kerry and Stephen for letting me come back this year.

I have had a great 2 x 6 months stints in the applications department here in the London office.

Meet some interesting fellow travellers in the call centres, recruited a few people to live at my hostel and had a few drinks with some lovely ladies (staff members) along the way.

I’m not sad to see the back of the scanner or making international payments over the phone or chasing up bogus references but will be hard to say goodbye to the people at Camp America, it’s a great place to work and they really know how to pick their staff, temporary and permanent.

So hope I made your working day bearable with my singing of James Blunt songs, bad humour and eating loads at the free lunch.

Thank you all for making this the highlight of my working experience in the UK which I will never forget and will cherish the friendships I have made since I started in Jan 2005.

The day after finishing work at Camp America I watched the Cambridge University vs Oxford University boat race at a pub right on the Thames in Putney which has been going pretty much continuously since the 1820’s. Was a big afternoon with old friends and new friends and yes, I did watch the race but only a little as it was difficult to see because everyone was there on the banks of the Thames too. Was fun nevertheless and an excuse to hang out with everyone.

When having a drink with everyone somewhere away from the hostel, we would all hang out at The Richmond pub on the high street in Earl’s Court, especially on Thursday due to the 1 pound pint nights, it would get messy sometimes and the music was bad but we always managed to have a great time here all together. Other places we would all hangout was The Walkabout pub in Shepherds Bush, The Redback tavern in Acton and The Church pub in Brixton which brings a new level to the word messy.

Sent: Saturday, 24 June 2006

Subject: Hi

Hi there everyone.

I’m in Strasbourg, France now by myself after leaving my friend Andy in Stuttgart, Germany   and am having trouble finding cheap accommodation 25 euro or less, looking online now and most of them are booked out tonight for festival.

Well, Andy and I flew from Stansted London early Saturday morning to Salzburg, Austria (again). Was strange being back there after 2 years but I bought the t-shirt “There are no kangaroos in Austria”, I been wanting to buy this t-shirt for a long time.

We then went to Munich (for the third time) and stayed two nights meet up with one of Andy’s friend’s from University in Canberra and watched the Australia v Brazil football world cup match in a pub in the centre of Munich. A little bad watching it there but they had an old stadium with a large screen area was full of people and a great atmosphere.

After Munich we took a short train ride to a town on the border of Switzerland and Germany called Friedrichshafen on the shores of Lake Constance and enjoyed two nights of relaxing recovering from Munich and getting ready for Stuttgart.

Stuttgart was nice, went to the Porsche museum, saw the football world cup match Australia vs Croatia, with another one of Andy’s friends from university, in the main square and partied into the night. Aussies drew the match with advancement though to the next round.

Well in a nutshell that’s it, so till next time its goodbye for now.

Unfortunately, the only accommodation we could get due to the football world cup being on, was at a converted convent and was a fair way out from the city centre but you do what you got to do.

Sent: Thursday, 26 June 2006

Subject: Re: Hi from Brussels

Hi again everyone, I’m in Brussels, Belgium.

Today I walked all over the city it isn’t the biggest one I’ve seen but I’ve seen bigger. Talked to an older guy from Melbourne, Australia that looks like my granddad on my mum’s side and he’s a good old guy, traveling by himself and meeting up with people he knows from way back when he was young, in every city that he goes to.

Well from Strasbourg, France I went to Cologne, Germany only one night cause I couldn’t find my hostel found the street though but two locals I asked had never heard of it so ended up staying in an overpriced pension.

First impressions of Brussels were not that great, raining and rubbish everywhere but I’ve seen worse. The next day however was great walking through the old town centre

Next up I am off to Bruges, Belgium so will look up accommodation now.

Bye for now.

Bruges is a very pretty town with so many beautiful buildings in a small area. I visited the old market square, Belfry Tower, Basilica of the Holy Blood, Church of our Lady, Burg Square and Bruges City Hall whilst here. Like the Dutch, the Belgians also use dams and channels and Bruges uses these very well and there are many beautiful bridges that cannot be missed. The boutique beers in Belgium are just great and my favourite is Leffe.

I crossed over the border into The Netherlands and took a flight back to London from Eindhoven a couple of days later. That day I used so many public transport modes that till this day it is still a record amount for me to use in one day. I took a bus to the train station, took a train to Eindhoven airport which is in the middle of nowhere, then another bus from the terminal to the plane, flew to London airport, took a bus from the plane to the terminal, then a coach to Victoria tube station and finally I took the tube to Earl’s Court. For a short flight, I used a lot of modes of transport, but the flight was cheap so what can you say, thanks RyanAir.

Sent: Thursday, 6 July 2006

Subject: London

Hi there everyone

I’m back in London now sorry about not replying to your emails earlier but have been catching up with mates and working with a friend since Monday at the Hampton Court flower show as security it’s so easy but boring but it a nice weeks work filler while I wait till 14 July 2006 when Andy, Karen, Dave, John, Dan and myself fly to Athens, Greece.

Was planning on sunbathing, going to the gym and doing nothing for 2 weeks but this has been keeping me occupied and am still able to do the above mentioned even sunbathing at work as it has been so hot here 32 degrees max every day except today where it rained most of the day.

Am going to go to Wimbledon tomorrow after work to watch some tennis matches so will take a few pics for you all, hope I see a couple of good tennis matches.

After I finish working at the flower show which (mum and dad would love) on sunday I’m planning on seeing we will rock you then before I fly to Greece, this has been the one musical I have wanted to see since being over here.

Other than the above I haven’t been doing all that much just work, sleep, gym, that’s about it.

Shame the NSW Blues lost the state of origin, was told it was a thriller second half from Karen and Carmen.

Well thanks for the return emails will write again hopefully before I leave for Greece but if not I’ll do it from there and tell you what I have been doing.

Bye for now.

Had a lot of older women at the flower asking me why they had to go through security and what was I checking for, I would reply because the queen will be coming along very shortly and doesn’t want an incident to arise, that stopped them whingeing.

Sent: Sunday, 16 July 2006

Subject: Re: Home Happenings 16.7.06

Hi there everyone

I’m leaving London early tomorrow morning for Athens with a few mates that I have made from the hostel.

We will be in Athens for two days then we are hitting the four main tourist Greek islands (Mykonos, Paros, Ios and Santorini) for at least 10 days of parties and beach then some of us are leaving to go back to London or going on to Turkey (I am the latter).

We all have been waiting so long to go on this trip that we are really excited and can’t wait to get there.

Oh well I’ll keep you all informed of my travels.

Later.

Sent: Saturday, 22 July 2006

Subject: Greek Islands

Hi there guys sorry about the group email but it’s hard to write back to you all in the limited amount of time I have on the computer at the internet café and it is expensive.

Well Athens (a UNESCO heritage site) was a great city with so of history and really, really amazingly ancient structures. Stayed there for two nights in a two star hotel wasn’t that bad we had four people in one room and two in the other.

From Athens we got an early morning ferry to the first of four islands on this trip. I am at the third island right now called Ios.

The first island we visited was Mykonos and we stayed at the Contiki resort with the rest of the bus-a-bout tour group. The resort was a bit far away from the main town and was expensive 59 euro each person, each night so on the second night we were there, two of us checked out then snuck back in and all of us stayed in one room. The drinks were expensive too at 3.50 euro for a beer so we brown bagged it in the room. They had an organised toga party one night which was ok. Most of the people at the resort paid 2 euro each for a toga and professional wrapping, we just got the bed sheet and rolled it ourselves.

The people we are traveling with on this tour are all Aussie, Kiwi and Americans on their first Europe trip, going home in two weeks or spending daddy’s money and most people look like they are under 21.

The second island was Paros, a lot quieter and laid back then Mykonos. We got accommodation at a guest house away from the group, for 16 euros each for two nights. The second day at Paros we went to a really nice resort beach club on the other side of the island where they had a DJ playing all day, 2 big pools, 1 beach, many restaurants, shops and lots of women, and this is where I did my controlled sun tanning which kinda worked and am getting brown now.

So to the present island Ios which is “the party island”. We are staying here for 4 nights, the first night we went a bar crawl and got home at 6.30 am. The clubs are awesome and the cocktails are super strong. Yesterday we chilled on the beach and at the pool, played a bit of footy on the beach and watched Superman Returns at the resort at night over a few beers. The accommodation is really cheap here at the Far out beach resort only 12 euro each for a 3 person bungalow and they have a massive pool, some water slides, a bar and a beach. Tonight we are hitting the town again for another bar crawl, should be another night to remember.

The next island up is Santorini then four of us go to Turkey by ferry and the other two go back to Athens then London on 28 July.

There is no sightseeing to be done on the Greek island just sun tanning, swimming and drinking so we are looking forward to doing some sightseeing in Turkey and it will be cheaper there so that’s another bonus too.

I’m not sure when I will be returning to Australia just yet as I haven’t booked my flight back home yet but will probably be the first week in Sept.

Andy and I will most likely go to Poland one last time to see our Polish friend again after we return to London then maybe see our friend Ben if possible, then it’s back to Australia for me.

See ya all again soon and hope you are all well.

In Athens, we, like usual pretty much walked everywhere and the first place we visited was the Acropolis of Athens a UNESCO heritage site, the Parthenon, Temple of Olympian Zeus and Athena Nike, The Agora, Arch of Hadrian and the National Gardens, amongst many others. There is so much to see in Athens that you won’t be bored at all. Athens felt not as good as Rome but each city has it’s good and bad points. I recall when we arrived into our hostel in Athens on the first night, there were no restaurants open near the hostel so we went to the local corner store and binged out on tzatziki dip and corn chips. I like this dip, but ever since then I can’t seem to eat as much of it these days. On our way to Mykonos on the ferry, one person from the group purchased a bottle of Ouzo so we had to drink it. Is an interesting aniseed flavoured alcohol. My favour beer in Greece was Mythos.

Sent: Friday, 28 July 2006

Subject: Turkey 1

Hello again I’m in Turkey now and what a place. Everything is around 30% cheaper than the Greek islands and we have been in Turkey for two days and have already seen so many ancient ruins.

We had a bad 24 hour stop over and travel from Santorini to Kusadasi, Turkey and the port authority charged us 30 euro each just to get into the country, free for the kiwis but so far so good.

Today we did a half day trip to Ephesus very close to where our hostel is. Tomorrow we will start out hop-on-hop-off tour with Fez Travel and will go down the west coast towards Olympus stopping at various places along the way then to Cappadocia, then Istanbul where Karen and John fly out on 8 Aug and Andy and I on 10 Aug.

Neil, I will get you some Polish money for you no problem, will have to get back to you about staying at yours sounds like a good idea, thank you.

Basia whatever you are planning when we arrive back in Warsaw will be great.

Everyone back in London, hope the heat wave isn’t too bad and everyone in Australia, I’ll see you soon.

Bye for now.

Sent: Saturday, 29 July 2006

Subject: Turkey 2

Hi just a quick email.

I’m in Koycegic now which a four hour drive south from Ephesus.

Last night we went to a mud/sulphur bath and it was great fun. We got some great photos of us all covered in mud looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film Predator.

Today we are off on a six hour drive south to Fethiye via Salugent Gorge which from what we have heard from others is amazing.

Bye for now.

Sent: Thursday, 3 August 2006

Subject: Turkey 3

Hey ya all how we all doing

I am in Cappadocia now. We took an overnight bus from Olympus which wasn’t the best, the a/c didn’t work halfway through and it was very bumping but fine other than that.

In Olympus we stayed in a hostel which was in set in trees which was pretty cool but very noisy at night with parties going all night, every night. There was a really nice beach there with caves, ruins and charter boats.

Today we did a day tour of Cappadocia and saw some amazing rock formations like out of a Star Wars film and we also went to an underground city which was interesting.

Tonight we are on another overnight bus trip to Istanbul. Then we are off to Gallipoli the next day, stay there for a day, then back to Istanbul for about four days, then flight to London.

Hope things are well with you all and that you’re having a great time whatever you’re doing.

Bye till next time.

At the hostel in the trees, I stepped on a nail which went into my big toe and yes it hurt but nothing a few beers couldn’t help with. the day after we were swimming in the Mediterranean Sea and as soon as I got in all these fish started biting at the wound and it was kind of hurting even more so had to get out which sucked as the water was so inviting.

Sent: Friday, 4 August 2006

Subject: Turkey 4

Hi again everyone, I’m in Istanbul now and this is the second day here for me.

The overnight bus from Cappadocia was a lot better we had a newer bus and there were only 10 people on the bus.

Day one in Istanbul we went and saw the Blue Mosque. It looks good on the outside, inside was just wall to wall carpet. If I was a Muslim I would probably know the importance of this mosque. There is also a Red Mosque here which is close to the Blue Mosque. The afternoon was spent drinking beer and having nanna naps as we were tired from the overnight bus.

Today we went to the Grand Bazaar which is exactly that. So many people buying and selling stuff, it was pretty amazing.

Tomorrow we spend another day in Istanbul, then Sunday we start our tour of Gallipoli and Troy, so am looking forward to that.

BIG NEWS!!!!

I’m departing London for Sydney at 22:15 hours from Heathrow on Saturday 19 August and arriving 05:30 Monday 21 August.

It is going to be strange being back in Australia after all this time away but it must be done.

For all those in London, I will be saying my goodbyes from 17 August after I return from Poland. For all those in Australia, I will see you soon.

Date: Tuesday, 8 August 2006

Subject: Turkey 6

Hi again everyone, I’m back in Istanbul again after visiting Gallipoli and Troy (a UNESCO heritage site) on a two day tour. Gallipoli is about a four hour bus trip from Istanbul and was an incredible experience, just to be there especially with all the history between the Anzac’s and the Turks in World War 1. We had a great guide, a retired naval captain from the Turkish Navy. He was a very knowledgeable old timer. Just seeing what the Anzac’s had to go through and the terrain of the land was astounding. After 8 months of fighting the Anzac’s the Turkish only gave up three metres not including Lone Pine.

Troy was very boring, it’s just a bare stretch of land and not many remains after many earthquakes over the centuries and the Trojan horse was just a wooden replica.

So I’m back in Istanbul, Karen and John left today for London and Andy leaves early tomorrow morning for Warsaw then I leave the day after for Warsaw as well so it’s almost the end of my adventure, only about a week to go then back to London for a few days then home for good, unfortunately.

I will be back in London late 16th August then fly late 19th so I will try to catch up with all my friends in London before I depart.

Basia, looking forward to seeing you again in Poland. Kinga, I didn’t know you were in Poland so sorry we missed each other, hope to see you in London before I leave. Waz we need more cowbell 🙂 hope to see you and Emily as well and Katherine, I’ll drop around to yours before I go.

Well two days left in Turkey then Poland so till next time, it’s by for now.

In Istanbul, some of the guys from the group decided to get hair cuts and some got beard trims. I got a beard trim with a cutthroat razor which I had never experienced before. Was hesitant but that was the closest shave I have ever had and my life was in the barber’s hands. The last thing the barber did was to burn the little hair’s on the top of my cheeks. Good thing he knew what he was doing as that could be very dangerous and it didn’t smell very nice. After the shave and the hair cuts we all had a Raki (a cloudy looking aniseed flavoured alcoholic drink similar to Ouzo but worse) with the barber’s as that is the custom, to have a departing drink together before you leave. My favourite beer in Turkey is Efes.

The last night I was in Istanbul, I slept on the roof where the bar was, to save some money but had to wait till everyone finished drinking before it was quiet. Was pretty comfortable though as I, along with a couple of other people slept on the provided cushions which were as long as a bench seat. Wasn’t until around 3 am when people left and I had to leave early for the airport so not the best sleep. Maybe a sign of things to come later that day which wouldn’t help the situation.

Sent: Wednesday, 16 August 2006

Subject: Poland Again

Hi all

I’m in Warsaw (again) at the moment after spending a week with our Polish friend camping on the coast of the Baltic Sea.

We got rained on most of the time but managed to have some fun swimming in the cold Baltic Sea, riding bikes, saw some massive dunes and watched a film.

All in all I had fun and will remember it.

Had a bit of trouble when I flew from Istanbul to Luton airport in London as it was the day of the liquid bomb threat, so my flight was delayed for three hours but EasyJet gave us a sandwich and drink while waiting then in Luton I was delayed for two hours for my flight to Warsaw so I was really exhausted from all this waiting around and not knowing if I would be able to travel or not, but when I arrived in Warsaw Basia had a bottle of Polish beer waiting for me and it tasted so good.

Tonight I’m flying back to Luton then returning to Australia for good this Saturday night so all you guys in London I’ll try to catch up with you.

Well after two years, it’s almost over for me but I’ll still keep emailing every so often so do feel free to email me about anything.

Chat soon.

Sent: Saturday, 19 August 2006

Subject: Last time in London

Hi again

Well it’s time for me to leave London and head home back to Australia for good. The last couple of days has been strange for me saying goodbye to people and to the city that I’ve lived in for the past two years, I think it will be difficult for me in the beginning to adjust to being back home and not in the UK and Europe but I will always have fond memories of everyone who I have meet within the past two years and at one point in your life sooner rather than later we will have to travel together or visit each other because all you guys in London have been great friends.

Kaz good to hear your home safe, Carmen and Claire you two need to give me your numbers asap, Claire sad to hear you left London so quickly I didn’t get to say goodbye to you. John have a great time in America again, Dave thanks for being a mate you’re a real character and same goes for you Rach, Mel enjoy your time in Scotland sounds like your having an awesome time up there.

Everyone I worked with at Camp America thanks for making this season a memorable one, you’re the best group of people I have worked with and Waz if Em doesn’t get this can you please email it to her cheers bruv.

All my Nevern friends you guys made my stay bearable and will miss our drinking and chatting sessions, Katherine, Adam, I expect us to catch up in Australia when I next go to QLD.

Basia thanks for showing me your country it was an honour to meet you and when you come to Australia I’ll show you my Australia. Everyone back in Australia I will be seeing you next week so get the beers chilled. Well it’s been an amazing two years I’m sad to leave but know I’ll be traveling again and that will drive me to work and save for my next adventure somewhere. Untill we meet again its bye from me.

PS Don’t stop emailing me.