ChellesFootsteps

Boxing Day in Munich and everything is pretty much closed =( Even the souvenior shops! So with no much else open, we headed for the Hofbrauhaus and ordered a litre of beer! After downing that, what else was there to do but head to another beer hall, the Augustiner Keller, no 1 litre beers there though. I had been to Dachau concentration camp today but this time we decided to our on a tour and Im so glad we did. Our guide was fantastic, his knowledge and style of delivery where superb, he opened the tour by saying "You will not enjoy today, it will not be a good day but it is an important one" and this was so true. The gruesome stories he told, while we stood in the very rooms that people where ... read more

Leaving foggy Budapest behind we were praying for better weather in Vienna.. and we got it.. kinda... No fog but its still raining.. Where has the snow gone?? =( The 10day forecast for where we are heading isnt looking any better either.. where has the snow gone?? Still hopefully for a white Christmas but not as hopefully as I was.. Vienna is sad to have some of the best Christmas markets in Europe and they (unlike others), did not disappoint. Big, spread out, with different stuff we have come back to the main ones, the Christkindlemarkts outside the Rathaus every day we have been in Vienna. Schobrunnen Palace- the main sight of Vienna did not disappoint. Inside you can go a self guided tour (along with an audio guide) through the many, many rooms that make ... read more

We somehow managed to leave Berlin, despite our train being cancelled and being told just to jump on another one.. There go our seat reservations and plans! No need to worry though as it was very smooth and we arrived in Nuremberg only 20mins later than we thought... Chris had the idea to visit Nuremberg Zoo while we were here and Im glad he did.. It was unique walking through a near empty zoo in the snow seeing all the animals. Most bizarelly was seeing kangaroos.. in the snow.. in the zoo.. I dont think kangaroos are built for snow! A second highlight was the tiger that did nothing but roar the whole time we were there, you could hear him from anywhere in the park and when you stood in front of him, he really ... read more

Every time we’ve hit a new city, its gotten colder., to the point where we look back now and the first stops dont seem cold at all. Paris was cold, Amsterdam was cold, Cologne and was cold but Hamburg is in a cold league all of its own. Unlike the other cities, where it was freezing when the wind picked up, Hamburg is just freezing. No wind, but literally freezing. It was 0 degrees at 2pm and by the time the sun starting going down at 4pm, it was way below freezing ( but then it snowed and all was right in the world!) Arriving in Hamburg we have been in awe twice, once by the size of the train station and secondly by our hotel. The Hotel SIDE where we are staying is a boutique ... read more

After our last day in Paris was spent in Disneyland, it was onto Amsterdam- the adults playground. Arriving at Central Station after a three hour train trip, we easily walked to our hotel- all done up like a train. As we did in Paris, we hopped on the Hop On Hop Off bus, getting off at two stops: The Heineken Experience would have to be one of the best brewery tours I have done (Sorry Guiness and Coors). Most of the attention is paid to the history of Heineken and while time is paid to how beer is brewed, it is not the focus of the tour. The tour is also very interactive which keeps it fun and comes with two free beers at the end. From there it was to Anne Franks House. Everyone knows ... read more