David
From Sydney (Australia - is there any other?) travelling through Europe from mid-June to mid-August. Should be fun!DeeJay
Travel Blog Posts
August 13th 2006
Apologies for the delay in posting this entry. I only had a few days in London before heading home, so didn’t really have the time to put something together while I was there. I did manage to write the following short entry in transit from London to Sydney (in the Qantas Club lounge in Hong Kong), but due to the hand-luggage restrictions at Heathrow I didn’t have access to my camera, so couldn’t include any of the pictures that I’d taken. Upon arrival in Sydney I also found that my luggage wasn’t there to join me. I was ready to post the entry without pictures today, but they finally located my bag! Having been through this before (and never seeing my luggage again) I wasn’t too confident about it being found - I was sure that ... read more
August 8th 2006
Sorry......just amusing myself there. lacking any sort of creative vibe I was set to resort to the standard 'Ich bin ein Berliner' as the title for this entry. However, being the shocking speller that I am (yes Mel, I know.....even with English) I was just doing a quick google check of my spelling (which miraculously I had correct) when I came across a few articles debating whether Kennedy had declared that he was a jelly doughnut, or if (as intended) he had told all that he was 'at one' with the people of Berlin. As it turns out, the same phrase can be used for both - as a Berliner is (or at least was) a popular doughnut in Germany. While I like the idea of the president declaring himself to be a doughnut......of course that ... read more
August 4th 2006
A woman I did a day tour with in Prague had just come from Krakow as part of her holiday, and she was obviously very impressed with the place, as she described it as 'the next Prague'. Personally , after my own visit, I think she was pushing it a little, but I certainly understand what she meant. Krakow isn't a particularly big city (around 800,000 people), but it has plenty of character, and plenty of history behind it. While not as busy as Prague, I certainly wouldn't say that it was undiscovered though. The old city centre is very impressive - with a large market square thriving with activity (predominately tourist related), and the castle (yes.....anther castle) just outside this area can't be missed. Interestingly though, just a few tram stops out from the centre ... read more
Praha - Better known (for some reason) as Prague
Published: July 30th 2006Europe » Czech Republic » Prague
July 30th 2006
After my misadventure on the train, and the subsequent drawn=out experience with the Police, I finally managed to check-in at the apartment I had rented, only to find out that, despite paying more here than for anywhere else I stayed on this trip, it was really below average in terms of the standard (I think I was just unlucky.....things are generally cheap here). So needless to say, my stay here did not start off on a positive note. But I REALLY wanted to see this city, so I was prepared to give it a go. My next concern was that the city may not live up to the hype - as I had heard so much about Prague, and built an expectation prior to arriving.......but this fear was soon dispelled. Put simply.......I had a great time. ... read more
Budapest - A Tale of Two Cities
Published: July 25th 2006Europe » Hungary » Central Hungary » Budapest
July 25th 2006
Just when I was starting to love train travel it all fell apart…….but then I also entered Eastern Europe. Co-incidence? The train into Vienna was an hour late arriving (apparently the one before was over two hours late, so maybe I should be thankful)…….. but then the 2.5 hour tip took over 6 hours to complete. We sat at one station for over an hour and a half, and also went back in the direction we’d come from at one stage. Not good. Add to this an air-conditioning system that was almost non-existent (just what you expect in first class), some obvious arguing between officials at different stops, and the company of some particularly loud Americans in my carriage, and you may get a sense of what it was like. I knew I was in for ... read more
July 18th 2006
Firstly..........sorry about the Ringo reference in the title, but I was getting desperate. Anyway........my Vienna experience: I ended my stay here with a movie. Yes……..I know I shouldn’t have been indoors (especially given the lovely weather), but I think the movie added to my experience, and I’d recommend it to anyone visiting this city. The movie was ‘The Third Man’. It was made in post WWII Vienna. It’s a 1949 black and white classic, and the backdrop to the drama that unfolds is a city that is not only divided in four (overseen by the French, Russian, British and United States armies), but also damaged heavily from the bombing that took place. In contrast…..the city today is in pristine condition. Obviously a lot of effort has been put into restoring buildings to their former glory, and ... read more
July 14th 2006
I had no real expectations in relation to Zurich. I had no strong desire to visit the city, but did want to see some of Switzerland on my way through to Eastern Europe, and being the largest city (with a population of around 350,000 people), with a central location, it seemed like a logical destination. As it turns out, while not the most attractive of cities in itself (though I don’t want it to sound like it had nothing to offer in that way………for instance the lake on which it’s situated is certainly beautiful), it did prove a suitable base to visit other destinations in Switzerland, and to that extent it’s a shame that I didn’t have more time to explore more of the country. Zurich has it’s own charm though. The old part of the ... read more
July 9th 2006
OK. Firstly I should point out that I was quite prepared to dislike Paris. I had specifically avoided visiting here on my last trip to Europe. To me a good holiday experience isn’t just about the destination - but also about the people. So……. given the reputation of Parisians for intolerance of those who don’t make an effort to speak their language, and the fact that I know basically no French (and for a three day visit wasn’t exactly going to take lessons), I wasn’t expecting things to run smoothly. And my experience here was certainly didn’t start off at all well. My journey from Edinburgh to Paris ended up to be quite an ordeal. First the plane was over an hour late (which isn’t great when you’re forced to get to the airport two hours ... read more
Edinburgh - A wee Scottish City
Published: July 6th 2006Europe » United Kingdom » Scotland » Midlothian » Edinburgh
July 6th 2006
Well Edinburgh wasn’t in my original itinerary, but I thought it was a shame to head to the UK and only visit London. Now I’m glad I made the effort to squish in a few days. It’s a really interesting place. Many of the buildings in the Old Town area are constructed from sandstone, but they have discoloured over the years/centuries and, in conjunction with the weather (it was long-sleeve shirt and spray jacket weather for 2 of my 3 days), could easily result in a drab old city - but somehow it’s so much more. I guess the scene-steeling Edinburgh Castle helps a lot in that regard. It just can’t be ignored - soaring above the city as it does - it’s just such an unusual sight in the centre of a vibrant city. I ... read more
London - Part II
Published: July 3rd 2006Europe » United Kingdom » England » Greater London » London City
July 3rd 2006
Well………..back in London for a few days to a relax a little before heading on. Not that I relaxed all that much. I managed to fit in a visit to Wimbledon, see a play in the West End, and Europride 2006. Wimbledon was cetainly an experience. It involved an early start, catching the Tube to Wimbledon South, and a short walk to find the bus that travels to the tennis centre. Arriving at around 8.30, I knew there was a bit of a wait until the gates opened (at 10.30am)……but of course I wasn’t the only one wanting to get in, and the queue was enormous. I was handed a Queue Card ticket to verify my place in the line, and seeing I was number 2,742 I was fairly confident about getting inside………until I was told ... read more
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