THE BIG ADVENTURE - PART 1

Hey there, fellow travel lovers! So, where to start with my recent adventure interrailing across Europe? With 9 countries to talk about, there's a lot of stories to cram in, so I've decided to split my trip into three posts, as I don't want to bore everyone completely by trying to fit it all in now. Anyway, here goes - I'll start from the beginning...

St Malo

My first stop was the beautiful coastal St Malo. I only had the one day to explore but, after an overnight ferry and with a budget to stick to, I didn't visit many attractions. Still, a day walking around by the beach, taking in all the history that's there was interesting. What was also interesting, was trying to check into the hotel. After a struggle with the map and asking for directions from a nearby driving school, I eventually found it. But did they have my booking? No, apparently not. As you would probably agree, for a first time massive trip, for this to happen on the first day was ever so slightly nerve wracking. However, after trying to explain (thank God we speak French) that there must be a problem with the hotel's website, and several checks and chattering and arm waving, we managed to get a room. Although I've gotta say, the breakfast the next morning certainly made up for the confusion over the booking - croissants, fruit salad, bread rolls, crepes with caramel sauce, tea and orange juice - we definitely got our money's worth with that one! 

Getting to Amsterdam would involve 3 trains, and 1 metro journey. And of course, our first official train journey on our interrailing trip just had to go wrong, didn't it? We were delayed after having to make an emergency stop for someone being carted off the train into an ambulance, which was rather unfortunate - probably more so for them than us - but, of course, this stressed us out. However, after changing trains, and proceeding to run like hell for the metro (after the slowest ticket woman in the world finally managed to print our tickets), we finally made it to the Gare du Nord in record time, onto our last train of the day that would take us to Amsterdam Centraal. Not the easiest, or most fun thing to do in any situation, but it's a hundred times worse when you're carrying the equivalent of a few small children on your back, and are 5 ft 1. Still, I did it. So, with that manic day over, I could finally get excited about my 3rd visit to one of my favourite cities.

Amsterdam



I won't say a great deal about Amsterdam, as I think I've pretty much covered everything I love about it before. Although, I'd only ever been when it's not quite so warm, and it really is just as amazing in the summer, if slightly busier - not sure if that was only due to the high season, or perhaps Amsterdam has now become even more popular thanks to the June release of the film adaptation of The Fault in Our Stars. I did finally manage to find the 'I Amsterdam' sign this time though which is great for a touristy photo. Oh, and if you like your home comforts, check out the fab full English breakfast at Pasta Bar for less than a fiver. And another visit meant another accommodation; this time, it was Bob's Youth hostel. The showers are good, and it is literally 5 minutes walk from the station. However, the beds are like rocks, and I do not believe it was worth 45€ a night. Mind you, Amsterdam isn't particularly cheap at all, so I guess that was expected. Although, one of the main rules at the hostel that made me laugh was this; "you can smoke weed in reception, you can smoke all the weed you want, but under no circumstances can you smoke tobacco on our premises". That just doesn't happen anywhere else, does it? The other guests certainly made full use of this, though - 10 minutes standing in that reception and I was really craving a nap. Anyway, my time in this awesome city was over all too quickly, and it was soon time to power through the longest single train journey of the trip - 7 hours to Berlin.


Yes, I found the massive clogs again..

Berlin

As Germany would be the first country of the trip I'd never been to, I was pretty excited to get to Berlin. Our hostel, Generator, was a little far out from the centre, meaning we had to navigate our way there via the S-Bahn. Upon arriving at Berlin Hautbahnhof, I don't think I'd ever been so confused and worried in my life - I hadn't spoken German since GCSE and so, besides 'guten tag', 'danke schon' and 'wintergarten' (conservatory, FYI), most of my vocab had been long forgotten. However, after getting help from an attractive older man who happened to speak great English, we made it to the hostel. The beds were a million times more comfortable than the ones at Bob's, and the all you can eat breakfast for 4€ was definitely worth it. We did our first of many free walking tours of the trip here, run by Sandemans Europe. Seriously, these guys are fantastic! The tour guides work on a tip only basis, but each one we had was so knowledgeable and funny and certainly made the tours worthwhile. Our Berlin one was led by Rob Shaw - he is brilliant! As a former History student, it was incredible to go around some of the most important sights - Brandenburg Gate, the Holocaust Memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, and of course the Wall, to name but a few. I also managed to sample some German cuisine, in the form of Currywahst - it's pretty good! But I will admit that we did go over to Burger King one night to eat cheap brownies and ice cream and play cards...well, you've gotta have some fun, right?! Other cool stuff to do in Berlin included the Berlin Dungeons (not particularly scary but good fun), and a trip to the Ritter Sport shop. As one of my favourite chocolate brands, it was heaven. The East Side gallery is also an amazing sight; I've never been very into gazing at artwork and reflecting etc, but this changed all that. A must see.

The Ritter Sport shop!

Speaking of artwork, one of the funny things I noticed was how there seemed to be so so much ink and piercings in Berlin - definitely more so than any other city we went to. Oh, and don't forget your penicillin if you need it when you go - it's possibly one of the trickiest things to find in Berlin. We managed it, but it wasn't easy! But that's only a tiny thing - aside from that, Berlin is wonderful. Maybe not one of the prettiest cities, but it's so rich in history and culture that I was hooked - if you get the chance, don't hesitate to go - it's amazing.

Just part of the beauty that is the East Side Gallery

Prague
Our next stop took us over the border once more to the Czech Republic. We made it onto the train with literally seconds to spare - not even kidding - which again, with crowds of people and your massive bag, is pretty hellish on your stress levels to say the least. But we made it, and got to Prague. We had a similar problem to Berlin with navigating our way to the hostel (this happened a lot on the trip), but we got there. And we did not stay long. Hostel Olet was quite bizarre - it's actually a school which transforms into a hostel for the summer, so you are in fact sleeping in a classroom, which was strange. It just had a slightly weird atmosphere about it, and the beds were worse than Bob's. We did make friends with some Swedish girls though who gave us watermelon! A bearable place for one night, but not 4. We switched to Hostel Emma the next day, which I would thoroughly recommend - it's about 15 minutes walk to the main sights down one road which was fab, and the beds are comfy and the showers were good. We stayed in our own room which was like a small apartment, sharing a kitchen with 3 other rooms - a bit of a trek up several flights of stairs though! Although I did find myself unable to use the hob one day as a group of Czech girls had taken up all the saucepans boil washing their underwear...

On the Charles Bridge

We were incredibly lucky with the weather in Prague - gorgeous blue skies every day, which made the city look even more beautiful, if that's possible. It is one of the prettiest cities I've ever been to; if you get a little nerdy about architecture when you're abroad, it's great! I did another free walking tour with Tatiana who was fab, and a tour of Prague Castle with a Dutch guide called Tijo - one of the best guides ever! I had to have my photo with him afterwards - if you do the same tour be sure to get him as your guide! Even if you don't do the tour, I'd highly recommend going up to the Castle regardless - there's some stunning views of the city. 

The city view from Prague Castle

Prices aren't too bad in Prague. I was always led to believe that everything would be super cheap - I wouldn't go that far, but it's nowhere near as bad as Italy (more on that soon!). Although you can't beat the fact that a tram/underground journey is the equivalent of 1€ - mind you, a word of warning about the trams; they are lethal. Especially with giant backpacks. Also, Czech Koruna is quite confusing, so make sure you're aware of that. Aside from that, other fun stuff included a trip to the Hard Rock Cafe (obviously), and trying to shake off some unwanted attention from a shopkeeper who wanted me to be his 'special friend' to stay with when he comes to England. He ran a mile when I told him my 'boyfriend' was waiting outside for me. Ha. Apart from that, I loved Prague. I'd consider going early Autumn when the heat would be a little more bearable. But it's beautiful, and no doubt somewhere on my trip that I'd happily go back to - for Tijo, at least!

New bestie Tijo the Tour Guide and me

Check back soon for Part 2 of my big European adventure!

Georgie

I'M BACK....

Well hello there, everybody! Long time, no speak. Life has been incredibly busy in the last few months, so I apologize for not keeping everyone up to date with the plans for my Europe trip. But after 14 cities across 9 countries, 18 beds and God knows how many trains/trams/undergrounds, I can't believe that it's been and gone! I'll upload a much longer and better post about my amazing adventure soon, but for now this is just to say that I'm back, I'd definitely do it again, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone! Check back soon for all my interrailing stories...

Georgie

Amsterdam, March 2014

Hey there, fellow travel enthusiasts. I’m back from my second trip to Amsterdam, the land of weed and waffles. As this is my attempt at a travel blog, I’ll try to give you an insight into what this utterly cool city has to offer. So, on with trip tales!

Getting to the city centre

From Schiphol Airport, head straight to Amsterdam Centraal Station. In my experience, trains in the Netherlands are clean, comfy, and pretty damn punctual. National Rail, take note! Then, once you step out of the station, the exciting buzz of the city hits you immediately. There are trams and people everywhere, and even more bikes – as in where we have multi-storey car parks, Amsterdam has its own multi-storey bike park next to the station. Bizarre. Oh, and be warned about the bikes and trams – they’re lethal! The buildings are incredibly skinny, everyone has perfected that casual ‘I just threw this on’ chic that I can never achieve, and the smell of weed lingers everywhere. Yep, you’ve definitely arrived in Amsterdam.

Where I stayed

On this trip I stayed at the Acostar Hotel, about a 25 minute walk from the station. I recommend walking around Amsterdam where possible – it’s the best way to explore, and you can save yourself euros by not taking the tram - just don't forget your map! This relatively basic hotel is just around the corner from Leidseplein, a popular shopping and eating district (more on that later). Sure, there was a Coffee shop and a Sex shop next door, but hey – you’ll see these all over!  Mind you, the room I stayed in is better described as a bed with a room rather than a room with a bed – yup, it was kinda small. But the staff were pretty helpful, it’s not expensive and everyone speaks great English, so don’t stress if you don’t speak Dutch.

I’ll quickly mention the hotel I stayed in the first time I visited Amsterdam – The A Train. This is directly opposite Centraal Station – although you’ll have to weave your way through the deadly trams to get over there. The clue’s in the name; everything here is train-themed. In other words, if you were Sheldon Cooper, you would adore it! Again, a good little hotel if you’re trying to save money, and the breakfast is pretty nice.

What to eat
If you eat any Dutch cuisine while in Amsterdam, try Stroop waffles. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, these are absolute heaven and are found in almost every shop. For everything else, Amsterdam offers all the usual things – try eating from bakeries if you’re on the go to save money. And even though it’s not exactly local cuisine, one of my favourites is the Hard Rock Café. Situated in Leidseplein, it’s a bit like a much cooler version of TGI’s. The Hot Fudge sundaes are absolutely beautiful, and I got one for free using a token from the hotel! (At hotels in Amsterdam, you can pick up loads of different discount/free food tokens for different places, so I made use of a ‘Free Hot Fudge sundae when you buy a main course’ token for the Hard Rock Cafe. Get loads of them).

One of my favourite places to eat 

Never say no to a free sundae!

What to do
If you’re a culture vulture, Amsterdam won’t disappoint. For art lovers, there’s the famous Reijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum, amongst others. Going along the canals on a boat trip is also a must – it’s a great way of seeing city highlights and learning about its history without taking a step! Some other places to stand and marvel are Dam Square (there’s the ultimate souvenir shop here), and Bloemenmarkt – the floating flower market where cannabis seeds for sale are abundant. But probably the most important and most memorable attraction is the Anne Frank House, at 263 Prinsengracht. It’s interesting, moving and everyone should see it. Obviously, not a place to have a laugh – which some people on my latest visit didn’t seem to understand. Upon arrival, you are specifically told NOT to take photographs (apart from anything, it just seems a little disrespectful to me). Yet, once I stepped into the first room, there was a woman snapping away on her iPhone, while her two daughters ran around giggling and smiling for the camera. Unbelievable. Luckily, she got a warning from the security guard (after I said how insensitive she was). But aside from folks like that, it’s still absolutely worth a visit. Just watch out for the staircases.

Yep, I could walk in these no problem...

Okay, now I know what everyone’s thinking – have I been to the Red Light District? Yes, I have. But no, not for that reason! If anything, it’s the sort of place to look around and say, “Well - it’s not like England, is it?” It’s surreal. But it’s part of Amsterdam’s history and culture, so take a walk around if you have time – just don’t be shocked to see all the prostitutes sitting in the windows. It’s normal.

Finally, the main reason for my latest trip to Amsterdam was of course, to see The 1975. To say they were phenomenal isn’t enough. I think I had a smile on my face for the entire gig when I wasn't singing along – which, considering some of the themes they sing about, might not have been the most normal thing to do – but I’d been desperate to see them for ages. So yes, they were definitely worth the wait. If you ever get the chance, go see them. I’ll be going to see them again for sure!

Paradiso

The gig was at this place called Paradiso, a renovated church in Leidseplein. Among various Dutch artists, it plays host to some quite big names – The Lumineers and Haim had performed recently, and Azealia Banks and Nina Nesbitt were due there towards the end of this month. So, if you can’t get tickets to see your favourite band in the UK, be sure to check out if they’re heading around Europe and/or Amsterdam at all and see if you can make a city break out of it. Speaking from experience, it’s definitely a good idea ;) even if you're not heading over to see a gig, Amsterdam is undoubtedly one of the coolest places I've ever been - be sure to go one day!

Georgie

Just a little welcome etc...

Hello there, folks! For those of you who have found themselves reading this through my other blogs, I need no introduction really. Anyone reading who doesn't have a clue who I am, might want a little introduction. Whoever you might be, a regular reader or just flicking through my stuff for the first time, I hope that this post covers everything for you.

So, if you’re not already aware, I blog about Nail Art and about films (links to these are on the right), as these are two of my prime interests that I like to ramble on about. But another one of my interests is travel. I know I probably share this with countless numbers of people (some of my friends for example), but travelling the world is one of my biggest dreams. And, this summer, I’m making a start on that by going Interrailing around Europe. Hence the name of this blog :) Although, I did actually start last October, when I went to Amsterdam for the first time, which I think I mentioned quickly on Nerdy By Nails a while back. And guess what? I’m heading back there very soon, and am utterly excited. Not only because I’m going back to what I would now count as one of my favourite cities, but also because I’m going to see The 1975, who I discovered about a year ago now and subsequently became one of my favourite bands. So I’ll let you all know about that trip very soon! Obviously, I can’t share any interrailing stories with you all until the summer, so I’m not going to be posting on here as much as my other blogs until then. But anyway, if you want to hear all about my upcoming trip to Amsterdam, remember to check back soon. Hope you have a fantabulous day,

Georgie