The three cities of Germany: part two

On our quest to see Germany, Hamburg made a great second pit-stop after Berlin. As we were heading towards the Netherlands, we stayed at the top of Germany and avoided going south towards cities such as Munich. Not knowing what to expect, Hamburg could have been in a completely different country from Berlin. Berlin is eclectic, whereas Hamburg felt much more traditional. Tree-lined canals, quaint cobblestone streets, perfectly aligned trees, swans and gorgeous water features are just some of the features you can expect to see. Rich in history, a free walking tour from Sandemans was a welcome insight into the city, not to mention a great way to get our bearings.

Hamburg is lush and green and with wide walking paths lining major canals, it’s a beautiful place to take a stroll, or use one of the many benches to enjoy a picnic dinner. Sitting there with some takeaway salad and cold German beer it’s a picturesque evening with bikes whizzing past, groups of joggers and families walking dogs. Not to mention it’s a great way to burn off that delicious German food.

St. Nicholas Church is a must-see attraction as a memorial to World War II. The city of Hamburg was relentlessly bombed and the church stands half-burned. The spire reaches up into the sky and stands as a reminder of the tragedy that occurred. Restoration works were going on, but the spire can be climbed for a magnificent view of the city. Under the burned ruins is a museum, and for a mere few euros is a great place to absorb some knowledge, or escape the rain as we happily discovered. 

Little bakeries selling fresh sandwiches and sweet cakes are everywhere and are worth stopping at for lunch. Lured by a golden flaky cake with white icing I couldn’t help myself and before I knew it, I was holding a brown paper bag and making my way down to the major canal on the edge of the city. I have no idea what it’s called but there’s soft, sweet fluffy bread with a cakey-crumble like topping that it sweet and buttery with a white sugar icing on top. It is huge and extremely rich and is perfect shared for two. Throw the diet to the wind and make sure to get one – that’s what travelling is all about, trying, seeing, doing and experiencing new things. Don’t miss out.

Be careful of the swans, they look pretty and meek but will be snapping at your fingers searching for food in no time at all. Visit the botanical gardens for lush greenery, blooming flowers, pops of colour, statues and watery gardens. They are free and spectacular.

   

Hamburg is a major shipping port for Germany and is very industrial. It is one of the wealthiest cities and is currently building a contentious new opera house that is costing more than ever imagined. It may not have made any ‘favourite’ city list, but it was a welcome break and a chance to explore more of Germany is a chance I’ll always take..

The last city we visited in Germany is Cologne – and what a blast! Stay tuned for next week..

The three cities of Germany: Part 1

With a total of 4.5 months to travel around Europe, spending some time in Germany was at the top of my list. Berlin especially, was a city I wanted to visit after hearing so many good stories about it, and only having spent one night there two years ago I was looking forward to exploring the city in depth. We chose to spend four nights in Berlin, then slowly moved across the country on our way to The Netherlands, spending 3 nights in Hamburg and 3 nights in Cologne.

Berlin

Berlin is definitely a city that’s rich in culture and history. It permeates every aspect of the city and here you can find memorials and museums dotted around that tell an engaging and devastating story of World War two. There is a strong belief in remembering the past to prevent it happening again, which means the stories you can read in the museums are detailed and give you a real insight into the tragedies that occurred so many years ago. Just walking around you will get a feel for all the different museums and can choose to visit just one, or all the ones you come across.

We visited the Holocaust Memorial, which is under the holocaust memorial just down from Brandenburg Tor and Topography of Terror. The first one gives a brief overview on World War two and then each room is dedicated to telling someone’s story: I read about families who survived Auschwitz, daughters who were the sole survivors of families, children escaping the war – people’s memories and experiences are all on display and it is an extremely moving and personal insight into the lives of people who endured such tragedies.

Topography of Terror is also another fantastic museum in which you could easily spend hours there. We walked around from exhibit to exhibit and spent three hours there on our first visit just reading about the war. It’s arranged chronologically so you move through it with clarity and there are many, many pictures which all tell a story. These two are just the tip of the iceberg but are a fantastic recount of the horrific years gone by and I highly recommend visiting them. Both are free to do, and the maximum waiting time is 15 minutes for the Holocaust Memorial.

And, make sure to visit the Berlin Wall and Berlin Wall memorial. The painted wall is truly a spectacular site.

 

While Berlin does have a great focus on history, there are also many other great reasons to visit the city if you’re not a history buff. The city is easy to walk around and there are plenty of cafes, restaurants, fast-food outlets and shopping centres to keep everyone happy and well-fed, plus it really is a cheap city! Germany has a reputation for great food and beer, which I was more than happy to experience first hand. Curry-wurst is interesting but actually kind of delicious, not to mention my favourite, a Bratwurst with tomato sauce (Ketchup) and mustard and to wash down the food you can’t go wrong with a German beer especially considering it’s dirt cheap. Doner Kebabs are also another cheap and cheerful meal that cost around 3-5 euro and are extremely big and filling. Again, wash down with any German beer for a nice meal. While Bavarian food didn’t seem to be that big in Berlin if you look hard enough you can always find a Schnitzel or Pork Knuckle which are always delicious.

In the city centre, right behind Brandenburg Tor is the lovely city park. It’s a huge expanse of greenery our tour guide likened to New Yorks Central park, just to give you an idea of size. Apparently in the summer, senior men like to go there to play naked volleyball but happily I was not privileged to witness this and instead spent a rather peaceful afternoon munching on cheese, figs and bread in the sun, listening to the birds and lying on a rug. Taking a stroll through here is a great way to get away from the bustle and bustle of the city and take a break to enjoy a cold beer, ice-cream or lunch.

We were super lucky and on our last day just in front of the park there was a fair with stalls and stalls of sausages and beer, among other food and drinks, lots of tables and chairs and a big stage where local bands, dancers and musicians all played. Grabbing some food and beer we enjoyed listening to the German songs and were pleasantly surprised with some English songs too. There really is nothing better than sitting in the sun with live music and a cold beer in a beautiful day in Berlin.

With so much in Berlin, it’s hard to know where to start. Here are my top recommendations:

Top things to do in Berlin

• Visit the Holocaust Memorial and the museum underneath it
• Visit the Topography of Terror
• Stand where Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his bunker (its now a carpark)
• See Checkpoint Charlie
• Take a stroll through the city park. Don’t forget a picnic!
• Walk from the Berlin Dome to Brandenburg Tor
• Try German Beer and German food (Bratwurst, Currywurst, Doner Kebab)
• Head out for a wild night in German clubs
• Walk along East Side Gallery
• See the Berlin Wall, and visit the Berlin Wall memorial
• Walk down Oranienburger Straße. It’s such a lively street full of eateries!
• Visit the food markets! There is a great one on Thursday nights called the International food market. We got an amazing Taiwanese pork bun, some Arancini balls and gelato.
• Get lost. Berlin really is a wonderful city so put on your walking shoes and create your own adventure.

Berlin is one of my all time favourite cities in Europe! What’s yours?

 

For more photos see my instagram: madeleine.curby

The truth about hot air ballooning in Turkey

“But what was your favourite thing you did?”. If I had a dollar for every time someone has asked me that, I would be back in Europe buying German beer, Italian Gelato and a Greek Gyro. With the demands of University and work starting to take over, conjuring up memories of the past eight months spent hopping between cities, beds and restaurants are a delight.

It is impossible to choose just one thing that was amazing, because in reality everything was special. Every moment was worth doing, every experience worth having and every memory worth keeping. There are things I would do again, such as hiking up Montenegro’s fortress walls, and things I wouldn’t do again such as riding a camel when suffering from 3-day long Gastro in the Moroccan desert.

While I could never pick a favourite, one of my most sublime and breath-taking memories in is Cappadocia Turkey. I’d learnt the odd bits and pieces of Turkish history in school and heard about it from friends and family; namely my parents who travelled there when they were young adults and were chased by a madman wielding a knife shouting in Turkish. Sounds fun…

But we decided to make a “pitt-stop” in our epic journey and stay for around 14 days. in Cappadocia, we were given the option to ride a hot air balloon at sunrise over fairy caves and valleys. Undeterred by the steep price (around $250 AUS), Alex and I had our clothes laid out and alarms set for 3:30am the next day, when an organised bus service would pick us up and take us out.
It was a fresh morning and for once I used the cardigan buried at the bottom of my suitcase. The bus turned up on time and a group of us hustled on, eyes still half-closed with sleep. We were dropped off at a permanent tent-like structure where breakfast of cookies and coffee was served. Nothing says sweet tooth like a chocolate chip cookie at 4 in the morning; needless to say Alex happily munched down on a few.

Soon, we were ushered away into big 4WD cars and taken out to another field. The sun was just beginning to rise, washing the landscape in a faint yellow glow that illuminated the dips and rises of the land before us. Rushes of bright yellow flames were powered into the bottom of a balloon, and obligingly it begun to stand up, rising bit by bit. Other balloons were in the sky, and we stood by impatiently watching, scared we would miss the sunrise.

When we were allowed in, we all scrambled in desperate to get up in to the sky. The balloon is slow to rise, yet somehow you look away for just one second and the ground suddenly seems so far. The bottom of our box crashed over a tree tearing off a branch and others grabbed out to pinch some leaves. Up, up, and up we go!

The sky seems empty and then all of a sudden bright coloured dots start to appear from nowhere. More and more balloons start appearing and it’s surreal to watch them. Some are lit by the glowing sun, their red and yellow bodies surging into the air while their captive audiences take photos like there’s no tomorrow. Other balloons are just silhouettes against the sun, their dark shape blacking out pockets of light. They are everywhere. The sun is getting higher and higher, the faint yellow becoming stronger as pastel oranges decorate the sky.

It’s like the sky is awash with balloons.

You would think the amount of balloons would ruin the serenity of the moment. Yet it’s the complete opposite. The air is so still, there is no noise and there’s something magical about watching a balloon rise up to meet the greeting sun. The sheer number of them is part of the magic. The only noise is the click of cameras, as everyone wants the perfect photo.

While ‘favourite’ is a box I cannot fit anything into, greeting the morning sun while being suspended in a floating box, is definitely an experience I would do again. And one that comes pretty darn close to ‘favourite’.

     

Sunday snaps: Floating in Kotor

Everyone has heard about Croatia and how beautiful Dubrovnik is. It’s flooded with tourists every summer all craving some sun and diving off the rocks into the refreshing blue ocean. Yet just a few hours south lies the bay of Kotor in Montenegro. It is very similar to Dubrovnik, minus all the tourists and hustle and bustle. It is absolutely stunning! I’ll even admit I liked it better than Dubrovnik, and it was cheaper and quieter. This little gem is for now, an off the radar place as few venture further than Dubrovnik. Climb the steep fortress walls, stroll around old town, enjoy local fresh food and relax in crystal clear waters – before the hoards of people arrive.

See more photos on Instagram: madeleine.curby

Beaches in Morocco

Six hours from Casablanca by bus is the beach side town of Essaouira. As we leave the bus station we are assaulted by cries of ‘taxi’ as locals fight for our business. They crowd the pavement trying to get our attention and promise the best rates. It is much cooler here and the smell of salt in the air is evident with the fresh breeze that is rolling in. We jump in a cab with an American girl we met on the bus and head towards the medina.

This medina is directed towards tourists, unlike the one in Fez, and sells leather goods like bags, jackets and shoes. Boards of jewellery hang on the walls and buckets of shoes line the pavement. Stand too long looking and the owner will be offering you his best price, which instantly gets quartered as soon as you walk away. It is much cleaner and much nicer than Fez with a better array of goods to buy for the serious shoppers. Unfortunately I’m really sick and my 2 nights spent here consist of me sleeping from about 3pm to 9am the next day. On the first night I don’t want to leave bed so Alex is forced to find food and eat alone.

In the morning I force myself up and we end up walking to jimmy Hendrix ville a few kilometres away from Essaouira. It’s a small forgotten little town that dusts blows through and whips into your eyes. It feels like a ghost town. We walk along the beach to get there and are harassed by offers of camel rides. The beach starts to get hilly and more deserted the further we go along. Wind blows the sand against our bodies whipping our faces and forcing our hands over our eyes. Rolling dunes seem to stretch out forever in front of us while the ocean seems infinite on our right. It’s a beautiful sight and so peaceful with no one around.

After the steady hour walk there, we leave after only 5 minutes as another girl has lost her phone. She heads off to the police station and Alex and I go back to find some food. We walk past a cute traditional looking restaurant with low chairs and tables and brightly coloured red cushions. Lunch is a 3 course meal of soup, tagine and fruit. The tagine is absolutely scrumptious! The chicken falls off the drumsticks and tastes divine when scooped up in bread with olives and baked lemon. It’s like a flavour explosion, although 5 minutes later by tummy starts cramping and I think I’m going to regret eating it.

We stroll through the medina again and end up on the outside walls. A local walks behind us and sneakily unzips Alex’s bag and starts grabbing things. He manages to escape with an empty sunnies case and bottle of hand sanitiser before we notice him and yell out. He runs off but we count ourselves lucky as his iPod is still lying on the bottom of his bag.

We head towards the beach dodging the people streaming past and yelled offers of fresh fruit, bags and shoes. The water is brown and uninviting despite the heat and humidity. A group of young boys draw lines in the sand and start a soccer match while we perch on the stone wall that cuts off the beach from the pavement. They run, kick and dive in the sand yelling at each other and having a friendly jostle. The sun is setting and washes the sky in a pale yellow. Faint murmurs from the medina can be heard in the background and the sand sticks to our skin. No-one bothers us while we watch the seemingly life or death match and once the sun disappears we move on.

The next stop is bed and I definitely regret eating. It’s an early night again for us. My desire to leave Morocco and go somewhere cleaner is growing by the day. The next day is a slow morning and we find a small shop where a French man has set up selling fresh juices. A big cup is cheap and we devour it on our way to the bus stop, leaving Essaouira for the next city and our last pittstop in Morocco: Marrakesh.

Camel riding in the Sahara Desert

A couple of years ago I rode a horse that could only understand Spanish directions. It was in a beautiful park with a narrow dirt path that sloped off to a small stream encased on either side by pebbles. The ground was slightly uneven but hey the local children were riding horses and encouraged by others I figured I could too.  What a mistake…

I got off minutes later and cried. I was terrified. The horse started galloping over his uneven and rocky terrain, I felt like I had no control and unfortunately the horse didn’t recognise the word ‘stop’. I vowed never to get on a horse again and so when i found myself in Morocco 2.5 years later, safe to say I was not keen to ride a camel.

After days of trying to convince myself and not wanting to make my boyfriend, who I am travelling with, miss out on the experience I pulled myself together and got on the tour from Marrakesh to the Sahara desert before I changed my mind again. The desert is a long, long way from Marrakesh and the bus left at 8am and we didn’t arrive till around 5pm, with a few photos stops and food breaks along the way.

Lines of camels sit on the reddish-brown earth with padded blankets on their backs. Rope hangs from their mouth, linking them together. A couple of locals sit around ready to direct us on the camels and as soon as we’re finished taking photos they beckon us over and tell us to sit. To stand up, camels lurch forwards so their back leg straighten and your bending over the camels neck. After a few seconds, or more depending on your camel, they lurch backwards and straighten their front legs. I was terrified I might fly off the camel but the lurch is a lot gentler than it looks and if holding on, it would be pretty hard to fly forwards.

Holding on for dear life as the camel stands up

Once our group is all up on the camels, a local takes the rope of the first camel and we begin the slow walk to our campsite. A camels walk is quite gangly not smooth like a horse, and your body slightly sways from side to side as each leg moves forward. They’re incredibly slow so it feels safe, although hold on tight when going downhill as they kind of let themselves fall forward. We were taken over sand dunes and around them, bypassing huge lumps of red sand piled high and rippled from the wind. The ride to the camp took just over an hour and I was beginning to look forward to getting off. It’s not a lie when I say riding a camel is uncomfortable, I had a welt after only 2 rides!

Alex got the cheeky camel

Our campsite is a ring of white permanent tents that are completely secure to avoid any scorpions from getting in and running around. Due to this it’s like a sauna in the late afternoon but by 2am the room turns into a fridge. We are served Berber tea, which is mint tea and delicious although I think they are heavy handed with the sugar, and sit around on giant rugs in the desert waiting for dinner to be cooked. We are served a traditional meal of soup and bread, chicken tagine followed by fruit. The tagine is scrumptious as the veggies are cooked in all the juices and soak up so much flavour. After dinner we all file back outside to lay on the rugs and look up at the sky. A fire is lit and the locals bring out their drums beckoning a couple of girls to join. Soon the rhythmic beat of drums fill the air, a little boy dances around them performing cartwheels as he circles around and people are spread out on the rugs, laying on their backs with their hands interlocked behind their heads staring upwards.

But my favourite spot is just behind the tents where the beat of the drums is fainter, the glow of the fire is gone and all that you can see is black. The sky is alive with glowing white dots that sparkle against the jet black background. It’s like the sky has been sprinkled with white hundreds and thousands that twinkle and dance. It’s so unlike the skies you see back home. The sand is cool enough to sit on now and a small group of us lie on a sloping dune marvelling at the sky. After a while the drums end and silence pervades the air. It feels so empty and so quiet, like a blanket of serenity covers us all. I could lie out here all night just gazing at these bright stars, but eventually lack of sleep wins over and I’m forced to trudge off to bed stealing one last glance at the most beautiful sky I have ever.

Morning is an early wake up call to watch the sky lighten as the sun rises and forces us to start the day. Wings of yellow and pale orange flood the sky and slowly the sun climbs higher than the sand dunes and comes into view. After a quick brekkie it’s time to head back to the camels who take us out of the desert and back onto our bus. I’m pretty much wincing at this point and can’t wait to get off, although others seem to be enjoying their last ride. Our driver takes a shortcut on the way home and it doesn’t take us nearly as long to return to Marrakesh where I’m desperately awaiting a hot shower to wash the smell of camel off. Apart from the welt and extremely long bus trip, the tour was incredibly special and it was all worth it to see how bright stars can shine in the middle of nowhere.

Sunday snaps: Camel riding in the Sahara desert

After two days of peer pressuring myself, I finally jumped on a camel and rode into the Sahara desert to stay overnight. And what an incredible experience!  (Blogpost to Tuesday)

Portugal in a nutshell

With a minimal 3 nights in Lisbon and 3 nights in lagos I was eager to experience as much of the Portugese culture as I could. Lisbon is a beautiful city and much like every European city is filled with monuments, statues and gorgeous cobble-stone streets. The best hing to do here is wander around, from the port to the main square, to all the winding alleyways and hills that offer spectacular views you will not get bored.
My favourite things to do are:

• walk. Just go on an adventure and find your own favourite place to relax and enjoy Lisbon.
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• visit Belem. Just a short 15min tram ride away is the Belem Tower and monastery. The monastery is a lot smaller than expected but so serene and beautiful it makes up for its size. Here you can read lots of history about the building or enjoy it’s peaceful green courtyard that’s surrounded by ornate carved wooden walls that are exquisite to admire.
• eat pastels del nata. These famous portugese tarts are incredibly delicious and you’ll be doing yourself a disservice to miss out. There is a small blue pastry shop just down from Belem monastery that is famous for its pastries, and with reason. They are delicious! Another great spot in Lisbon is Manteigaria. Mine was warm and fresh out of the oven, I tried it like a local, with a sprinkling of cinnamon and icing sugar and am still day-dreaming about it now.. Next door is also a great bakery which sells Gods Bread – treat yourself again and buy one for a mere $1 euro, they are scrumptious! And kind of taste linebackers delight finger buns (sweet bread buns with icing).

• see St George castle. Dotted around the castle are little areas of green where locals sit to enjoy some wine and food. Don’t be shy to copy them, they’re there for a reason. Grab your own picnic, hike up and relax. The views are rewarding and look out over Lisbon.
• go to Barrio Alto. This area comes alive at night (we mean 11pm onwards) and the tiny cobbled streets are filled with those eager for a drink. Bars and clubs open everywhere and people spill outside, drink in hand, making friends and having a good time. Make sure to join in.
• visit the local restaurants. Just up a hill from the main square this bubbling little restaurant has the best salmon steak I have ever had in my life. It is literally bursting with flavour and just flakes apart with a fork leaving you mouth sized pieces of slightly charred skin and juicy pink flesh to devour. Walk up the little hill on your left, climb the stairs, turn right and there’s a little restaurant with tables and chairs all over the pavement. From here you can see the castle between the buildings too, and watch the sun disappear with good food and wine.

New Zealand: Snow, Ski Fields and Extreme Sports

When traveller’s think of the South Island of New Zealand, snow capped mountains, skiing and boarding and extreme sports are activities that spring to mind. The mountains dusted in snow provide snow bunnys’ a great experience to catapult themselves down its steep faces and sharp turns. Queenstown itself draws in nearly 1.9 million guests every year, and its four main ski fields, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Cardrona and Treble Cone are a haven for those who love the cold. By early July this year the snow wasn’t amazing and the runs were a little icy, but by our 2nd last day there was fresh powder covering the runs.

For beginners skiers, such as myself, Coronet Peak has a fantastic run called Big N Easy which is slow and gentle and allows you to figure out the basic’s of skiing. Don’t let your friends push you down green or blue runs without trying this one first as I duly learnt, and have lovely purple bruises all up and down my legs to prove it. Coronet Peak also has a range of green, blue and black runs open and has more diversity than The Remarkables. The Remarkables is more for intermediate skiers and has a couple of fun runs. I didn’t enjoy this ski field and other more experienced skiers found it quite boring after a day or two. As for Cardrona, we never went there but was told it was the better ski field. And, Treble Cone is about 1.5 hrs away and it’s said to have the best snow but it was just too far.

But Queenstown has more to offer than just snow, its extraordinary beautiful scenery makes it the perfect place for hikes or extreme sports. Bungee jumping and skydiving are hugely popular and I managed to muster up enough confidence to do a baby version of Bungee jumping. The Nevis Swing drops you 80m straight down and then swings you out over a canyon. It is the highest swing in the world, and you can gather upto 120km/hr in speed. It’s about 30 min bus ride from the main centre of Town and next door is the highest Bungee jump in Australasia. The Swing is 160m above sea level and offers awesome yet somewhat terrifying views – not for the faint hearted. You can swing anyway you like, I chose to go upside and face backwards which was incredible. The feeling of absolute weightlessness and sheer adrenalin is something not to be missed.