The Last Supper

My next stop was in Milan, inspired by my desire to see 'The Last Supper' in person. Arriving in the afternoon I made quick friends with a Polish guy in my room, who I spent my night with eating delicious Italian food and seeing the beautiful city at night (he even bought me roses, Aussie men - take note!) The next day was spent seeing the cultural sights before getting the afternoon train to Rome. Here's a few things I picked up in the 24 hours I spent in the majestic city. 

Milan's Lady Liberty

Hostel

As a last minute decision I booked myself into Zebra Hostel; which despite being affordable, offered free wifi, free breakfast, clean facilities and a great common area. I can't say much for the cities other hostels, but if you're looking for somewhere budget friendly where you can meet others whilst travelling alone - this is the place for you!

Sights 

Naturally my first priority was The Last Supper, which I had booked prior to arriving in Milan. I hadn't booked far enough in advance to solely secure a pass to see the mural, so I opted for the far more expensive option which included a city tour. I've never before paid for a tour, but I would highly recommend it if it's the only option to securing a ticket to see the painting. In the end, if you're off to Milan and keen to see Da Vinci's work book as far in advance as you possibly can, tickets are on sale months in advance. Milan has lots to offer in the way of architectural greats, from the duomo to the castle. On from that, if you're fashion savvy I would recommend doing some shopping (even if it's just of the window variety). I didn't get much of a chance, but I would have loved to have had a more leisurely time around the gorgeous boutiques and fashion houses the city has to offer. 

The Duomo

First and foremost, food glorious food! If you're in Italy, I hope you're eating pasta, pizza and all things delicious. I'll be here in Australia, living vicariously through you! 

 -Melissa

A day in Zurich

What can I say about Zurich? Being the most convenient place to get to by train between Prague and Milan I decided to make a pit stop in the Swiss city. With that being said, it would have to be the least exciting place I've visited in my many travels thus far. In the future I would love to explore the country outside of the city culture, and in turn see more of the gorgeous scenery that made my train voyage through Switzerland so pleasant. 

The Clocktower

Staying in the cheapest (and one of the only) hostels in the city, Langstars was actually quite decent. They offered you chocolate upon arrival (yum!) and the dorms were spacious with a built in kitchen and 2 bathrooms for convenience. The only downside was the uncomfortable bunk beds, and despite the ridiculously high price I would have rated it well. Overall it was a pleasant enough day spent taking in the scenery at the famous clock tower, numerous churches and Lake Zurich, though I'm certainly not itching to make a second visit to the city.

Looking over the city

Most importantly, make sure you stock up on chocolate before you leave!

-Melissa

Czech it out

After 40+ hours travelling by planes, train and bus I finally arrived in Prague. Oh Prague, you beautiful city. I unashamedly arrived at my hostel, took a shower (because damn do you feel disgusting after over 40 hours of travel), checked what was happening on the world wide web and fell asleep almost immediately. After the most amazing sleep of my life I met up with one of my favourite people, Niki. It had been months since she'd left Australia and it was lovely to catch up in another city, and strangely enough it felt just like home with her, even though we were on the other side of the world! Three days in Prague didn't leave us with a great deal of time, but we made the most of it - here's some of the gems I discovered during my stay. 

Reunited with this lovely lady

Hostel

I stayed at Hostel Mango in Prague, which boasted a reasonably priced room with an excellent location next to the Charles Bridge. The hostel was quite clean (always a plus) and it had the biggest bathroom I've ever seen in a hostel dormitory, with a spa sized bath to match. The combination of free wifi, an outdoor common area (not so useful when it's raining, like it was whilst I was there) and very helpful staff made this a hostel that I would be sure to recommend to anyone visiting Prague. 

The John Lennon wall

Food

Dumplings have got to be one of my favourite foods generally, and while the Czech's do it differently, I was definitely a fan of their variation. Goulash with dumplings were the chosen dish, and I'd definitely recommend giving it a try. For dessert Trdlnik is absolutely delicious, either on its own or with nutella in the centre of it. There are places all over the city, but the stand at the end of the main shopping strip near Mustek station was incredibly popular and offered a great variety of fillings.

From the Prague castle

Sights

There are so many amazing things to see in Prague, but with limited time I chose a few things to see, whilst taking the time to enjoy the company of a very dear friend. At the top of the list was Prague castle (if not for the simple purpose of saying I'd visited a Czech castle), which we did have to visit twice before we could actually enter. Charles Bridge and the town square closely followed, but some of my more favoured memories were simply from wandering around the cobbled streets, trawling through bookshops and discovering secret garden-esque parks. 

Fresh gingerbread 

Nightlife 

The original pub crawl was recommended by many due to the infamous 5 level club, though I made the choice to visit the main square before making a final choice. In the end I approached a British guy around my age and asked him what made his pub crawl better than the rest, and more than satisfied with his answer I found myself at The Drunken Monkey bar. Two hours of unlimited beer and shots mixed with beer pong, foosball and giant jenga left me with a new group of American friends, and a big night ahead of me. It was a pretty crazy night, and I can't say I'm disappointed I missed out on the 5 level club, so if you have time I would definitely recommend checking it out.

Best buy of the trip thus far was a t-shirt that reads 'czech me out', because who doesn't need one of those in their life?

-Melissa

Life of Pai

I first arrived in Pai tired and miserable after one of the bumpiest bus rides I've been on yet. After checking into my hostel at the same time as another American traveller, he quickly latched onto me, and I naively agreed to grab lunch with him. After spending a few hours with him, I realised how little we had in common, and was desperate to escape! Think, complete opposite to myself - completely against adventure and anything that comes with budget travelling, not to mention his terrible treatment of the waitress at the restaurant (anyone who is rude to people in service is someone I don't want to associate with). After spending the day with him I was about ready to pack up my bags and leave, but luckily as we made our way back to the hostel after dinner and drinks with some fellow backpackers we met in town we crashed a bit of a party going on in our hostel. Within 10 minutes I had made friends with a group of travellers from all over the world, who thankfully were much more on the same wavelength as me! They were all so lovely I ended up staying an extra few nights, returning to Bangkok just in time to spend a day shopping and make it in time for my flight. 

Hostel

I booked myself into Darling View Point Bungalows, which was a very simple hostel, with a convenient location and an amazing community feel. The facilities were nothing out of the ordinary, but it was good value, and any simplistic amenities were overruled by the hostel vibe. I made some great friends (after an initial setback), and the set up was great for making friends and playing drinking games. 

Food 

The best food was available at the night markets which ran down the main street of Pai. The burritos were a must have (I know the irony of eating burritos in Thailand, but trust me), and there was a huge variety of traditional thai food, fresh fruit, delicious fruit juices made in front of you, and my personal favourite dessert - the nutella banana crepe! 

Activities

There was a huge selection of activities to undertake in Pai, but my personal favourite was tubing. We bought snacks and beers, and made our way by truck to the end of the river, hours later ending up right by the path that led up to the hostel. It was a great chilled out day chatting and floating down the river, with a few rough patches including getting stuck on rocks, deflating tubes and lost shoes. 

The final visit to Bangkok I decided to go all out and book myself into a concept style hostel, Suneta Hostel Khao San which was just off the main strip of Khao San road, and gave me a modern and clean hostel experience with the privacy of their cabin style beds. Essentially you got your own little 'capsule' bed, which locked up and included your own television and inside storage. It was a bit of a splurge for South East Asia, but it was worth it to splash out for my final night in Thailand. I took advantage of my final day and a bit by visiting the amazing Chatuchak weekend markets, which I could not recommend more. We came back with bags of gifts, artwork and vintage clothing for a very modest amount of money. I also visited the famous MBK shopping centre, which has just about everything you could imagine! My final day in Bangkok was spent eating everything (I'm talking everything on a stick, pad thai, crepes, you name it) and enjoying the bars along Khao San. I also treated myself to a hair treatment and manicure/pedicure, because when in Thailand! After 30 odd hours of chaos in Bangkok I finally made my way to the airport for my flight home, and as sad as I always am to leave it's the best feeling to know you're on your way back to sleeping in your own bed and not living out of a backpack! 

- Melissa

Vietnam Pho-ever

I was lucky to experience two sides to Vietnam in my two week stay in the country. Staying with Nevena's family was an experience and a half, where I ate some amazing and crazy things and spent a lot of time looking confusedly at Nevena, my appointed translator! 

Hanoi

Hanoi served as our home base, and whilst on the surface it's 'just another big city' I was able to experience some unique things. We were there for the Vietnamese new year, also known as Tet, which meant the streets were madness, and festivities were in swing. More importantly (in my eyes) was the therefore constant eating, which including some strange things, like eel and chicken testicle. Yes, you read that right, chicken testicle. I wouldn't recommend it. Out and about, the street food was incredible, with my favourites being the classic pho (pronounced fuh) and bun cha, a local specialty. It never hurts to pick up a cheeky pork bun (I was impressed that they use quail eggs there) and you can't go wrong with fresh fruit from the many street vendors. Dessert wise, I was introduced to the most amazing ice cream place (Nevena's childhood favourite) in the centre of Hanoi, called 'Kem Tràng Tiền'. 

Halong Bay

We took an overnight trip to Halong bay, and made some instant friends in a group of three English guys. The boat trip was great fun, and we befriended the crew who gave us free beers the one night we were on board. Halong bay itself was lovely, though the caves did leave a bit to the imagination. Our second night was spent on nearby Catba island and the hotel was less than desirable, however the hike up to the islands peak rewarded us with a gorgeous view. 

Not quite quick enough for our group shot!

Ho Chi Minh City 

We found ourselves stuck in the madness that is Tet, the new year, which left travel options quite difficult for the weeks surrounding the holiday. Nevena had to leave me in Hanoi due to a family emergency back home, which left me jumping on a last minute flight with the friends we had made on our Halong Bay tour. The highlight was visiting the Cu Chi tunnels, which can be a quite claustrophobic experience for some, but it was an eye opening visit. The majority of my remaining time in Ho Chi Minh was spent taking advantage of the delicious street food, enjoying 30 cent beers and soaking up rays by the side of the hotel pool. We made the conscious decision to splurge (by Vietnamese standards) and get a family sized hotel room just outside of town. It gave us access to authentic local cuisine and a pool all to ourselves! The hotel staff must have thought we were so strange with 4 English guys and an Australian girl staying in one hotel suite, and to top it off we were there over the week of valentines day. It was a unique situation, that's for sure, but from experience it's always the most bizarre experiences that make the best stories! 

Ho Chi Minh

-Melissa

Thai-riffic

The first Bangkok pitstop was for 2 nights, initially arriving at an ungodly hour to spend a casual day sightseeing and digging straight into the Thai cuisine. We learnt quickly that in order to get 'discounted' tuk tuk rides, the drivers would insist on taking you to different shops, and you would have to feign interest long enough for them to get fuel vouchers. If you're particularly frugal I would recommend this, but after a few stops we vowed not to bother again, especially if you shop around on the tuk tuk front. 

Koh Phagnan was the next stop after Cambodia, the trip itself took an ungodly amount of time, but after 2 bus trips, a train ride, another bus trip and a two legged boat trip, and what was possibly the most terrifying minibus ride, we finally arrived at the island hotel that would be our home for just under a week. Our hotel was less than ideal, but it was exciting to have our own space (most importantly a bathroom shared only between three, and a fridge, oh the luxury!). A few hours later the third room mate arrived, Jesse, who was a good friend of Nevena's then-boyfriend. We started off the trip on the right foot, taking a walk along the beach, and discovering our new favourite treehouse bar along Sunset beach. The week itself was a blur of relaxing beach days, snorkeling, drinking and eating street food (lesson learnt: everything tastes better on a stick). An unexpected highlight was seeing a Muay Thai match, which Nevena & I got surprisingly enthusiastic about, which none of us saw coming! On an end note, I can't talk about Koh Phagnan without mentioning the infamous 'full moon party', which was a night of tacky clothes, fluorescent paint, drinking out of buckets and sand, sand everywhere. Although I didn't stick it out till morning, it was definitely an experience, and the next days hangover cure was a visit to the food markets followed by a casual beach party for a fitting end to the first segment of our island getaway. 

Naturally we couldn't go to Thailand and only visit the 'party' island, so we said our goodbyes to Jesse and headed over to Koh Tao. With that being said, our first night was all about the partying (which proved interesting as I'd managed to get incredibly sunburnt on the boat ride over). The infamous Koh Tao pub crawl took us to numerous bars, gave us a lovely singlet (which is now my favourite pyjama top) and took us to a lady boy show where they encouraged the boys on the pub crawl to get into the drag queen spirit, to hilarious result! The following days were spent drinking cocktails on the beach, snorkeling off nearby islands, bike riding around the island, eating banana nutella crepes, all the while with myself suffering some serious heat stroke (don't forget your SPF guys!). We unfortunately missed the memo that Koh Tao was the destination for undertaking diving courses, and we unable to fit it into our budgets, but it's definitely on the list for future travel experiences. 

Hiking to the top of the peak at Koh Tao

Boat trip on Koh Phagnan

Waterfall swimming on Koh Phagnan

Take me back to the islands! 

-Melissa

Angkor What?

Our reason for visiting Cambodia? Angkor Wat, of course! Crossing the border by bus was probably one of the most stressful experiences I’ve encountered yet. If and when I visit again I vow to fly in to avoid the hassle. The ruse is that all buses stop quite close by to the border, then you’re offered services to organise your crossover for an extra fee that we had been promised would not occur. Being as stubborn as we are, we refused, and embarked on the short but complicated walk to the border. We ended up crossing the border at the same time as the others on our bus; though once we got through we didn’t really save as much as we had been quoted. To make matters worse the bus company then tried to dupe us into buying another bus ticket because ‘we didn’t come through with them’. We were very fortunate that the other travellers vouched for us, though it was a great lesson learned. When we finally arrived in Siem Reap, we made our way to the hostel, HI Siem Reap. Granted there was a mix up and Nevena and I had to share a bed for the first night (which proved to be no big deal, and we each saved a few dollars), the hostel had real character, I was definitely a fan. It came down mostly to our tuk tuk driver George, who was so lovely both while driving us round the temples and even just around the hostel, we even have him on facebook!

One of the temples

Food

Food wise, we found the Cambodian cuisine to be a strange mix of their South East Asian neighbours, but unfortunately not quite as nice. The highlights for use would have been going for Cambodian BBQ on our last night, and the ridiculously cheap local beers, which gave us a great introduction to reaching my goal of liking beer by the end of our six weeks in Asia. 

Angkor Wat

Shopping

The main shopping we did was in the huge market bazaar just a couple minutes walk from the central ‘Pub Street’ in Siem Reap. Every time we went in there we were guaranteed to find a new item to lust over. How we managed to leave Siem Reap without blowing the budget is beyond me, and consequently brings up a little pride in our self-control.

Angkor Wat

Temples

Our tuk tuk driver George took us around the temples of Angkor Wat for two full days, and I assure you if you only see one temple in all of Asia you would be a fool not to make it this one. This collection of temples is the piece de résistance of temples. The highlights were undoubtedly the main temple of Angkor Wat, which we saw at sunrise, and I could not recommend the experience any more. I could have spent a whole day wandering through the grounds; there could not be more to look at. We decided to venture out the back, where we encountered some seemingly cute monkeys, until one decided to chase me round and attempt to use me as a tree. I came out from that unscathed but somewhat shaken, with a hysterically laughing Nevena by my side. Another must see would have to be the particular temple where tomb raider was filmed, not only was it incredibly to see the movie adaption in the flesh, it really is a gorgeous piece of architecture. We also seemed to ‘acquire’ a tour guide within that temple, who was very informative and even worth the small amount of money he asked of us.

Another temple

Nightlife

Down Pub Street in the centre of town you’ll find a wide assortment of restaurants, pubs, clubs and bars, with just about anything to take your fancy. Our regular spot became the popular Angkor Wat? Bar, which offered reasonable priced buckets and a great atmosphere. They even give away free t-shirts away with every two buckets you buy (mine now serves as one of my favourite shirts to sleep in.

Angkor What

Beauty treatments 
It seemed necessary to get a massage, considering the ridiculously low prices in comparison to that of Australia. It didn't quite compare to those in Thailand, but given the price tag I'd consider it a great success. We also made sure to check out one of the street vendors offering the opportunity to have your dead skin bitten off by fish. It was a bizarre feeling, but proved to be quite entertaining, and if anything our feet felt amazing afterwards. 

-Melissa

Family ties

When your last name’s sprawled across a town in the middle of England, what is one to do but visit said minuscule town and take photos of pretty much every sign, street and poster clad with said name. To make matters even more spectacular there is a ‘Whitwell Wood’, and not only is the train station of the Robin Hood line, it’s also in close proximity to the Robin Hood airport. I’m not going to lie; I don’t think I’ve ever felt cooler.

Here’s a few pictures documenting how snap happy I got.

3 generations of Whitwell's in Whitwell

Sign into town

Whitwell Wood

Whitwell, always classy

-Melissa

Luck of the Irish

Next stop called for a bit of family bonding time. After reuniting with my mother in London, we met my father and grandmother at Heathrow after a couple of days of relaxed sightseeing and shopping. Together we headed to Dublin, hiring a car to drive us the rest of the way across the country to our final destination of Gort County, Galway.  We spent a week doing some sightseeing across the country. We visited Limerick and did a spot of shopping after checking out some of the local architecture. Bunratty was a highlight, firstly for the castle and also for the visit to Durty Nelly's which would have to be the most Irish pub I've stepped foot into. Galway's markets were heaven for both food and shopping alike, and we battled through the rain to kiss the Blarney stone. On our way back we also visited cousins in Meath and Dublin, with some touristy visits to the Leprechaun Museum and Guinness storehouse along the way.

Bunratty castle

Family bonding

Durty Nelly's

Giants room at the Leprechaun Museum

Leprechaun Museum

...and if there's anything I learnt in Ireland, it's that it’s never too early to buy the next drink.

-Melissa

J'adore Paris

Paris, city of love. In my case, a different kind of love. I'm talking love of food, art, shopping and all things Disney.

Hostels

The last minute booker I am, I found that accommodation prices in Paris were quite steep, and I was unable to find a single hostel for the whole week. I stayed for two nights in the Latin Quarter at Young & Happy, which was a quaint little hostel but it was somewhat lacking in hygiene and facilities. I met a nice South American guy who visited the Eiffel Tour with me on my first night. It was predominately Spanish speakers in my hostel, so I got a bit of practice in, and I managed to make a few good friends on the last night staying there (one was yet another Jesus). I stayed at the Canal St Christophers Inn for the rest of my time in Paris, which was my favoured accommodation in the city. The dorms were clean and significantly more spacious, with the added bonus of having curtains over each bunk for a bit of added privacy when it was needed. I made friends with a couple of Australians (typical, I know) who introduced me to a whole troop of their friends, so I had a great bunch of people around at all times. The bar and restaurant downstairs was also a great communal area, and conveniently located to grab a bite. Oh and free wifi and breakfast - a backpackers dream! 

Food

When in France, eat like the French do. I thought it was necessary to try a few French delicacies, and at the top of the list was escargot (more commonly known as the humble snail). Personally I found they simply tasted like the garlic sauce they were immersed in, really not so bad! Perfect for the season was French onion soup, which was delicious and warming in the winter chill. Then on to the most important of meals, which is of course dessert. At the top of my to-eat list for my fellow sweet tooth's would be Nutella crepes (food of champions) and the infamous macarons of Lauderée, which are completely worth the splurge. 

The view from Notre Dame

Lourve

Sights

On the top of most Paris to do lists would be the Eiffel Tour, and I took every opportunity to see the infamous attraction. I saw the lights on the tour both on my first and last nights in Paris, and made it there twice in daylight before finally venturing up. Ironically the time I finally decided to take the plunge and go up to lookout point it was quite foggy which made the view less than ideal. However I managed to make a friend in the lift up who left me with someone to share lunch with, which is always a plus. Notre Dame drew me to its gargoyle adorned architecture through childhood memories of Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame. The church boasts a picturesque exterior, and the walk up and around the interior brought me into the movie setting, with the gargoyle lined path overlooking the city emitting a gothic feel. Something else drawn from film inspiration was a visit to the Moulin Rouge location (It was unfortunately all booked out), and just around the corner, the bar from the film Amelie, which offered affordable themed drinks at happy hour. On an art front I visited the obvious, the Louvre, however it's certainly an overhyped gallery, so I would suggest going in without such grandeur expectations. The typical tourist reaction to the Mona Lisa was not lost on me - the painting is tiny! For something a bit different, I also visited Musée Rodin, where I was in awe trawling through the Rodin sculpture garden, recognising many of his famous works, but also discovering some hidden gems. 

The Mona Lisa

Half an Eiffel Tour

The Thinker - Rodin

Moulin Rouge

Disneyland 

Child at heart, I was determined to visit the Disneyland in Paris, if only to see how it compared to my visit to the Japanese version years prior. Fortunately for me, amongst the previously made group of friends were two girls who were just as keen to check out Disneyland as I was. Themed food, rides and paraphernalia is my bread and butter - so naturally I was in heaven! I came back with a multitude of disney themed presents, and for myself a pair of minnie gloves and novelty mouse hands - because who knows when I'll need those right?

Alice in Wonderland

The Disney Castle

Shopping

All roads lead to Rome, and all Melissa's lead to the nearest shops. The first stop was Champs Elysees, the most famous shopping strip in Paris, and for good reason! You could spend hours trawling through shops and lusting after designer goods. We also ventured into one of the multitude of cinemas along the street, checking out the newest Gossling film at the time, which was The Ides of March (we figured if it was in French we could always just look at Ryan and George, however fortunately it was in English). Another necessary stop is Galeries Lafayette, even just to stare at the architectural beauty. Getting off the high street I ventured into the flea market scene, visiting Marché aux puces de St Ouen. It was easy to get lost amongst the throngs of crowds and stall owners selling a wide variety of goods. I stumbled upon a section of vintage clothes and accessories and stocked up on a multitude of unique skirts, knitwear and scarves. 

Galeries Lafayette 

Au revoir!

-Melissa 

Bordering the Benelux

My friend Geraldine was studying in the Netherlands during this trip, so naturally I had to make a stopover in The Hague to check out where she was living. Being reunited was pretty exciting, and I was taken on a quick tour of the city before leaving my bag in her room and heading across the street to pick up some turkish food and a couple bottles of wine, a classy start already. Drinking ensued, and I was introduced to their favourite local bar for a night out before heading off on our own little adventure the next day. First stop was Brussels, where we took full advantage of the delicious Belgian food, with a side of culture and shopping. Indulging in fries and mayonnaise was a necessity, and a visit to the local markets resulted in some insanely cheap purchases - some I still wear today!

Local delicacies

After another train ride we found ourselves in Bruges, the canal ridden 'Venice of the north'. Beautiful castles and historic buildings aside, we got down to business with the most important thing - the food. Flemish stew and waffles were in abundance, before a combined visit to the chocolate and fries museum for a bit of educational eating (if it's in a museum it's cultural right?) 

Priorities

The other highlight of Belgium was the discovery of flavoured beers, which we took full advantage of. The fruity flavours were definitely preferred, although I was pleasantly surprised by the somewhat off-putting idea of chocolate beer, which I would actually completely recommend!

Classy Amsterdam

Amsterdam was the last stop on our little adventure, another classy experience with a side of culture. We jumped right into the Amsterdam scene, visiting the sex museum which was a pretty hilarious experience, then topping it off with a visit to a local coffee shop (news flash - they don't sell coffee). We got lost in the canals of the city, and had a humorous experience wandering around the red light district at night watching people do the walk of shame. Following these escapades we decided to visit the Anne Frank museum, which was somewhat confronting, but worth the visit. Just down the road from there we found an amazing pancake house to indulge in Dutch 'poffertjes', followed by some vintage shopping doing a little bit of damage to my bank balance as a fitting end to the Amsterdam experience.

Obligatory tourist shot in a giant clog

-Melissa

Guten tag!

Another day, another dollar. The budget traveller I am, I chose to fly into Frankfurt in Germany in order to get the cheapest possible flights to Europe for my second visit of 2011, being lucky enough to get back within the year. First stop was Berlin, which was a cultural whirlwind, though as a city I think I had quite a differing experience than many I've spoken to. The hostel I stayed in, Wombat City Hostel, had great facilities, but I didn't quite get on with many of the people I met there. I did most of my sightseeing alone, which is completely fine by me as when exploring a new city I'm always pretty content to wander solo without having to worry about other people. I did make some friends, ironically on the last night and morning of my departure, but it's always great to have a good chat to keep loneliness at bay whilst travelling solo.

Berlin wall

Currywurst

Next up I ventured over to the Netherlands and Belgium to visit a friend, returning to Germany with a stop in Dusseldorf, which I had chosen purely for the perfect stopover location between Amsterdam and Munich. I had only planned to stay one night, but ended up being there for three, with it being one of my most unexpectedly enjoyable cities (despite a hiccup or two along the way). The first day arriving I noticed the hostel was quite empty - not the best sign, but in the end it meant we were almost forced into becoming friends with the few other backpackers there. I met two lovely guys in my hostel room, and decided to go out on the town with one of them as it was his last night there. His name was Jesus (what an excellent name), and we made our way to the pub area in Dusseldorf, with it proving to be a pretty crazy night of more shots and drinks than I can remember consuming. It was definitely not one of my classiest moments, but it was a bonding experience and a half! The next day me and my only remaining friend decided to venture across town to the city aquarium, although we left early so I could have a necessary recovery nap. That was where the Dusseldorf experience turned a bit sour, and as many solo female travellers would understand, there's always that one experience where you've been taken adventure of in one way or another whilst travelling. My so called friend turned out to be a bit more friendly than I would have liked, which developed into the most scary experience I've encountered travelling yet, and was incredibly lucky to find solace in a newcomer at the hostel who helped me escape the situation. My new friend was a Londoner, who took me out for a drink and a memorable karaoke experience, singing crowd favourite 'Barbie girl' before making a swift exit from the karaoke bar. It was a much improved end to an otherwise horrific day.

Surfing in the park in the middle of winter

A few days later than originally planned, I ended up in Munich at another branch of Wombat Hostels, which I found to be far more sociable than its Berlin counterpart. I quickly made friends in my dorm room, and having a drink in the hostel bar led to building ourselves a nice little drinking group for the first night. I hadn't met the rest of the people in my dorm, though I become somewhat acquainted with them in the early hours of the next morning when two had a pretty heated argument, and one of the girls got pretty aggressive. At a more reasonable hour, the crazy outburst served as a good means for becoming friends with all but the girl in question. The remaining few were actually really nice people, and I spent the day visiting the concentration camp of Dachau which was quite overwhelming. We decided to have a more lighthearted afternoon, taking a walk in the Englischer Garten and seeing the locals surf in the man made waves of the parks river. Ending the night in the Munich Hofbräuhaus, I indulged in a schnitzel and a pretzel the size of my head.  

Pretzels bigger than my head

A final stopover in Cologne was a quiet end to my German adventure, with an evening of checking out the breathtaking Cologne Cathedral before a nice dinner and an early night.

-Melissa

Kiss me, I'm Irish!

I'm third generation Irish, and although my grandmother was born just after her parents arrived in Australia she always spoke about 'the motherland'. Getting to Ireland was almost like coming home, with the Irish sense of humour and culture being the closest to Australian that I've come across yet. I arrived in Dublin with Garigarra and stayed in a hostel dorm room with over 20 people, which was an overwhelming experience, but also very easy on the wallet. 

The Guinness storehouse

The Liffey river

I feel like I spent most of my time not only in the UK, but also in Ireland in pubs. There's something about the British and Irish pub culture that doesn't quite translate to the rest of the world. We did quite a bit of walking around the city, checking out some famous landmarks, historic buildings, and of course the local shops. We also made sure to stop by the Liffey river to have a Guinness (the best place for a pint according to my father), or should I say I had a Guinness, whereas Gari opted for the far girlier option of a banana cocktail. As night fell we headed to Temple bar, typical I know. It may not be the nicest area in Dublin, but they sure know how to have a good time!

Kilmacduagh cemetary

After a few days in Dublin together we headed over to Galway, where I left Gari and headed off into the unknown on my way to Gort County. At this point I wasn't exactly sure what to expect as I hadn't had the most productive phone conversations with my Grandmothers cousin, but was hopeful, and thought I'd at least have a nice afternoon with the family. Turns out the abrupt phone conversation is ingrained into older Irish people due to the prior extravagant expenses of phone calls, and I arrived to the most welcoming hug from a man I'd never met before. I spent almost a week meeting cousins I'd never before dreaming of meeting, getting to know the family I was staying with, in particular the two boys who were 10 and adorably feisty, and the other was in his mid teens with an amazing sense of humour. I also had the amazing experience of visiting the cemetery that several of my ancestors were built, seeing such familiar names printed on headstones in another country was quite profound. I was incredibly sad to leave, with just in time to have one full day back in London to shop, eat and have a night out. It was a bit of a 'see you later' to a country I had so quickly fallen in love with, and a promise that I would see everyone again soon. 

The cousins

-Melissa