From Wien to Pareeee

Tuesday was our day to sight see around central Vienna. We walked down a long avenue of shops and many fast food outlets. This time we didn't have any fast food at all. We stopped off in a few shops along the way. Mostly looking for a deck of cards but we still couldn't find one. We walked around the sights of Vienna but as there is a marathon here on Saturday loads of stands and things were being set up right in front of the buildings which kind of ruined it. There is also a lot of renovation work going on around town. We still managed to have a nice time though. We went into the cathedral and I lit another candle and then we went looking for a bar with wifi so we could look for a place to eat. We found a small Italian restaurant not too far away so we walked over to that. We each had a glass of wine with our meal to get into the spirit and also some tomato bruschetta (shock). Then we had a pizza each. Myles described it as his favourite pizza ever. After this we got back to Christians buying some more of his favourite beer on the way. When we got to Christians we all had a quick nap as we were all shattered. When we woke up one of Christians friends were there. We ended up eating some delicious tacos made by Christian and playing the card game all night. This time I won again but when Christians friends were there one of them won. We watched the Dortmund Malaga game and the amazing come back. The Austrians really hate the Germans when it comes to football! After playing the card game we called it a night and hit the hay. 

We woke up early the next morning so that we could go for a small hike up a hill near Vienna and look over the city. Of course I forgot both my camera and phone so no photos were taken. The skies were so clear that we could see the Alps from where we were. After walking around for a while longer we were all a bit tired and hungry. We stopped off halfway down the hill at a traditional Viennese restaurant. Unfortunately Christian had to leave us as he had to get to university. We all had the buffet for just under 10 euros each which wasn't too bad and some Rose from the restaurants vineyard. We weren't massive fans of the wine (sorry Dad) but the food was good. 

After finishing our meal we got the tram back to Christians and didn't really do anything at all until our night train. We said our goodbyes to Christian and then waited a bit longer before heading out to the station. We had our last taste of some fine Austrian sausage and took the metro to the main station in Vienna. We hopped on the train and hoped for a cracking nights sleep. Of course this was not to be. We were all kept up because Chris' stupidly loud snoring. As a result we are all absolutely shattered today. We have arrived in Paris now and currently chilling in our couch surfers flat. I think we are going to Arc de Triomphe soon. 

Hope you are all well. 

Cheers, Ben, Myles and Chris 

Vienna (Wien)

Tuesday was our day to sight see around central Vienna. We walked down a long avenue of shops and many fast food outlets. This time we didn't have any fast food at all. We stopped off in a few shops along the way. Mostly looking for a deck of cards but we still couldn't find one. We walked around the sights of Vienna but as there is a marathon here on Saturday loads of stands and things were being set up right in front of the buildings which kind of ruined it. There is also a lot of renovation work going on around town. We still managed to have a nice time though. We went into the cathedral and I lit another candle and then we went looking for a bar with wifi so we could look for a place to eat. We found a small Italian restaurant not too far away so we walked over to that. We each had a glass of wine with our meal to get into the spirit and also some tomato bruschetta (shock). Then we had a pizza each. 

Buda Buda

Budapest has been the party place of the whole trip so far. One night we had a party on a boat, one day we played monopoly until the early hours of the morning and one night we had a party in the baths. 

The boat party was really good. There was good music, nice views and a free bottle of champagne each. We only really needed one bottle each but Chris decided to buy us another bottle each. This resulted in Ben having to be walked home by some friendly Aussies at the hostel. Me and Chris went to a club called Morrisons. We thought we were going to a supermarket but instead it was a trendy club. After about an hour and Chris not getting lucky we decided to head home. When we got to the hostel Ben was no where to be seen so I ended up pissing off all the hostel staff complaining that Ben was lost on the streets of Budapest. They all knew that Ben was somewhere in the hostel but I wouldn't believe them. We learned the next day that Ben had in fact passed out in the toilet for a few hours but he was alright. 

The next day we were obviously feeling worse for wear so in the end we just stayed in for most of the day playing guitar hero. We did get out of the hostel to go to the Terror House. It would have been a very good museum but none of us were in the mood at all. When we got back from the museum we just laid about for a bit. At about 8 we finally gathered enough energy to get out of the hostel once again. We decided to have a taste of Hungarian food at a classic Hungarian restaurant. Myles had a lamb steak and Chris and I had a meat platter. It was very tasty and filling. When we got back to the hostel we got out Monopoly and played a game with a few other guests at the hostel. Chris managed to come second but he sold the equivalent of Mayfair and Park Lane which cost him the win. We never realised different counties monopoly's would have different streets. 

Saturday was the day of the bath party. We had all been looking forward to it since when we had arrived in Budapest. It was going to be a cracking night. In the day we went on a free walking tour of the city. It was probably the best free tour we've been on so far. The tour guide seemed to absolutely adore Hungary. Hungary has had a very dark past. Once this had finished we headed back to the hostel. Chris and I were not feeling our best but we both still went to the party. We were going to a bar in one of the sister hostels. Chris and Myles got a drink but I didn't as I had just been sick in the toilets. Lovely. I still soldiered onto the baths as I wanted to see what it was like. I lasted about half an hour in the bath and headed back to the hostel. I don't need to go into details but I was ill and then went to bed. I've been ill twice in a week now. I'll get over it soon I hope. Back to the baths Myles and Chris had a quality night. They tell me it was very surreal and lots of things went on that I can't put down in this blog. When asked for a quote all Chris had to say was "It was pretty handy". This time when they arrived back at the hostel I was in bed already so Myles didn't need to worry about my whereabouts. On the way back from both nights Myles and Chris had the best kebab they have ever had. I'm not sure if it was just the alcohol or it genuinely was the best kebab ever. I guess I will never know. 

This morning we all went to a weird tea place. It was pretty cool. Really laid back. There were pillows on the floor which you sat on and had a lovely cup of tea. There were little passage you could crawl through and steps up to more areas. It was worth the visit. 

We then settled the bill at the hostel and said our goodbyes. Now we are on the train to Vienna to meet our host, Christian. We are there for three nights and then we go to Paris. We are coming to the last quarter of our trip. We will be back to see you again soon, don't worry. 

Ben, Myles and Chris

Day 17-Budapest-Relaxing baths and delicious bread

Yesterday was a bit of a rubbish day really. We got to the hostel and checked in and the went out to check out some of Budapest. We walked over to the Mathias Church and the palace. They were both in the Buda half of the city. We paid to get into the church but were pretty underwhelmed. There was renovation work going on which wasn't great but even with that it wasn't a great church to look at. It seemed pretty tacky. After this we had a drink on the way back to the hostel and planned on getting a nap. Upon arrival at the hostel we discovered that about half of our room had been struck down by a terrible sickness. After what happened on Sunday I was nervous on getting ill all over again. At the moment all is well though. We then lazed about for a bit and had a nap while waiting for Chris. We planned on having a few beers in the hostel when he arrived but because a lot of the hostel was ill we were told to go to bed or go out. So after some consideration we decided to hit the bars and clubs of Budapest. The aim of the night being to get Chris lucky. We failed. It was a funny night but there was so many creepy men in the club staring at girls. It was a bit weird. We didn't stay out too late as we were all a but tired from the travelling we had done the previous day. We always seem to be tired. 

Today was one of the best days of the trip once again. We spent the whole day in the thermal bath. The baths were so relaxing except there were so many old men in speedos. I really don't get the obsession. We spent hours just lying in the pools at 38 degrees. It was b e a utiful. Plus Myles and I tried a meal in a roll of bread. That was also delicious. 

Tonight we are going on a tour on the river with a bottle of champagne each. Things could get interesting once again. Chris is feeling quite ill though which is quite worrying. The illness could have spread to poor Eke. 

Hopefully we will get back to updating more consistently soon! 

Ben, Myles and Chris x

Day 15-Krakow-Over halfway through!

Yesterday was the day we went to Auschwitz. We booked onto the tour that was advertised in the hostel the night before for about 25 euros. It's not too bad considering it takes about an hour to get there and then you also get a tour. Myles and I purposely didn't stay out late the night before so we were up and ready for a possibly draining day. I was still feeling a bit ill but other than that the journey there was uneventful. Upon arrival I also found that my camera had been left on in my bag over night so had no battery life let. Brilliant! I did have my phone though so photos were still taken. (We are having difficulties uploading photos onto the blog, I'm trying my best to get them up it just doesn't seem to work.) When we got to Auschwitz we met up with our tour guide who was a short, Polish woman. She certainly knew her stuff and the tour was very interesting but she seemed to be going through the tour quite fast and it felt rushed. There is no good way of describing our visit to Auschwitz. It was definitely thought provoking and a very morbid place to visit. The atrocities that went on their are difficult to comprehend. The thing that disgusted us the most was a room half filled with human hair. It was horrific. Around two tonnes of hair in one place. We were not allowed to take pictures in this room but to be honest I don't think I would have wanted too. There are so many things I could describe about the exhibits in Auschwitz but it just wouldn't do it justice. If you have an interest in this kind of thing then you should definitely come to Krakow but other than that there isn't much going on here. We have had a good time here though. Meeting Leah has been cool and just chilling out a bit has also been nice. Auschwitz will probably end up being one of the highlights of the trip but for a completely different reason to anything else we have seen/will see.

After coming back from Auschwitz we lazed around for a while in the hostel again. After a couple of hours we once again adventured out into Krakow's bars and pubs. We once again started in the Bull Pub once again. No Jimmy or Karen there tonight unfortunately! After a couple of drinks we moved onto one of the cheapest bars in town. We got a few Polish shots and beers. Leah tried the house red wine. It tasted like watered down ribena. Walking home we were a bit worse for wear but we were still standing. We also managed to grab a meal at a fine American fast food joint on the way home. Deeelicious!

Today we walked around Krakow for a bit after checking out and then met Leah's brother Ben at the bus stop. We showed him the highlights of the city. We took hint to Moa Burger. Myles, Leah and I had a spiced lamb burger this time. I may have said that the last burger I had at Moa Burger was the best burger I have ever had. That is now untrue. The spiced lamb burger is the new champion. A much better burger than any burgers you can get from a normal fast food restaurant. I have finally gotten over the fact that I am missing out on McDonalds Monopoly while we are away. Moa burgers have made this possible. After this we were going to try a Cupcake from a highly rated cupcake shop but decided against it after eating our massive burgers. Instead we went to the chocolate shop again. We all had a drink and sort of waited around a bit there. After this Myles and I made a reservation for our night train to Budapest. We had to pay about 10 euros each which is a bit annoying considering we have to pay so much for the Interrail ticket.

For now we are just waiting around in the hostel with Leah and Ben until we can go get the train at 22:00. We sort of want to go now instead of waiting around but there is not much we can do about that. I hear it is the hottest day of the year today back in England. It's still pretty chilly here but should be warmer in Budapest. Tomorrow we meet up with Chris. Hooray!

Hope you all had a cracking hot day for once!

Ben and Myles x

This manhole is featured in Schindlers List

 

Ben and Myles x

 

 

Day 14-Krakow-Yesterday...

Yesterday after our lovely lie in and managing to pull ourselves out of bed we decided to have a look around town. Leah also joined us so it was nice to have some more company, even though i was the target of todays banter from Ben and Leah. 

We started our day by buying a sausage from the market which was delicious, however not quite a curry wurst, although as usual in Poland it was as cheap as chips. The market seemed to be a place for the homeless to beg for money, I do feel bad not caving in after seeing them searching the bins, but we aren't exactly on a luxury budget.

We went on to visit the local cathedral, which has become our routine for each city as they're amazing to look at and always impress us. I found this one a bit gloomy, as it was quite dark and you weren't allowed to talk, but as you'll see from the pictures it was still well decorated and a pleasure to look at. Before we left Ben lit a candle in memory of Matthew.

Outside the cathedral was who we thought to be Jason Segel. We were hoping Barney would pop up and say "have you met Ted" but it turned out to be a free English tour of the Jewish part of town. As we had nothing better to do we joined the tour which was actually really interesting and worth while, even if Myles spent a lot of the time moaning about how he was going to get frost bite, as his shoes were soaking wet, he didn't.

Afterwards we discovered a really nice chocolate shop, which had a bar upstairs, selling hot chocolate. Of course we obliged, and ordered a round of hot chocolates. Ben and myself ordered the standard cheaper one, which turned out to be melted chocolate. It was extremely sickly, as well as being very difficult to drink. It was no comparison to the Italian hot chocolate we got on the ski trip.

We then went back to the hostel to warm up and dry off. As a result of what we believe to Ben drinking too much local tap water, we took an early night, as he felt really ill and began throwing up. Classic Ben to be honest, can't go anywhere without him throwing up.  He is already better though, don't worry Caroline! We are still expecting a text in the next five minutes though...

Ben and Myles x

Day 13-Krakow-It's Easter!

Today is our decided day off from doing anything. We are going to just chill out in the hostel and then go for a bit of a stroll through Krakow later. We havent had many opportunities to get the camera out here yet. We will then go for a meal, maybe to the Hard Rock Cafe that Ben won't stop talking about, very alternative. We have invited our hostel mate Leah along too as she is on her own until Tuesday when her brother, Ben, arrives. 

Last night we had another cracking night in Krakow. We even managed to drag Leah along. First we watched the Stoke game in our local. Annoying about the result and I still don't know if our disallowed goal should have stood. We talked to the couple from Essex once again, Jimmy and Karen. We even got invited to their remarriage! The drinks were already flowing and it was only about 10 before we left. We then got THE most amazing burger I have ever had. It was from a place called Mao burger and it was so tasty. We then wanted to go clubbing kind of but it was a bit early so we went to a cheap bar instead. It was 1 quid a pint! 1 quid shot! And if your night had really sucked you could get a cuppa for the same price too! We had a couple of shots there and then changed locations so I could find a disaranno and coke. We found a suitable bar but they didn't have disaranno still. So we had jaeger bombs and slow drank them instead. Very tasty! At this point we decided to call it a day. We were all pretty sleepy and we didn't want to blow our budgets on drink. However, with these prices that would be difficult. 

Have a cracking Easter! Save us some chocolate? Hopefully we will have some cool photos of Krakow tonight for you. 

Ben and Myles x

Day 12-Krakow-Wet wet wet

Yesterday was a short day of travel from Warsaw to Krakow, only three hours but when we arrived in Krakow we were still tired. On arrival in our hostel we checked in and then went to our room. The hostel is probably the worst quality we've been too but it is still definitely worth the 5 euros a night we pay. In our room we have met a nice girl from Manchester called Leah. This will probably excite my Dad more than it should do. We have finally met someone that is easy to talk to!

After resting for a bit we went into Krakow in search of a place to watch the Stoke game on Sunday. We found a pub that was full of English people and the championship was on. The people inside were really nice and chatty. They even bought us some drinks. It was probably the best night of our trip so far. We will probably go back to it tonight. 

We are now getting ready to go to a water park for the day. Don't worry I'm going to be extra careful with my arm. 

Hopefully we will update again tonight. 

Ben and Myles x

Day 10-Warsaw-Krakow here we come

Last night we went out for yet another meal, at the horrific price of £8 each, really stretching our wallets. After Poland everything will seem so over priced, especially when we reach Paris. 

Only 5 more days till Chris gets here and I know he's going to persuade us to go clubbing most nights spending all that money we've managed to save up, not that we're complaining. It should be good to have another person with us, so we can take pictures with two of us in, and feel less out of place, with everyone around us speaking gibberish!

Today is another travelling day, that I'll probably spend most of the time sleeping, which is strange as I never normally sleep that much at home. Ben will be our acting watchman for the bags again as he can't sleep on the trains, poor guy. Hopefully I'll beat Ben at squares this time, as he seems to win everything. Krakow should be interesting as apparently everything is closed during the Easter weekend. Till the next time,

Ben&Myles x

Day 10-Warsaw-Last day in wonderful Warsaw

Another ace day in Warsaw. After getting up we went for a walk to find a supermarket to buy lunch. We quickly found somewhere and got a decent meal for us both for less than 5 euros. Myles then found out the sad news that his pet turtle Rudy passed away. This put a downer on his day really. We then got a taxi to the zoo. We were wary of the taxi driver ripping us off but we don't think he did. It cost us 5 euros to get to the zoo which is actually a very good price, considering this is a capital city.

At first we thought the animals were all going to be in there shelters as the first two were no where to be seen, then a grizzly bear appeared, plodding around it looked abit like my old dog Taz. Later on we saw the monkeys which were leaping around their cages chasing each other trying to steal one another's bananas, which was hilarious to watch. After the monkeys we arrived at the gorillas enclosure, which was pretty exciting, on the door it had a sign saying no flash so Ben turned this off on his camera forgetting that it still had a small light on it. Out of excitement he quickly aimed the camera at the gorilla and snapped a picture. The gorilla didn't like this one bit and he jumped up and threw itself at Ben teeth drawn, smashing itself against the glass. Ben was very scared after this. 

There were lots of other animals around the zoo that are worth mentioning but if we're to go through all of them you would be reading all night. Other highlights included the lions and the hippos. After the zoo we got another taxi to the Warsaw Uprising museum. It was interesting but there was so much text to take in. It might have been a bit much, considering how tired we always seem to be in the afternoons. We are going out for another meal as a good bye to Warsaw and then we take the train at about 1 o clock tomorrow afternoon to Krakow. I see things might be warming up just a tad in England. It's still really cold here but we will survive. 

 

Ben and Myles x

Day 9-Warsaw-cracking day

Wow what a day. After the Copernicus centre we walked to the palace of Warsaw. This was slightly underwhelming but still worth it. Then we trekked back through the city to the Marriott Hotel. This is probably the biggest place in town and there was a bar at the top. We wanted to go up there but we were horribly under dressed. We still tried and the management said we were allowed this one time. We arrived on happy hour and had a nice pint on the tip for only 3 euros. 

After this we retired to the hostel. We planned our activities in Krakow and had a couple more beers. We always seem to be shattered by the end of the day. Hope you are all well. Only a week until Chris comes and apps a new dimension to our month in Europe. 

 

 

Ben and Myles x

Day 9-Warsaw-Ben and Myles and the Philosophers Stone

We've just left the Copernicus Science Centre four hours after arriving it was really interesting and probably a highlight of the trip so far, apart from the herds of screaming children pushing and shoving for everything. It was very interactive, a bit like one of those science lessons where there is an experiment at the front of the room and you're able to do a practical and no listening or writing! 

There was a planetarium as well but it was closed off so we assumed you had to buy tickets but didn't know where so passed on that one. For the price of 4 euros each to get into the centre, it was definitely worth the money. 

The highlight for me wa the green screen where you could make a film whilst changing the background behind you. There was also a green cape so it looks like I was Harry Potter with my invisibility cloak. The video should be sent to my email!

We're now tucking into some delicious chicken at a southern fried chicken restaurant, we'll keep you posted.

Ben&Myles x 

Day 8-Warsaw-Poland has gone football crazy!

Currently sitting in a funky Thai restaurant after looking for a nice(but cheap) place to eat in Warsaw. We have both ordered the exact same meal. After this we are going to look for a bar showing the Poland vs San Marino game and cheer on the Poles! 

During the day we went on a free walking tour around the old town which was very interesting. Warsaw has had a war ridden history. After this we explored the famous sights of Warsaw. There is a massive road that has loads of monument an interesting buildings all the way along it with a pine tree at the end. Slightly odd to see in sub zero temperatures. We then made our way to the Palace of Technology and Culture where we could go to the top. We did. We were quite disappointed though. It was a bit run down and didn't seem that touristy. It was cool to see Warsaw from up there. 

Today we are off to a science museum and to check out the national football stadium. Hope you're all still well. 

Ben and Myles x 

P.s sorry this post is quite rushed but we need to get out into Warsaw!

Day 7-Berlin/Warsaw- Fellowship of the Train

Today we started quite late as our train was at half one. We ambled through Berlin to the station. Today we managed to avoid beggars but I did manage to piss off a Sausage merchant when I asked for pommes(chips). I don't know if it was my attempt at German or the fact that I had an English accent that maddened him but there was definitely something. 

As we spent another 6 hours riding the train it wasn't a very eventful day, however our train was suited out like we were going to Hogwarts with loads of private compartments. We were beginning to think none of the Poles spoke English until Ben was getting ready to get off.  He was grabbed by a mysterious OAP "slow down, not this stop". For our whole journey this man hadn't said a word, he was like Strider in the tavern, saving the hobbits from grave danger.

On arrival in Warsaw we didn't have a clue where we were going. It was dark and we were on our own in a completely new place. Warsaw was completely different to what we expected. There is some amazing architecture and many shops from England. I looked for a jumper but decided it wasn't needed as things aren't too bad on the temperature front. There was even a TK Max for those Chris Strickland's out there!  We found some computers and with the help of a lovely Pole we discovered the way to the hostel. Checking in to our Hostel we ran into  a student from Sheffield uni who was with a group of others hitch hiking across Europe. We saw people wearing the same hoody he was, in Lille. They have come a long way! 

After putting our bags away we hit the town. We went to a local pizzeria and had a meal. This was the first time Myles has won a game all week, the eating game. I couldn't finish the pizza while Myles smashed through. I'm the one without the beer belly though. It is very cheap here. We paid only about £20 on a starter, pizza and two jugs of Polish beer. We have decided we are moving to Warsaw when we are older.  

 

Hope your Monday wasn't too bad without us!

Ben and Myles x

Day 6- Berlin-Our local is the best place in the world

First off we had another delicious curry wurst. We hoped we could go straight into our local but it was packed to the brim. We then searched for another watering hole but none were to be found except for a dodgy looking shisha bar. We came back to the local after searching for about 15 minutes and there was a table free. Result! The bar was packed with young French school children. It had a great atmosphere! One of the French teachers mistook us for pupils when we bought our second pints. We really do look quite young! After this kefuffle they left and the bar was empty except for Myles and I. The atmosphere wasn't the same but we got down to some cracking games of pool. 

Tomorrow we leave for Warsaw at half one hopefully. We will get to Poland at about 6 so we might be able to go for a drink when we arrive but not much else. Hopefully we can catch the Brazil v Russia game but we aren't too hopeful. Good night chaps!

 

Ben and Myles x

Day 6-Berlin- Uprising of the beggars

Today it took us quite a whole to get out of bed but we still managed to get out of the hostel by 10. We had a very jam packed day of seeing the sights in Berlin. First stop was Checkpoint Charlie. There were so many tourists around so we didn't say for long. They were also charging 2 euros for a photo with a fake American soldier. We didn't oblige. We were then ambushed by a begger but we had a lucky escape with our pockets still intact.  We did get some nice photos of us in front of a piece of the Berlin Wall though...

After this we walked past a section of the Berlin Wall and opposite was a free museum, of course we went inside, seeing as it was free. It was very factual and we learned about the Gestapo and the SS, it was shocking to see that a man who had been charged with 55000 murders was only sent to prison for 9 years. Some of the pictures were disturbing, seeing someone laughing whilst killing innocent people just seemed a bit surreal. Moving on... 

On our way to the Jewish memorial and the Brandenburg gate we passed through Potzdamer Platz. This was alright with some cool architecture but apart from that it seemed a bit over hyped. At the Jewish memorial Myles and I looked at it for a bit, but then went through it losing each other on purpose many times. 

At the Brandenburg gate we did the touristy thing and took a few photos but other than that, again, there wasn't much going on. It was worth the visit though. Neither Myles or I had the guts to go up to someone and ask if they'd take a photo of us. I gathered up the courage to say excuse me to someone but they ignored me. We did manage to get a photo of us together by using the self timer on my camera and sprinting into position but other than that it is proving quite difficult to get photos together. Another annoyance is that we can't get the photos from my proper camera onto the blog yet. There is a plethora of cracking photos! 

After this Ben decided he was once again hungry, and I had no money left so we began the search for a maccy ds, a suggestion from Poppy and a cash point, you'd be surprised but there are no cash points in Berlin. After an intensive look, we found a maccy ds, but no cash point, so lunch was on Ben! I had just finished my big tasty bacon and started tucking into my fries when a beggar approached harassing me for some pommes Ben managed to shoe her away by shaking his head and saying nein. Shortly after she weaselled herself a cheeseburger off an Italian couple and was told to leave by an employee. 
 

Next on our long list of destinations was a massive tower, seemed very similar to the Shard in London and we didn't think 12 euros each was that bad so we decided to trek over too it. On the way we walked into a couple of girls who were asking for signatures for what looked like a petition. We signed naively but then noticed the last column said money donated. I wrote 0 euros and dropped the pen back in the girls hands as she wouldn't take it. I then said no and said I didn't have any money. Myles, however, decided that it was a good idea to get his wallet out and show them the 10 pound note in his wallet. Luckily he managed to snatch his wallet back into his pocket before they could take that. He did then take the small change out of his pocket and they managed to grab that from him. I then told Myles off of course and we had a good chat about how we can ignore anything like that happening again. Berlin seems to be beggar ridden. 

We got to the tower but the queue to get in was 3 hours apparently so we abruptly left the over packed establishment. We then decided to go to the Berlin cathedral. This was actually really good and definitely worth the 4 euros we paid to get in. There were many good photo opportunities. 

 

 

 We thought these next three fellas looked like they were posing for their Facebook profile pictures... 

 Our final trip of the day was visiting the victory column which was basically the cheap alternative for the tv tower without a lift, I honestly thought those stairs would never end. We didn't spend too long on top of the victory column as it felt like it was going to fall. However, we got some nice photos and the views were amazing. That pretty much sums up our day for now.  We're off to town now for a curry wurst and a couple of cheeky ones at our local. Stay frosty!

Ben & Myles x

 
 

Day 5-Berlin-An eventful train journey

Our fifth day started with breakfast and checking out of the hostel. We then got the 10:34 train to Berlin, arriving at 17:20. We then got the bus to the hostel, we of course missed the stop we were supposed to get off at which meant a bit of a walk but we got there in the end, on the bus we encountered a group of drunk Rastafarians which wasn't a great first experience of Berlin; as well as the ton of graffiti that is around. It's a very nice hostel. Our room is shared with two girls from Madrid university who are nice enough, maybe a bit shy. We then went out into a local area looking for a kebab however the queue was huge, so we ate a curry wurst which was actually really tasty. 

 

Of course after this we went to a bar and had a few German beers! Very nice! (We're writing this whilst having those beers)

The train journey to Berlin was actually quite eventful. On the way we saw loads of deer and some kind of cow, we think they are yaks (big black cows with horns, the type LBC would go for). There were also hundreds of wind turbines, which was very different to the trains in old Britain.  

 

We stopped at a station and a train passed the other way with over 100 tanks and humvees on. Our theory was either Europe declared war on England or there was a Godzilla like creature making its way towards the red light district, in need of girls and a lot of cannabis. We were happy we had left Amsterdam when we did. 

 

The next incident to occur on this infamous train journey was the Polizei walking on when we entered Deutschland (the station was Bad Bentheim, in fact Ben was having a very good time, HA HA HA)! They stormed on and cornered an innocent Argentinian, held him at gun point, demanding for his passport and the reasoning behind his trip to Germany. After checking through his passport and making sure everything was legit they marched on and left the carriage in silence, not a word spoken to the poor chap. Before this rude interruption Ben and I were playing a cracking game of 'Guess the fLavour of the jelly bean'. We were actually very good. Ben was better. The last time Ben played this Chloe gave him a dirt flavoured jelly bean. He guessed right of course. Other than these events the train journey was quite dull. It was all on one train, the landscape was interesting at times but we were listening to our iPods most of the journey, and taking it in turns with sleeping, to protect our bags from local hooligans. It is very cold in Berlin. Slightly colder than Amsterdam and there is quite thick snow everywhere. Tomorrow I need to buy a thicker jumper and Myles needs to buy a new pair of gloves. He did have a pair of gloves, but of course he has lost them. Our Myles, ay? 

Sorry about the posts going up late. There are technical difficulties with the app I am using. We will try to sort it out so the blog posts go up at the right time but I can't guarantee anything. Have an absolutely cracking Sunday anyway. 

Ben and Myles x

Day 3

We did make a post about yesterday already but it hasn't posted properly. I will try to upload it when we get back to the hostel and I get wifi for my phone.

Day 4- Amsterdam- Meeting Lucy and Heinieken

You guys are probably wondering why our blogging has stopped a bit. It's because we're struggling to find wifi anywhere, we've now met up with our good friend Lucy (lucyslocations.blogspot.co.uk) who most of you will know, hence why we now have wifi. Amsterdam defeated us yesterday as we were very tired so we went back to the boat to recover and were raring to go today. We've been to the sex museum which was another strange experience and will soon be visiting the Heineken experience (sorry Thomas) if we can actually find it. Every time we go through the red light district I still cant get over how obvious it is, but I suppose these things are legal here. One of the women knocked on her window at us and then when we walked past stuck her two fingers up at Ben, which was quite amusing. 

We have now spent a couple of hours with Lucy in the warm organizing the next leg of the trip in Berlin. This time we know what trains we need to get properly and the way to the hostel. The hostel in Berlin has won the 'Hoscar' for best hostel in Germany so it should be a nice play to stay. 

Tonight we kind of want to watch the World Cup qualifier so we might go looking for a place to watch that or just go for a couple of drinks somewhere else. Yesterday we found a bar where we got a pint for the bargain price of 6 euros. We only had one each. Anyway, we should get back to taking in the Amsterdam atmosphere.

Ben & Myles x

Day 2-Ieper-Myles has already ruined 2 pairs of trousers

Today we walked around Ypres all day. We walked along the city wall and marvelled at the wildlife in the moat and the random goats knocking about. We then had a hot chocolate in a cafe. We expected big things because of the famed Belgian chocolate but it wasn't brilliant and Myles spilt it all down his trousers. Yesterday he opened a beer and it exploded all over his jeans. Two days, two pairs of trousers down. 

We then had lunch that was supplied by Thomas. After this we went to a great museum about life during World War 1 and conditions in the trenches. Lots of school children making lots of noise. 

We walked around Ypres for a while longer before stopping off in a bar for some bevvies. 

During our walk around the wall we came upon the Menin gate. The number of names on the walls was staggering. We then saw the Last Post at 8 o clock which was very moving. 

After this we came back to Thomas'  where we have played board games and drunk Belgian beer. I have won every game we have played so Myles and Thomas have given up now. Tomorrow we set off for Amsterdam. We had problems finding a hostel at first but now we are staying on a boat. Should be good. 

I guess I will try to update again tomorrow. I hope you're not missing us too much yet! 

 

Ben and Myles x 
 

New day in Ieper

We are up and ready to face the day in Ieper. Well I am. Thomas loved the Colmans. He hasn't done anything with it yet. Thomas made us dinner, gave us breakfast and we have made our lunch with his things. We are feeling very spoilt. 

We are about to head out into Ieper to see the Menin gate and maybe go for a bike ride around some grave yards. Today could be quite a somber day. 

I say we are ready to face the day but I'm actually lying. Myles is taking his sweet time as I expected. 

Ben and Myles x

Arrived in Ieper

Waiting for half an hour at our meeting point for Thomas we began to have doubts that he wasn't coming, we discovered it was because of the immense amount of traffic and we thought England was bad. We've just arrived at Thomas' house and have been welcomed by a vast selection of beer, might get a bit messy. Thomas is a really nice guy. We have found that we all love Shikari!

Lille wasn't great to be honest but we got a few good pictures.

 

 

 

 I also lit a candle for Matthew in the church in Lille. Better go now we have dinner and beer to drink. 

Ben and Myles x