So Mia and I came to Hamburg from Paris by overnight train. It was an interesting experience. I'd still recommend it, but it wasn't the best nights sleep I've ever had, with passport/ border checks at about 1am and a train change at 6:30am.
But we made it, in about 14 hours. We were met at the station by a family friend of Marija's, a friend of her Mum's I think. We're staying with her in her apartment for 5 nights and it's been wonderful. She isn't pushy or stifling, she works during the day and helps us out with everything we need.
Even though I've been in Hamburg four nights now, it doesn't feel like I've been here long. The day we arrived (as it was an overnight train, we were here quite early) we explored the suburb we're staying in, and the next day we explored the city centre. By explore, I mean we walked around until we found a good restaurant and then until we found the mall. It's a very nice city though and I very much enjoyed it. The food here is delicious, the people are friendly and I had this really amazing passionfruit smoothie that was positively orgasmic. Tomorrow if I have to catch the train into the city to get it again before we leave for Frankfurt, I will.
On our third day, we went to Berlin for a day trip. It was just within day trip limits, about two and a half hours each way. I didn't like Berlin, it was okay but it didn't excite me much. We were both tired after waking up early and spent half the day on the hop on- hop off bus napping.
The day after, you'd think we'd try to have a sleep in and catch up after that long day in Berlin but no. Instead, we woke up at 4:20am because we were going on an 8 hour train ride to... dun dun dun... Amsterdam!
Because three of my good friends from Exeter are Dutch, and from the Utrecht area, I figured this would be a perfect time to go visit them. I mean, we'd said our goodbyes but I really wanted to go and so I convinced Mia, and we planned to leave early, be there for midday, explore the city, party the night away with the assistance of the perfectly legal weed and get the earliest train home at like 5am, but Mia was skeptical and then my friends weren't up for it (they have actual lives now and work sadly) so instead, Laura said we could come back and sleep at her place, in Rotterdam.
So after various stresses such as missing our train, we eventually made it by half past one. At 4, my friends arrives and I got to introduce the old and the new. We had a really lovely evening, and eventually went home after really exploring and enjoying the city. Yeah, it's got a reputation, and there was a lot of people smoking, but it was a really beautiful city and there was so much to see. Next time I will definitely got for much longer, and see the Van Gogh museum and Anne Frank's house and the Wax Museum and the Sex museum and all the cool things. Including obviously checking out the night life, and saying yes next time we have the choice to go into a cafe and get beer and weed.
Tonight was the World Cup, which everyone not living under a rock would know. Fancy being in Germany to witness them winning. It was quite exciting, something to remember :) There's still a lot of cars honking and bangs but I'm so exhausted. All I want to do is sleep in but tomorrow we need to get up early to spend one last morning out in Hamburg before catching the train to Frankfurt. Soon Mia and I's trip is going to be over which is sad, but I'm looking forward to seeing Jen and co and I'm definitely looking forward to being done with travelling and just being at home, in my own bed and seeing all my friends again. And sleep. God I miss sleep.
I love travelling and I'll miss it as soon as I'm done but it's exhausting work.
But we made it, in about 14 hours. We were met at the station by a family friend of Marija's, a friend of her Mum's I think. We're staying with her in her apartment for 5 nights and it's been wonderful. She isn't pushy or stifling, she works during the day and helps us out with everything we need.
Even though I've been in Hamburg four nights now, it doesn't feel like I've been here long. The day we arrived (as it was an overnight train, we were here quite early) we explored the suburb we're staying in, and the next day we explored the city centre. By explore, I mean we walked around until we found a good restaurant and then until we found the mall. It's a very nice city though and I very much enjoyed it. The food here is delicious, the people are friendly and I had this really amazing passionfruit smoothie that was positively orgasmic. Tomorrow if I have to catch the train into the city to get it again before we leave for Frankfurt, I will.
On our third day, we went to Berlin for a day trip. It was just within day trip limits, about two and a half hours each way. I didn't like Berlin, it was okay but it didn't excite me much. We were both tired after waking up early and spent half the day on the hop on- hop off bus napping.
The day after, you'd think we'd try to have a sleep in and catch up after that long day in Berlin but no. Instead, we woke up at 4:20am because we were going on an 8 hour train ride to... dun dun dun... Amsterdam!
Because three of my good friends from Exeter are Dutch, and from the Utrecht area, I figured this would be a perfect time to go visit them. I mean, we'd said our goodbyes but I really wanted to go and so I convinced Mia, and we planned to leave early, be there for midday, explore the city, party the night away with the assistance of the perfectly legal weed and get the earliest train home at like 5am, but Mia was skeptical and then my friends weren't up for it (they have actual lives now and work sadly) so instead, Laura said we could come back and sleep at her place, in Rotterdam.
So after various stresses such as missing our train, we eventually made it by half past one. At 4, my friends arrives and I got to introduce the old and the new. We had a really lovely evening, and eventually went home after really exploring and enjoying the city. Yeah, it's got a reputation, and there was a lot of people smoking, but it was a really beautiful city and there was so much to see. Next time I will definitely got for much longer, and see the Van Gogh museum and Anne Frank's house and the Wax Museum and the Sex museum and all the cool things. Including obviously checking out the night life, and saying yes next time we have the choice to go into a cafe and get beer and weed.
Tonight was the World Cup, which everyone not living under a rock would know. Fancy being in Germany to witness them winning. It was quite exciting, something to remember :) There's still a lot of cars honking and bangs but I'm so exhausted. All I want to do is sleep in but tomorrow we need to get up early to spend one last morning out in Hamburg before catching the train to Frankfurt. Soon Mia and I's trip is going to be over which is sad, but I'm looking forward to seeing Jen and co and I'm definitely looking forward to being done with travelling and just being at home, in my own bed and seeing all my friends again. And sleep. God I miss sleep.
I love travelling and I'll miss it as soon as I'm done but it's exhausting work.
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