AMSTERDAM: Sex, Drugs and Cycling

Hoi Amsterdam! I had planned my trip to Amsterdam for July as everyone I know had been already there and everyone is so fascinated by the city. I wanted to experience it with my own eyes, and so I booked a trip for 3 days. The first thing I observed was that there are actually roads designed solely for bikes. I guess that every Amsterdammer owns at least one bike. I even felt compelled to jump on one as everyone was cycling and it seems to be the best option to get around. Pedestrians and car drivers really need to be careful and keep their eyes open as they drive very fast and can show up suddenly. 

As soon as I walked towards the city I saw all the canals and the bridges. It is a very pretty city with its narrow streets and reminded me a bit of Venezia. I walked through the flower market and went into a cheese basement (Henri Willig, Cheese & More  and Kaaskelder) where they had all different types of Gouda. 

You could try the cheese and also the traditional caramalised Waffles. 

Next I went to Leidseplein which is a really cool place to hang out as it is always busy and all the bars and shops are there. I wanted to get a better view from Amsterdam so I went to the Blue bar. It gives you a 360-degree view of Amsterdam. 

On Saturday, me and my friends went first to the Noordermarkt and did a canal tour on a boat afterwards. It was so relaxing sitting in the boat with music and enjoying all the different parts of the city. It is actually quite challenging guiding a boat as the canals cross and big boats always have priority in traffic. 

For dinner we went to my friend's parents restaurant Villa Zomerdijk in Velsen-Zuid. It is about 45 minutes from the city, but worth the trip because it is so idyllic and the food is very unique. Another very good place for especially steak is Lotje Cafe. 

For the evening we went back to the centre, Leidseplein, and had a drink in the Palladium. Next we went to De Pijp which is great for bar hopping. 

On Sunday, I wanted to go to the Anne Frank Museum which is close to Westermarkt. There is always a huge queue in front. I made it in after 30 minutes of waiting and it was well worth it. 

Close to the museum is The Pancake Bakery which is also very good to visit. Unfortunately, I did not have time to go to the Van Gogh and Rijks museum. 

Next I went to Damstraat and headed to the Likeurstokerij Wijnand Fockink Opgericht for one drink and then to the Red Light District. The bar is well known for it's Gin in different flavours and the bar tenders who take their time to talk you through the different flavours. They are also very helpful in case you have any questions related to Amsterdam's history. 

I did not have the chance to see it by night, so I had to see it by day. We went through two narrow streets and watched the girls in the windows posing in their tiny suits. 

My next mission was to see, and try, a Coffee Shop. 

We went to one nearby and had a coffee there. I know, you usually do not go for a coffee, but it was just for a visit and to have a look at the menu. 

Another good hint for dinner is the Indonesian restaurant, Blauw. Waterlooplein is very cool for people who love vintage and second-hand things. 9 Straatjes, in Runstraat, is also great for shopping and Vondelpark for chilling out. If you want to spend a few days in a very nice luxurious hotel, I highly recommend the Conservatorium. 

Dank je wel Amsterdam, I had a lot of fun and Tot ziens!

MADRID: Warmth Of The City Is Equal To The Warmth Of The People

This year's summer in England is quite short and so me and my friends decided to go for a short trip to Madrid. I lived in Barcelona before and loved the Spanish mentality and hospitality. Barcelona is still different compared to Madrid as they define themselves as Catalan and have their own vocabulary. We arrived late Thursday in Madrid and the first thing you recognise is the vibe and the heat of the city. People are on the streets, chatting and laughing, a lot of promoters are advertising bars at each corner. 

The next thing you notice is the eating time. Spain’s starts at 10pm, at the earliest, and for going out it is even later. They usually start going out to a bar around 1am and enter the club around 3am earliest and stay out until 9am or continue even until 12am. 

We had a drink at the Urban Hotel which is a stunning luxury hotel with a roof garden and a nice view of Madrid. The city itself is not huge, so you can reach every area easily by foot. We were very lucky with the weather. It was about 32 degrees, so we walked down to the “parque del buen retiro” which is a very beautiful park with a lake in the middle where you can row. 

People arrive to lie in the sun on one of the green spots in the park. Our hotel was very close to the metro station El Sol. On our way there we passed ‘Plaza de la Cibeles’. On our way back we walked through ‘Plaza de Colon’ which is one of my favorite places and buildings in Madrid. 

Art Centres in Madrid: Reina Sofia Museum, The Botanic Garden-Museum, Caixaforum Art Centre, Thyssen-Bornemesiza Museum, El Prado Museum (one of the best art galleries in the world, depicting beautiful pieces from Velazquez, Goya, Tintoretto and Rubens), Plaza de La Cibeles, Palacio de Comunicaciones, Puerta de Alcala, Bank of Spain, National Library and Plaza de Colon. In case you end up in the El Prado Museum, get a lunch at Cafe Prado, the cafeteria & restaurant inside El Prado Museum.

The next day we walked towards the west side of Madrid and passed ‘Plaza Mayor’, ‘Catedral de la Almudena’, the beautiful garden of ‘Jardines de Sabatini’ and ‘Plaza de Espana’. We finally ended up having a lie on the ‘Parque de la Montana’. On our way back we had a Sangria and green spiced olives in the Saint Miguel Market which is not an open market, but a glass building which keeps the food fresh. You can get fresh vegetables, fruits, sweets and ready-made tapas. 

Next we walked towards the metro station, Tribunal, and arrived on the shopping street. We wanted to get some patatas bravas in a bar named ‘La Tita’, but they did not serve the food in a traditional way. The Sangria and Tinto de verano was in a can and the patatas bravas also looked more like chips rather than the traditional dish. For dinner we were invited to a friend's house who prepared us paella in a huge pan.

The cook told us that the idea came actually from the musulmans as they used to eat from one big pan or plate. Next we went to a bar called Barbarum in Churruca 3 who served Mojitos in huge glasses. We finally ended in the Pacha Club which is not far from the bar. The next morning we walked down the Calle de Postas where they had a very nice bakery and pastries in all different varieties. For lunch I can recommend a cool terrace in Paseo de Recoletos (in front of Plaza de Goya), or more traditional El Paraguas Restaurant (Calle Jorge Juan 16) or a brunch at Embassy (Paseo Castellana 12). 

I had a delicious salmorejo cordobes con jamon y huevo for lunch which is similar to the soup gazpacho. Next we went to the airport by metro. The metro system is very simple in Madrid and tickets very cheap compared to other countries. All in all I loved spending my time in Madrid and would love to come again some time!

DERBYSHIRE: Download Festival - First Muddy Experience

I wanted to try something new this year and go to a big music festival. Download Festival is a very well known three-day metal music open-air festival taking place in Donington Park, in Derbyshire. I started playing guitar about a year ago now and was introduced to some rock songs and would like to listen to them live as it is always different and more enjoyable. The name Download Festival comes from 'downloading' which is a dirty word for the music industry as it is forbidden to download music illegally and because rock is seen as a rebellious music genre. 
The logo includes the Download dog which is the mascot of the festival. The highlights of the event were without doubt Metallica, Black Sabbath, The Prodigy, Soundgarden, Chase & Status and Tenacious D and all the crazy dressed up people. Some of them were wearing clothes you would never even see in Soho.. loud colour combinations or even in completely in black! 

The rainy and windy weather made it uncomfortable to stand and listen, but none of the music fans cared about the circumstances and appreciated every ear 'orgasm' they got from the live performances. It was such an amazing feeling standing in the middle of thousands of people, facing the stage and being so excited to see the bands performing live. The sound system was incredible so that you could feel every beat in your body. It was actually not possible to stand there without moving. The most exciting moment was when Metallica came on stage. Fans have been waiting for so long to see the band live. They came from every where and did not mind waiting in the rain. Even I did not want to leave my well conquered space on the front and waited 2 hours in advance. I wanted to see them as close as possible and wanted to fear every note. 

First fireworks opened up the first song intro. Everyone started screaming without them getting on stage and when they got on stage everyone was so out of themselves. It was just mind blowing seeing all the crowd getting so excited and smiling. It already seemed like they have reunited with their 'father of metal rock'. There was no song they did not know the lyrics and did not sing with. Some songs animated them to bump into each other. This is for a girl, standing in a crowd with mainly men not very safe. But luckily there have been a few who look out that no one bumps into girls. Another very unique moment was towards the end of Metallica's performance. Whatever James Hetfield was saying, the crowd did it. He seems to have magical power and knows how to talk to the audience. The way he talks to them makes them feel warm and comfortable and being part of a family. Other than the other bands they do not mind playing a bit longer than they are supposed to. They want to give their fans as much as possible which we all appreciated. Even I became already a big fan of Metallica cos they just had an incredible performance and care about their audience. 

This is the 'One' song which belongs to one of my favourites and always gets me goosebumps:

Even on the first day some cars were struggling to get out of the parking spot as their car tyres sank into the mud and made it impossible to make the car move. 

On Sunday, when everyone wanted to move back home, it was a nightmare. The whole car park was a desperate place where drivers and passengers had to wait until the car in front could move. We had to wait a full 3 hours before we could move. It was an experience, but one I would not want to get involved with again! 

LONDON: Concerts All Over London

The most exciting event on the third day took place at Buckingham Palace where Elton John, Paul McCartney and many other famous artists took to the stage. 20,000 people came to watch the concert, listen to a speech from the royal family and see the beacon lit at 10.30pm.

Me and my friends went to Liverpool Street for a “street party”. We arrived when the band had sung their last song so afterwards it was nothing more than a bunch of dressed up people enjoying drinks and a chat. 

We decided to grab a Boris bike and cycle down to the Tower of London which is beautiful by night. From there we could see one of the beacons which was very small and where there was nothing else, no music, no other fanfare, just a flame. We walked along the river and enjoyed the amazing view of that part of London. One of the bridges was lit in red and looked gorgeous. It is a great place to spend an evening and enjoy a drink at one of London Bridge's many bars.

LONDON: Pageant Parade On The Thames

The second day of the Diamond Jubilee Weekend included a flotilla with a thousand different types of boats crossing the river and around a million spectators watching them as they began their voyage in West London before heading towards London Bridge in the east.

People came from everywhere to watch this event. Almost everyone was holding a Union Jack, was dressed in the colours blue, red and white or was wearing a mask with the faces of the royal family. Most of the bridges were closed for this event, only the Chelsea and Battersea Bridge were open for pedestrians to cross, but not stop and watch. 

Public screens were positioned in different areas so that everyone could follow the flotilla and see the Queen in her beautiful white dress. 

The Queen and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge travelled down the river on the royal barge too which was one of the most amazing and fascinating vessels, covered in gold and red. 

LONDON: Celebrating The Queen

England is going unarguably nuts for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. There are flags everywhere, special editions with the Queen’s picture on clothes, food, and just about anything else you can think of. 

 

Arriving at Oxford Circus you see big Union Jacks all up the street, at train stations and on shop windows. I wonder why every single store has a flag and whether it would matter if they did or didn't, but one thing is obvious, you will never forget that you are in England at this moment! 

The opening ceremony took place at the Epsom Derby, an annual horse racing event which included a parachute jump carrying a huge Union Jack. At 1pm the Queen arrived in her blue dress, to watch some of the races and award the winners. It was a fun experience analysing the horses and their riders and deciding afterwards who would win. 

You can start with £2 and go up to hundreds if you are feeling confident. We were facing the Queen’s stand, where people could sit down on the grass, bring their own food and dress up as they wanted. In the Queen’s stand everyone was more traditional and women were supposed to wear a very nice hat. There were also buses people could stand in to watch the race.

BRIGHTON: A Day On The English Coast At Brighton

The weekend was unbelievably warm in London which is why we decided to go to Brighton for a day and do some sunbathing. It is just 45 minutes from Clapham Junction (£21), so a very quick ride and a destination for day-trippers from London. The actual city is very small, but nice with it’s unique cafes and vintage stores. You will also see a lot of walls with graffiti. New Road and Sydney Street is great for shopping. Gelato Gusto in Gardener Street has very good Italian ice cream. 

If you want to see some museums, I can recommend the Brighton Toy and Model museum and Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. Other than that, the Brighton Palace is very beautiful with its garden in front. If you walk down Queen’s Road you will arrive at the beach. 

The beach is very rocky and not ideal to lie down on. No one is actually going into the sea either as it is very very cold. You will see a burned west pier, also called i360, in the middle of the sea. It burnt down in 2003 but looks like it happened only recently. It feels like you need to eat fish and chips here as there are plenty of chains along the beach. The hotels along the beach are not particularly special, from my point of view, as they are quite simple to the ones abroad. 

Walking along the Marine Parade is very enjoyable as everyone is passing up and down and enjoying the beautiful view of the sea. You will also pass the amusement park on the pier and see the big Brighton wheel. On a sunny day it is definitely worth visiting!

OXFORD: The perfect drama scenery

If you walk across all the fascinating colleges and old buildings, you realise, that this place is unique and offers a thrilling scenery for movies.
The architecture of each college is stunning and worth a picture.
The rivers running through it, Cherwell and the Thames, create lovely routes to walk through the city. Some student were rowing on the rivers, and the different boats passing down them reminded me, a little, of Venice. This city is full of greenery; I can highly recommend to walk through the Christ Church meadow and the Botanic Garden.

The Radcliffe Camera, The Museum of History of Science the Sheldonian Theatre and the Bridge of Sighs (connects parts of Hertfold College over New College Lane) are amazing, as well as the Ashmolean Museum which is in front of the most exclusive hotel in Oxford, ‘The Randolph’.
An interesting place to stay in Oxford is the Malmaison hotel, which is actually a converted prison! The rooms are the prisoners cells, on which the original prison doors are still in place.
You may have to think carefully if someone invites you to this hotel! However, this venue is definitely worth checking out, and you can access the grounds even if you are not staying there.

On our way to the Queen’s college, we passed the Covered Market on Queen’s Street, but unfortunately it was closed. In general the houses are very old and mainly built of brick. If you fancy a coffee other than Starbucks, Nero or Costa, I can suggest Mortons Cafe, which offers cheap and delicious coffee. For the night life, Oxford has a few venues to offer such as the O2 Academy where famous bands gig.
The Freud Bar is also a beautiful bar. On Walton Street are other really nice bars, and relatively cheap, when you compared with London. If you have a spare day or two, this city is worth checking out.

OXFORD: Egg Hunting in Oxford

For this year’s Easter weekend the weather forecast announced rainy and cloudy weather, which is why I chose to spend a couple of days in Oxford instead of somewhere on the English coast.

Oxford is in South East England with a population of around 165,000. I had heard so much about this small city which is famous for it’s University, the oldest university in England and also, because a lot of films and TV dramas were filmed there.

Harry Potter for example filmed scenes at the Divinity School, in the Bodleian Library, the Duke Humfrey’s Library and in the Christ Church College’s dining hall. Furthermore, Oxford is known to be the birthplace of Alice in Wonderland.

LONDON: Welcome to the Island

After my amazing holiday in the UAE, I started my new job and life in London, England. It might not be the best month to move into a new country, but luckily it was not as cold as I expected. The weather on the island was very mild compared with Munich, which is usually very cold and dry in the winter. Living in London is pretty easy, it does not take too much effort to get used to any rules or cultural differences. That’s what I thought, but let me list some of the things you need to consider if moving over:

• Signing up for a National Insurance Number: usually a quick process, particularly if your employer organises most of it for you.
• Phone contracts: Contracts are in general cheaper than pay as you go cards.
• Street directions: Luckily there is always a sign reminding you which direction to look at when crossing the road.

• English Pubs: They are everywhere!! Commonly work colleagues go for a drink (or 2 or 3 or more) after work to “socialse”. British people always pay for rounds when in a group, as that is the common culture. Thus, if you ever go for “a drink” with 3 or 4 British people, don’t be surprised if you have at least 4 drinks, especially as it is considered rude to turn down an offer of a drink! 

• Queuing for good restaurants: Whenever you see a well named restaurant you can be sure that there are a few people standing in front of it, just to wait to get a seat. However, I’m not talking about a few minutes, I am talking about 20-45 minutes.
• British politeness: It’s never wrong in this country to say thank you or excuse me too often. You will always hear British people say sorry to you, for example if they are in the way or bump into you, even if it wasn’t their fault...it is like a natural instinct for them to say it! A nice change from some other European countries. 
• Wrapped vegetables and fruits: If you are looking for some fresh vegetables and fruits, you either pay more at shops such as Waitrose, Whole Foods, Mark’s and Spencer’s, or you accept the ones which are packed in plastic bags or are in tins. 
• Opening hours of shops: Supermarkets and stores are open all day long even on sundays and bank holidays, which is great as it gives you more flexibility and makes people go shopping more often!
• Hunting for deals: Wherever you are in England, you always find deals, such as buy two get one free or buy 4 get it for £2.

• British vocabulary differs: There are some words British people use, which you should be aware of. The tube is the underground, crisps are chips, chips are like fries, trainers are sneakers, trousers are pants, rubbish is trash. There are many more, but make sure you know some as some British people dislike the use of “Americanisms” in their language.
• Foxes everywhere: In Germany it is very rare to see a fox, but here they seem to walk around like cats and also, at night, they can get very loud and even sound like cats.
• Don’t be shocked by girls wearing the shortest skirts you have ever seen in your life even in the winter! British people are used to wearing short clothes even if it is freezing cold outside, particularly on a night out.
• It is not unusual to look unusual: In London you have the freedom to wear whatever you want. You may get the odd strange look if you are wearing something particularly outrageous, but the majority of people in London accept it as just normal or even cool!
• Cupcakes: Brits love having a dessert after meal. I have already tasted some of the most delicious cupcakes from Hummingbird bakery. 

The more foreign people I meet here, the more often I hear that it takes about a year to get  used to the city and the culture. Maybe it is because there are so many different cultures living here in London? You can walk down any street in London and within 30 seconds hear languages from all over the world spoken by people who live in London. 

Not only this, London is so large and varied, you can spend one day in one part of the city and the next day in another, and feel like you are in a totally different world! Let’s see how long it will take me to feel at home in this country...